5 Deadlift Mistakes to Avoid – New Jersey CrossFit Classes

Deadlift is one of the fundamental movements of CrossFit. It is also referred to as the “King of All Lifts”. Improving your deadlift can help increase your clean and squat as well as helping you improve on your overall strength. Deadlift seems simple but there are common mistakes that people make. These mistakes can be holding you back from hitting a new PR. Here are the 5 most common mistakes in deadlift and how to avoid them:

#1 Too far away from the bar

When you deadlift you want to make sure the bar is as close to your body as you can. This is a little bit different than when you clean. You want to drag the bar up your shins and thighs so that the bar stays in contact with your body the whole time. When you set up make sure you start with the bar touching your shins and keep the weight back on your heels when you pull from the ground.

#2 Butt rising too fast

This mistake happens when the weight gets heavier. If you try to pull the bar off the ground and your butt rises up too fast, you will be pulling more with your hamstrings. This is not an efficient way to use your legs and back to pull the bar. A good way to avoid this is to make sure your hips and shoulders rise at the same speed until the bar is above your knee.

#3 Rounding your back

Rounding your back will happen a lot of times because of the previous mistake of your butt rising to early. You are not as strong when your back is rounded and it will put you in a bad position to deadlift from. This bad position could result in an injury if you continue to do it. The best way to avoid rounding your spine is by making sure you keep a nice neutral spine through the whole lift and by keeping your back nice and tight.

#4 Over extending at the top

This common mistake you will see when people over exaggerate getting your hips through at the top. This can lead to back pain or a hyper-extension injury of the lower back. This is very easy to avoid by just standing tall and pushing your hips through the bar.

#5 Jerking the weight off the ground

When you are setting up for deadlift you always want to make sure you are completely ready to pull the bar off the ground before you start. If your elbows are bent and you jerk the bar from the ground from that position it can lead to a major injury of the bicep. The best way to avoid this is by not rushing the set up. Make sure you are set up completely before you start to pull the bar. You can also flex your triceps which will make sure you cannot bend your elbows.

These five mistakes can be holding you back from your true potential in deadlift. Next time you deadlift when you are warming up check to make sure you are not making any of these mistakes. If you continue to practice with proper form you will see the weights go up in no time!