Deficit Deadlift

Setup

1. 01Stand on a stable 1 to 4 inch platform or plate with the bar over mid-foot.
2. 02Take your normal deadlift stance despite the raised surface.
3. 03Grip the bar just outside the shins and pull the slack out of the bar.
4. 04Set the hips slightly lower than a standard deadlift to reach the deeper start position with a flat back.

Execution

1. 01Brace hard, wedge the hips down, and load the lats before the bar leaves the floor.
2. 02Push the floor away and keep the bar dragging up the shins.
3. 03Extend knees and hips together until you stand tall at lockout.
4. 04Lower under control back to the deficit start position and reset each rep.

Checkpoints

• -Back stays flat despite the extra depth.
• -Bar stays in contact with the legs the whole pull.
• -Hips and shoulders rise at the same rate off the floor.
• -Full hip lockout without leaning back.

Common mistakes

• -Using a deficit so tall that the lower back rounds at the start.
• -Letting the hips shoot up first and turning the pull into a stiff-leg deadlift.
• -Loading it as heavy as a standard deadlift instead of reducing weight.
• -Bouncing reps off the platform without resetting the brace.