Pick

 Things  Up  
By:  Tony  Gentilcore,  CSCS  

 
We’ve  all  seen  the  popular  commercial  (here  in  the  States  at  least)  
where  a  woman  is  getting  a  tour  of  a  gym  and  as  she’s  being  guided  
through  the  free-­‐weight  area,  the  camera  pans  to  your  prototypical  
meathead  bodybuilder  –  gallon  jug  and  fanny  pack  in  tow  –who  then  
looks  at  the  woman  and  says,  “I  pick  things  up  and  put  them  down.”  
The  commercial  itself  is  all  about  catering  to  people  who  want  to  be  a  
member  of  a  gym  without  the  “hassle”  of,  you  know,  actually  doing  what  
most  people  do  in  gyms  (namely,  lift  weights  and/or  break  a  sweat),  and  
would  rather  not  deal  with  all  the  different  stereotypical  characters.  
While  I  feel  the  gym  chain  itself  is  deplorable  (ahem,  Lunk  Alarm),  the  
commercial  is  hilarious  and  speaks  to  my  inner  meathead.  
More  to  the  point,  the  phrase  “I  pick  things  up  and  put  them  down”  
speaks  my  most  favoritest  (ß  I  know,  not  a  real  word)  thing  to  do  in  the  
whole  world  -­‐  outside  of  watching  a  Lord  of  the  Rings  marathon  and  
crushing  an  all-­‐you-­‐can-­‐eat  cereal  buffet.  
What  am  I  referring  to?  
You  guessed  it……  

The  Deadlift  
The  deadlift  is  a  “simple”  movement,  and  I’d  argue  the  least  technical  of  
the  “big  3”  (squat,  bench  press,  deadlift).  Which  isn’t  to  say  it’s  easy  to  
perform  nor  doesn’t  require  some  attention  to  detail.  But  for  all  
intents  and  purposes  we  can  describe  the  deadlift  as  follows  (courtesy  
of  renowned  strength  coach,  Mark  Rippetoe):  
Bar  is  on  the  ground.  One  bends  over  to  pull  the  bar,  with  straight  
arms,  off  the  floor  and  up  the  legs  until  the  knees,  hips,  and  
shoulders  are  locked  out.  
And  then  you  piss  excellence  all  over  the  place.  
That  last  part  was  added  by  me.  
Of  course,  there’s  a  bit  more  to  it  than  that  –  which  we’ll  get  to  in  a  
minute  –  but  you  get  the  gist.  

                                                                     
While  the  deadlift  is  a  fairly  innocuous  looking  movement,  make  no  
mistake,  it’s  brutally  hard  and  can  complicate  training  if  improperly  
used  or  done  with  poor  technique.  
To  this  point,  unfortunately,  the  deadlift  is  often  deemed  “dangerous”  or  
regarded  as  the  red  headed  stepchild  of  the  exercise  world.  
If  I  had  a  nickel  for  every  time  an  ill-­‐informed  fitness  or  health  
professional  (or  someone  who  pretends  to  be  one  because  they  read  
Wikipedia)  waxed  poetic  on  how  deadlifts  are  destroying  everyone’s  
backs  I’d  have  a  metric  shit-­‐ton  of  nickels.    
FYI:  Metric  shit-­‐ton  =  1,918  nickels.    Give  or  take.  
Lets  set  the  record  straight:    any  exercise  or  movement  performed  
incorrectly  or  with  too  much  load  compared  to  one’s  current  ability  and  
experience  level  is  a  recipe  for  disaster.  This  pertains  to  deadlifts,  squats,  
leg  extensions,  bicep  curls,  or  even  overhead  dwarf  pressing….anything.  
Isn’t  it  ironic,  however,  that  for  as  much  as  deadlifts  are  vilified  by  some  
ignorant  trainers,  coaches,  physical  therapist,  and  physicians,  people  all  
over  the  world  are  performing  dozens  (if  not  hundreds)  of  repetitions  of  
them  every…single…day!  
A  deadlift  doesn’t  just  require  a  barbell  and  some  Rage  Against  the  
Machine  blaring  over  the  stereo.  The  latter  definitely  helps  though.  
Not  every  repetition  (or  variation)  has  to  be  a  max  effort  attempt.  
Anything  that  requires  a  basic  hip  hinge  pattern  –  while  maintaining  a  
neutral  spine  -­‐  can  be  labeled  a  deadlift.  
Grandma  picking  up  a  bag  of  groceries  off  the  floor?  That’s  a  deadlift.  
That  random  women  picking  up  her  child  at  the  local  playground?  A  
deadlift.  
And  yes,  Andy  Bolton  pulling  1000+  lbs  off  the  ground  is  a  mothereffing  
deadlift.  Wooooooo!  
  
