Improve the Deadlift’s Low Back Position off the Floor: A Conceptual Approach

by Zohar Yermiyahu, SSC - זוהר ירמיהו | December 03, 2024

In the deadlift, we want the bar to leave the ground with a fully extended low back. This extension ensures the back remains tight and rigid, acting as an efficient force transmitter. When the back is extended correctly, it allows the force produced by the hip and leg muscles’ concentric contraction to travel through the isometrically contracted back muscles and into the barbell without any energy leaks.

One common error seen in the deadlift is the loss of the well-extended back position before the bar even leaves the ground. This typically occurs because the lifter applies an abrupt force in an attempt to lift the bar, introducing a sudden, overwhelming contractile demand on the low-back muscles that try to hold the extended position. We refer to this maneuver as “jerking” the bar off the floor. This abrupt maneuver usually leads to inadequate development of tension in the back muscles, causing them to “fail” and lengthen under the load, causing flexion or “rounding” of the low back.  

To correct this, we need to introduce a more gradual force production against the ground, which means a more gradual shift of the weight of the load from the ground to our hands, arms, shoulders, back, hips, and legs. This allows the back muscles to progressively generate sufficient tension to stabilize the extended lower back position. Here’s a useful cue to practice: squeeze the bar off the floor gradually. Let me explain this concept with an example.

Imagine an entire 135 lb barbell positioned on a weight scale. Before the lift begins, the scale reads 135 lb. Imagine you approach the bar and set up for the deadlift, according to the steps outlined in Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training 3rd edition – including extending your back fully by pushing your chest up/belly down. The last prescribed step is to start pushing the floor away with your feet. Now imagine that you apply this force to the ground gradually instead of abruptly, causing the scale’s reading to decrease progressively: 135, 100, 75, 50, 25, 0. The weight of the barbell transitions smoothly from resting fully on the ground (the weight scale) to being held fully in your hands.

The key here is that the force applied to the ground – and thus the bar – should increase incrementally, not abruptly. The moment the scale reads "0.0" is when the bar leaves the ground and continues up, signifying that 100% of the load is now in your hands. This process eliminates the “jerk” that commonly causes the low back to round.

The next piece here is that as you squeeze the bar off the floor smoothly, i.e., increasing the force against the floor gradually, your back must remain actively engaged. This means you have to consciously maintain the tight contraction in your low-back erector muscles: keep commanding your back to hold on tight. As the weight of the bar transitions from the ground to your arms, you will feel the low back working harder to hold its position, which is precisely how it should feel.

When practicing this cue initially, let the process of making the bar leave the ground take about 1-3 seconds. This slower pace allows you to focus on the gradual application of force while maintaining proper back extension. Over time, as you develop proficiency, the movement will naturally speed up.

This concept of progressively transferring the bar’s weight from the floor to your hands – visualized through the scale’s decreasing reading – ensures that the low back remains tight, the lift is more efficient, and the risk of injury is minimized. The next time you deadlift, think of the imaginary scale under the barbell as you start the rep. Let the numbers decrease progressively until they reach zero, and the bar leaves the ground, while you keep commanding your back to hold its extension as you increase your force application to the ground.