The most common mistake when it comes to deadlifting is just doing too much. Whether it is too many sets, too many reps with the chosen weight (and thus going too close to failure), or even too many deadlift sessions in a given time period. Too much, too soon is usually the problem.

If your goal is to get stronger, deadlifts are great. But getting stronger takes time, so don’t try to rush the process by just doing more, or training super hard right away. Building strength doesn’t happen from one hard workout. It happens with consistently challenging workouts with progressively increasing load over time with adequate recovery in between.

Another common mistake is trying to rip the bar off the ground quickly. You need to pull hard to lift heavy weights, but heavy weights won’t move quickly. So pulling quickly/suddenly at the beginning of the lift often results in a loss of positioning and makes the rest of the lift more difficult.

One more common mistake is starting with the hips too low and/or trying to stay upright like in a squat movement. This might be a good technique for some, but especially if you are using the deadlift to increase your back strength, it makes more sense to have a more horizontal position of your torso. Starting with the hips too low often just results in the hips shooting up first anyway, putting you in a similar position (but with less preparation) as you would have been with a more conventional setup.

If you already hurt your lower back deadlifting check out this article to get a plan for a speedy recovery.

Technique Fixes

Most of the fixes follow from the common mistakes mentioned above. So bending mostly from your hips, creating a more horizontal torso position is one thing to focus on. Your knees will be bent, but try not to push them forward too far like in a squat. This will just put your knees in the  way of the bar path.

Try to keep your back close to ‘neutral’ (how your back looks when you stand upright) in the setup position and throughout the lift. We know from biomechanical research (1,2) that even when the spine looks ‘neutral’ or even arched slightly, there is still a relatively high degree of lumbar flexion. So try to keep it looking neutral to prevent being at or near maximal flexion, which may be more likely to result in injury. If you think about it though, trying to avoid fully rounding is the same thing as recruiting your back muscles strongly, so you should be doing that anyway.

To address the final mistake, take your time in the bottom position to develop tension in the grip, then back, then hips and legs. Build intra abdominal pressure at the same time by filling your lungs with air and pushing down into your abdomen. Push against your lifting belt, or imagine doing that if you don’t wear one. This investment early in the lift will pay off later because if you keep your back straighter it will be easier to lock out at the top.