So  you  can  imagine,  on  the  batshit  scale  on  which  WTF-­‐did-­‐that-­‐pencil  
necked-­‐personal-­‐trainer/physical-­‐therapist-­‐who’s-­‐never-­‐lifted-­‐a-­‐
weight-­‐or-­‐ever-­‐coached-­‐someone-­‐on-­‐how-­‐to-­‐lift-­‐weights-­‐properly-­‐say?  
is  measured…  
……saying  deadlifts  are  dangerous  (and  that  everyone  should  avoid  
them)  is  not  only  ignorant  and  shortsighted,  but  makes  a  small  piece  of  
my  soul  die.  
Take  for  example  a  recent  exchange  I  had  with  a  physical  therapist  who,  
after  reading  an  old(ish)  article  of  mine  I  wrote  on  the  topic,  retaliated  
with  a  rather  scathing  email  explaining  why  deadlifts  are  the  worst  
thing  since  stone  washed  jeans  (my  words,  not  hers).  
She  went  on  and  on  as  to  why  she’d  never  prescribe  deadlifts  to  her  
patients  and  that  I  was  in  the  wrong  for  saying  that  deadlifts  were  “safe.”  
She  knows  her  clients  better  than  I  do,  so  who  am  I  to  judge  her  choice  
otherwise?  But  her  tone  suggested  that  everyone  should  avoid  deadlifts.  
Remember  that  epic  monologue  by  Liam  Neeson’s  character  in  the  
movie  Taken  where,  after  his  daughter  calls  him  to  let  him  know  that  
she’s  being  kidnapped,  the  kidnapper  grabs  the  phone  and  Liam,  like  a  
badass,  says  into  the  phone  “I  will  find  you,  and  I  will  kill  you?”  
  
You  haven’t  seen  it?  OMG  –  stop  reading  right  now  and  get  on  Netflix.    
DO  IT!  
For  those  of  you  who  have  seen  it…well,  that’s  how  I  felt  when  I  read  
this  woman’s  message  to  me.    I  didn’t  want  to  kill  kill  her,  but  I’d  be  
remiss  if  I  said  I  wasn’t  a  wee  bit  miffed.  
For  the  hell  of  it,  I  looked  at  the  Mission  Statement  of  her  place  of  
employment  and  here’s  what  it  said:  
“In  addition  to  home  visiting,  we  offer  exercise  classes  carefully  designed  and  delivered  
by  physiotherapists  for  people  whose  bodies  are  vulnerable  to  pain  and  injury  because  
we  believe  movement  can  be  the  best  medicine  if  you  perform  exercise  tailored  to  the  
shape  you  are  in.”  
 
How  can  someone  who’s  company’s  Mission  Statement  says  “we  
believe  movement  is  the  best  medicine  if  you  perform  exercise  
tailored  to  the  shape  your  are  in”  completely  disregard  a  basic,  
human  movement  pattern  –  the  deadlift  –  and  deem  it  and  all  its  
iterations  “dangerous”  or  “risky”  or  gloss  over  them  because  of  the  
potential  for  spinal  stress?  
 
That  seems  a  bit  harsh  and  shortsighted  if  you  ask  me.  
 
Deadlifts  done  incorrectly  are  horrible  for  your  spine.  I  can’t  argue  with  
that.    However,  when  done  correctly  –  with  a  neutral  spine  and  proper  
hip  hinge  –  they’ll  do  more  as  far  as  “bullet  proofing”  the  body  than  any  
other  exercise.    
 
Besides,  isn’t  that  the  point  of  exercise?    To  stress  the  body,  including  
the  spine?  
 
