Cable Deadlift

Setup

1. 01Set the pulley to its lowest position and attach a straight bar or double-D handle.
2. 02Stand facing the stack with feet hip width apart, close enough that the cable pulls slightly forward and down.
3. 03Hinge at the hips with a flat back and grip the attachment with both hands.
4. 04Take the slack out of the cable and brace before the first rep.

Execution

1. 01Drive through the whole foot and extend hips and knees together.
2. 02Keep the arms straight and the handle close to your body as you stand.
3. 03Finish tall with glutes squeezed, without leaning back against the stack.
4. 04Hinge back down under control until the hamstrings are fully loaded.

Checkpoints

• -Spine stays neutral from setup to lockout.
• -Hips and shoulders rise at the same rate.
• -Cable tension never goes slack at the bottom.
• -Lockout comes from hip extension, not lumbar hyperextension.

Common mistakes

• -Standing too far from the stack and turning the lift into a row.
• -Rounding the lower back to reach the handle.
• -Squatting the weight up instead of hinging.
• -Leaning backward at the top to fake a stronger lockout.