Primary muscles worked:  Quads, Back

Synergist Muscles:  Hamstrings, Glutes, Forearms

Mechanics:  Compound

Equipment:  Barbell

How to perform the exercise: To perform the barbell deadlift, the athlete must grip the barbell from the floor with an alternating grip. This is one hand overhand and one hand underhand. The athlete should assume the bottom position of the squat: upper leg parallel to the floor, back in a straight line, head looking forward, and shoulders back. Next, the athlete will begin to lift the barbell up by first dipping the hips down. This will allow the athlete to activate the quads, glute, and hamstrings to initiate the starting part of the lift. Once the weight is a few inches off of the group, the athlete should begin to straighten the back so that it is completely vertical. Once at the top position, the athlete may return the weight to starting position bending the legs and finally the back when it is close to the floor.

Spotting the exercise: The spotter on the barbell deadlift should critique form more so than actually helping with the physical lifting portion. The barbell deadlift is a very technique oriented exercise, and proper form should be mastered before adding weight to the lift.

Sport specific application: From a general sports perspective, the barbell deadlift is an excellent lift for increases overall leg drive with transition to back strength. This dynamic movement pattern is often seen in many sports which leads many conditioning programs to include the barbell deadlift; however, the barbell deadlift must be performed with absolute precision, and should only be attempted by advanced lifters who have mastered the exercises technique.