Any  competent  coach  will  assess  his  or  her  client/athlete,  progress  
them  accordingly  –  based  off  their  training  experience,  injury  history,  
etc  –  and  provide  the  minimal  essential  strain  to  stress  the  body  so  
that  it  will  come  back  stronger.    
   
It’s  called  adaptation!  
 
In  my  experience,  those  who  disregard  certain  exercises  or  movements  
and/or  marry  themselves  to  the  idea  that  “x”  exercise  is  dangerous  
typically  (not  always)  are  those  who’ve  never  performed  them  in  the  
first  place.  
 
Calling  a  spade  a  spade,  these  are  also  the  same  people  who  have  no  
idea  how  to  coach  said  movement(s)  well.      
 
So  as  a  result,  the  exercise  becomes  too  “risky”  and  everyone  else  who  
uses  it  is  wrong  or  irresponsible.    
 

 
  
Photo  Credit:  Precision  SSD  
 
Meanwhile  if  we  were  to  take  the  above  therapist’s  company’s  Mission  
Statement  and  apply  it  to  real  life,  we’d  realize  that  the  deadlift,  like  
every  exercise  ever  invented  by  anyone,  ever,  can  be  regressed  (as  well  
as  progressed)  to  fit  the  abilities  and  needs  of  each  individual.  
 
In  the  end,  though,  the  umbrella  theme  should  always  come  down  to  
the  lift  itself  and  that  one  is  able  to  perform  it  in  an  efficient,  and  more  
importantly,  safe  manner.  
 
Deadlifting  101  
 
I  think  what  I  love  most  about  the  deadlift  is  that  in  the  most  primal  
way,  it’s  literally  you  vs.  the  bar.  
 
You  can’t  cheat  the  deadlift.    
 
Either  you  lift  the  bar  off  the  floor  and  lock  it  out,  or  you  don’t.    
 
It’s  without  question  one  of  the  best  movements  to  build  muscle,  overall  
strength  and  athleticism,  in  addition  to  helping  “fix  stuff.”      
 
Note:  by  “fix  stuff,”  what  I  mean  is  helping  to  offset  many  of  the  postural  
and  muscular  imbalances  that  many  people  accumulate  from  so  much  
sitting.  
 
But  I’m  also  biased.    
 
You’d  be  hard  pressed  to  convince  me  otherwise  that  the  deadlift  isn’t  
one  of  the  best  functional  exercise  you  can  do  with  respects  to  other  
things  as  well  like  developing  posterior  chain  strength,  core  stability,  
glute  activation  (not  to  mention  glute  size),  power  development,  and  
transference  of  force  throughout  the  entire  body.  
 
There’s  a  catch-­‐22,  though.  
 
In  order  to  reap  those  benefits,  it  only  makes  sense  to  know  how  to  
perform  a  deadlift  with  sound  technique.  
 
Entire  books  have  been  written  on  the  deadlift.  DVDs  have  been  made.  
Countries  have  been  conquered.  And,  giving  full  disclosure:  many  
people  much  stronger  (and  knowledgeable)  than  myself  have  jumped  
much  further  down  the  rabbit  hole  discussing  every  nook  and  cranny  
concerning  the  deadlift  than  what  I  will  attempt  to  do.  
 
But  who  wants  to  read  an  entire  book  anyways?    Consider  what  I  have  
to  offer  more  of  a  Cliff  Notes  “brain  dump”  of  deadlifting  badassery.  
 
I  Like  Lists.    
 

                                   
 
From  here  on  out  I’m  going  to  share  some  of  best  deadlifting  tidbits,  in  
list  form.  
 
My  goal  was  to  write  a  well-­‐organized,  coherent  deadlifting  treatise,  but  
now  that  I’m  close  to  2000  words  in  and  have  yet  to  really  say  anything  
of  significant  value  I  figured  this  would  be  the  next  best  course  of  action.  
 
In  no  particular  order:  
 
-­‐  Wolff’s  Law  and  Davis’s  Law.  You  can’t  discount  physics.  The  former  
states  that  bone  in  a  healthy  person  or  animal  will  adapt  to  the  loads  it  
is  placed  under.  The  latter  states  the  same  thing,  except  with  regards  to  
soft  tissue.  
 
