Muscle outlines from Body Muscles by Ivan Vulović, Apache 2.0 — regrouped and recoloured for Muscle Train.
Position the bar over the top of your shoelaces and assume a hip width stance. Push your hips back and hinge forward until your torso is nearly parallel with the floor. Reach down and grasp the bar using a double overhand snatch grip. Inhale and pull up slightly on the bar while allowing your hips to drop in a seesaw fashion. This phenomenon is commonly referred to as “pulling the slack out of the bar”. As you drop the hips and pull up on the bar, set the lats (imagine you’re trying to squeeze oranges in your armpits) and ensure your armpits are positioned directly over the bar. Drive through the whole foot and focus on pushing the floor away. Ensure the bar tracks in a straight line as you extend the knees and hips. Once you have locked out the hips, reverse the movement by pushing the hips back and hinging forward. Return the bar to the floor, reset, and repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Keep the armpit crease over the bar and bar path over midfoot. Deadlift is a hinge, not a squat – avoid setting hips too low. Engage lats to keep the bar close (“squeeze oranges in your armpits”). Hips lower than shoulders, chest up for better positioning. Experiment with neutral or slightly upward neck position based on anatomy. Aim for vertical shins, but adjust for limb length. Toe angle is individual – try slightly in, out, or neutral. Don’t retract shoulder blades – it shortens ROM and reduces efficiency. Use a full grip, thumbs around the bar, and squeeze tightly. Keep elbows locked to avoid bicep strain. Drive through the whole foot (big toe, little toe, heel). Scraping shins isn’t required if setup is correct. Beginners should “pull the slack out of the bar” before lifting. Drop the bar on singles (if allowed), but control it for multiple reps. Feet too wide causes valgus knees or inefficient wider grip – stick to hip-width. Weak lockout → add rack pulls, RDLs, band/chain pulls. Weak off the floor → add paused or deficit deadlifts plus upper back/glute work.
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