How to Prevent Your Back From Curving When Deadlifting

The dead lift is one of the best full-body exercises you can do, but it can injure your back if not performed properly. The most common mistake when deadlifting, usually made by inexperienced exercisers, is to round the back, compressing the front part of your lumbar vertebral discs and forcing the discs to move toward the back. This position puts you at a high risk of suffering from a slipped disc, which is absolutely disastrous to your health and well being. By learning correct dead lift technique, you can reap its benefits while minimize its risks.

Things You'll Need

• Barbell
• Weight plates

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Instructions

Barbell Dead Lift

• 1

  Load the barbell with the desired number of weight plates and then stand in front of the barbell with your feet a little wider than shoulder-width apart.

• 2

  Bend your knees and bend forward at the waist to grab the barbell. Your grip should be a little wider than shoulder-width. For safety, use the overhand grip. This grip causes your forearms internally rotate, greatly reducing the stress on your biceps and minimizing the risk of a strain or tear. Keep your chest high and relax your shoulders. Look straight ahead during the entire rep.

• 3

  Straighten your back as much as possible and try to keep it like this during the entire dead lift. This is the most difficult part of this exercise if you are a beginner or have a weak core. To prevent your back from rounding, you must contract your core muscles, including your transversus abdominis (deep abdominal muscle), your rectus abdominis (your "six-pack"), and your erector spinae (deep spinal muscle). After you engage these core muscles, you must focus on breathing into the sides of your ribcage. This essentially prevents you from straining your diaphragm, which can be common when deadlifting incorrectly.

• 4

  Lift the barbell off the ground by extending your knees and your hips. When you do this, stay focused on the contraction of your core. Keep these muscles engaged and do not relax them; otherwise, you will take your spine out of the neutral, or straightened, position. Also, make sure you exhale during this motion. A common mistake is to relax your core when exhaling. Avoid this. It may take some time getting used to doing this correctly. With repetition and concentration, however, your dead lift form will improve.

• 5

  Return the barbell to the ground by bending your hips and knees. Inhale during this motion, again keeping your core engaged. Try to breathe into the sides of your ribcage rather than into your abdomen.