Deadlifting  =  strong  bones  +  soft  tissue.  You  need  a  minimal  essential  
strain  (MES)  in  order  for  tissue  to  adapt.  Likewise,  in  order  to  
strengthen  tissue,  you  need  to  load  it.  Sorry,  but  your  cute  little  leg  
extensions  and  leg  curls  aren’t  going  to  get  the  job  done.  
 
-­‐  Grooving  the  hip  hinge.    The  hip  hinge  is  the  key  to  deadlifting.    That  
and  not  shitting  yourself  during  a  set.    The  sooner  one  masters  the  hip  
hinge,  the  sooner  the  deadlift  will  seem  like  second  nature.  
We  can  introduce  the  hip  hinge  as  follows,  courtesy  of  Dan  John,  author  
of  Easy  Strength  and  Never  Let  Go:    

“It’s  the  hip  snap,  the  hip  slam  and  all  of  the  various  inappropriate  terms  coaches  have  
used  to  teach  young  virgin  ninth  graders  to  tackle  like  NFL  linebackers.  Just  learning  
the  move  right  can  open  up  hamstring  flexibility.  Doing  it  slowly  with  a  massive  load  
can  impress  your  friends  for  generations.  Learning  to  have  symmetry  in  the  movement  
can  jumpstart  you  to  an  injury-­‐free  career.  
 
And,  to  do  it  fast?  It’s  the  one-­‐stop  shop  to  fat  loss,  power  and  improved  athletic  ability.  
Swings,  the  top  of  the  food  chain  in  hinge  movements,  are  the  most  under-­‐appreciated  
move  in  life,  in  sport  and  in  the  gym.”  

In  more  rudimentary  terms  the  hip  hinge  involves  any  flexion/extension  

originating  at  the  hips  that  involves  a  posterior  weight  shift.  
 
And  if  we  wanted  to  be  super-­‐duper  simplistic,  and  separate  ourselves  
from  the  notion  that  a  hip  hinge  is  the  same  thing  as  a  squat  pattern  –
 WHICH  IT  ISN’T!  –  we  can  break  things  down  like  this:  
 
Hip  Hinge  =  maximal  hip  bend,  minimal  knee  bend.  
Squat  =  maximal  hip  bend,  maximal  knee  bend.  
 
*Smoke  bomb,  smoke  bomb,  exit  stage  right*  
 
  
 
For  newbies  some  of  my  favorite  drills  to  groove  the  hinge  are  as  
follows:  
 
1.  Wall  Tap  Hip  Hinge  (Link:  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEZXpVOgtE0)  
2. Dowel  Rod  Hip  Hinge (Link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcW_7bHQQ2Q)

3. Sternum  KB  Hip  Hinge (Link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxr32vkro6w)

4. Behind  the  Head  Hip  Hinge (Link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vyTQ1O-OYw)

- Developing  a  proper  hip  hinge  pattern.  This  can  be  a  cumbersome  

endeavor  for  a  lot  of  trainees,  as  many  want  to  “squat”  everything.    The  
conundrum,  it  seems,  is  that  there  are  a  lot  of  trainees  and  personal  
trainers  (sadly),  that  feel  deadlifts  are  the  same  thing  as  squats.  
 
Einhorn  is  Finkle  and  Finkle  is  Einhorn!!!!!!  
 
                                
 
While  I  could  sit  here  and  write  a  five-­‐page  dissertation  on  why  this  is  
the  most  absurd  thing  I’ve  ever  heard,  lets  just  agree  on  a  few  things:  
 
1.    Squats  are  generally  considered  more  “quad  dominant,”  while  
deadlifts  on  the  other  hand,  are  considered  more  “hip  dominant.”    I’m  
not  a  huge  fan  of  this  distinction  because  you  can  easily  make  a  squat  
more  hip  dominant  in  nature  (think  box  squats),  but  for  the  sake  of  
brevity,  it’s  a  relevant  talking  point.

2.  Squats  generally  start  with  an  eccentric  loading  phase,  while  deadifts  
are  almost  purely  concentric.  
 
3.    And,  most  important  of  all,  regarding  trunk,  hip,  and  knee  angles,  
significant  differences  between  the  lifts  are  readily  apparent.    In  a  nice  
summary  titled  Differences  in  the  Squat  and  Deadlift  in  the  Journal  of  
Pure  Power  (V.5,  Number  2,  April  2010),  the  scientists  noted  that  squats  
produced  a  more  linear  relationship  between  the  hip  and  knee  angles,  
“illustrating  a  more  synergistic  and  simultaneous  movement.”  
 
