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.

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