The  deadlift,  however,  showed  three  distinct  phases  defined  by  
dominant  joint  action  at  the  knees  during  lift  off,  the  hips  with  the  
barbell  at  knee  height,  and  both  knees  and  hips  during  lockout.  
So,  in  summary:    a  deadlift  IS  NOT  A  SQUAT!!!!!!!  
 
Capiche?    Good!  
 
Back  to  the  topic  at  hand:    the  hip  hinge.    This  cue  comes  into  play  
throughout  the  entire  movement,  from  the  set-­‐up  to  the  descent.  
 
In  terms  of  the  set-­‐up,  I  like  to  tell  people  to  stand  up  right  against  the  
bar  and  to  then  push  their  hips  back  (as  if  there  were  a  rope  around  
their  waist  and  someone  was  standing  behind  them  pulling  the  rope  
back).    Essentially,  one  would  be  performing  a  romanian  deadlift  –  
feeling  significant  tension  in  the  hamstrings  –  until  their  hands  are  able  
to  grab  the  bar.  
 
Many  trainees  make  the  mistake  of  breaking  with  their  knees  and  
“squatting”  down  to  the  bar.  This  is  wrong.    Instead,  think  about  pushing  
the  hips  back.  
 
-­‐  Finish  With  Your  Glutes.    I  like  to  tell  people  to  “hump”  the  bar  at  
lockout.  
 
On  one  end  of  the  spectrum  you  have  those  who  compensate  with  
lumbar  HYPERextension  as  seen  in  the  link  below:  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glTLUKhjci8  
Yeah,  um,  don’t  do  that.  
 
I  like  to  tell  people  to  “finish”  with  the  glutes  or  to  “stand  tall.”    Those  
cues  seem  to  work  well  for  most,  but  not  everyone.  
 
In  any  case,  here’s  what  a  proper  “finish”  should  look  like:  
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swA9mdIkoKE  
 
-­‐  Take  your  shoes  off  when  deadlifting.    Doing  so  will  get  you  closer  
to  the  ground  (less  distance  the  bar  has  to  travel),  as  well  as  help  engage  
the  glutes  and  hamstrings  more  (which  is  what  you  want  anyways).    
- Slow  people  down!!!!  When  performing  deadlifts,  I  like  to  tell  people  
that  each  rep  is  its  own  set.      
 
Meaning,  when  they  pull  the  bar  off  the  ground,  lock  it  out,  and  then  
descend  back  to  the  floor,  tell  them  to  rest  for  a  second  or  two  (after  all,  
it  is  a  DEADlift,  not  a  bouncelift)  and  re-­‐adjust  their  spinal  position,  get  
their  air,  and  properly  set  up  for  the  next  rep.    
 
-­‐  Speaking  proper  back  position.  Use  the  bar  to  help  “pull  your  chest  
tall.”  Another  way  of  viewing  this  is  to  pull  tension  out  of  the  bar  (bend  
it  before  you  pull  it)  so  that  you  get  the  slack  out.      
 
Taking  it  a  step  further,  if  I’m  standing  directly  in  front  of  someone  and  
their  shirt  happens  to  have  a  logo  of  some  sort  –  a  team  logo,  a  New  
Balance  emblem,  a  picture  of  the  Jonas  Brothers  (don’t  worry,  I  won’t  
judge)  –  I  want  to  see  that  logo  when  they  set  up.    
Another  cue  that  I  love  to  use  is  to  tell  people  to  pretend  as  if  they’re  
squeezing  oranges  in  their  armpits  and  that  they’re  trying  to  make  
orange  juice.    This  helps  to  engage  the  lats  which  will  provide  a  ton  
more  spinal  stability.  
 
- Stiffen  up  the  upper  back. This  could  arguably  be  the  most  crucial  of  
the  bunch.    Resisting  shear  load  on  the  spine  is  kind  of  important  when  
deadlifting.  
 
Pulling a bar off the ground with a rounded upper back is a recipe for
disaster, but unfortunately, it’s par for the course whenever you walk into a
commercial gym.
Using  the  cue  “pull  the  chest  tall”  is  often  helpful,  but  sometimes  
trainees  don’t  have  the  kinesthetic  awareness  to  “feel”  what  their  back  
is  doing.      
 
You  can  tell  someone  to  arch  their  back,  and  they’ll  think  they’re  doing  
it,  but  it  will  still  look  similar  to  the  picture  above.  
 
To  “stiffen”  the  upper  back,  I  may  just  tell  them  to  place  their  shoulder  
blades  in  their  back  pocket  and  to  “set”  their  shoulders  in  place.      
 
Truth  be  told,  this  cue  often  works  in  unison  with  pulling  the  chest  tall.  
As a pair, those two cues should place an individual in a solid starting
position to pull.

- Not  every  deadlift  variation  is  created  equal.    Pick  the  one  that’s  
right  for  you.      
 
What’s  so  great  about  deadlifts  are  that  they  can  easily  be  conformed  or  
“tweaked”  to  fit  the  needs  of  the  lifter,  and  not  vice  versa.  
 
Trap  Bar  Deadlifts  
 

                           
 
1.  Fantastic  for  beginners  due  to  less  shear  loading  on  spine  (center  of  
gravity  is  INSIDE  the  bar).  
 
2.  Elevated  handles  make  it  easier  for  those  with  hip  flexion/ankle  
restrictions.  
 
3.  MUCH  easier  to  maintain  neutral  spine  due  to  the  bar  placement.  
 
SUMO  Deadlifts  
 
1.  Excellent  choice  for  those  with  mobility  restrictions.  
 
2.  Guys  who  are  built  to  squat  and  bench  (alligator  arms,  long  torsos)  
like  this  version  –  because  they  don’t  have  to  work  so  hard  to  get  as  low.  
 
3.    Wider  stance,  toes  out  =  easier  to  maintain  neutral  spine.  
 
4.  CAVEAT:    these  tend  to  eat  up  people’s  hips,  so  I’d  be  reluctant  to  
include  them  for  more  than  a  few  weeks  at  a  time.  
 
Conventional  Deadlift  
 

                                       
 
1.  Although  it’s  the  most  recognized,  it’s  also  the  most  advanced  
variation  (more  shear  loading  on  the  spine,  center  of  gravity  more  
anterior).  
 
2.  Trainee  MUST  have  ample  ankle,  hip,  and  thoracic  mobility  in  order  to  
get  into  proper  position.  If  they  don’t  (which  is  a  lot  if  you),  then  tweak  
the  lift  as  needed  either  by  elevating  the  bar  on  mats  (block  pulls  =  
MUCH  preferred)  or  maybe  reverting  to  rack  pulls  (meh,  not  my  fav).  
 
3.  Lack  of  the  above  will  inevitably  lead  to  lumbar  flexion,  which  is  a  
major  no-­‐no  when  using  significant  loads.  
 
- I  really  feel  the  ideal  rep  scheme  to  teach  deadlifts  is  in  the  3-­‐5  
rep  range.      
 
Anything  more  and  technique  goes  to  the  crapper  and  it  takes  every  
ounce  of  will  power  I  have  not  to  want  to  throw  myself  in  front  of  a  bus.  
 
Stop…………..programming………….high…………..rep…………….deadlifts.  
 
Seriously,  stop.  
 
And  That’s  That  
 
Whew.    
 
Okay,  I  know  that  was  a  lot  to  take  in,  and  I  can  easily  keep  going.  But  
here’s  the  deal.  I’m  going  to  hit  you  up  with  a  video  in  the  next  24  hours  
which  will  cover,  in  a  bit  more  detail,  how  I  would  coach  YOU  through  a  
deadlift.  
 
Which  cues  do  I  use  and  like?  How  do  I  troubleshoot  to  best  fit  the  needs  
(and  abilities)  of  certain  populations?  What  are  some  common  mistakes  
most  people  make?  How  do  I  address  them?  Am  I  wearing  pants  in  the  
video?  
 
There’s  only  one  way  to  find  out.    
 
You  will  receive  a  link  taking  you  to  my  complimentary  deadlift  video  
tutorial  shortly.  
 
Stay  tuned…….and  THANK  YOU  you  for  reading  and  
for  your  continued  support.