Exercise · form guide
Conventional Deadlift
- Primary muscle
- Posterior Chain (Hamstrings
- Also works
- Glutes, Erectors, Traps, Lats, Forearms)
- Equipment
- Barbell
- Difficulty
- Advanced
Tempo
2-0-1-1
The deadlift is a push, not a pull. Push the floor away with your legs — the bar comes up as a side effect.
Sets & reps
General programming defaults by goal — not specific to this lift. Pick the row that matches yours.
| Goal | Sets | Reps | RPE | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strength | 4–6 | 3–5 | 8–9 | 3–5 min |
| Hypertrophy | 3–5 | 8–12 | 7–9 | 90–120 s |
| Endurance | 2–4 | 15–25 | 6–8 | 45–60 s |
Form
Cues
- Bar over mid-foot at start
- Hips higher than knees, lower than shoulders
- Lats engaged — 'protect armpits'
- Push floor away, hips and chest rise together
- Lock out by squeezing glutes — no hyperextension
Common mistakes
- Hips shooting up first → squat-morning hybrid
- Bar drifting away from shins
- Rounded lower back under load
- Hyperextending at lockout
Injury notes
If lower back is fragile, switch to trap bar deadlift or RDL.
Progression
Add 5kg when 5 clean reps hit. Slow progression after intermediate.
Indian gym reality
Barbell setups in tier-2 gyms often skip the safety pins and calibrated plates. Bring collars every session (₹200 online), and don't chase a max on a rack without pins — the ego-lift injury pipeline in India runs on that exact mistake.
If your gym doesn't have this equipment
- Swap the barbell for a pair of dumbbells — same movement pattern, easier to unrack solo.
Home & hostel version
Pull-ups from a doorway bar (₹500 on Amazon) are the single best home back exercise. Add a resistance band assist if you can't hit 5 clean reps.
Nutrition & recovery around this lift
Compound lifts like this one cost the most recovery. Prioritise 7+ hours of sleep the night before, and don't stack it with another heavy compound in the same session. For an Indian lifter, land 30–40g of protein within 90 minutes of finishing — 200g paneer, 4 whole eggs, 150g chicken, or a whey shake all work.
Frequently asked
What muscles does Conventional Deadlift work?
Primarily Posterior Chain (Hamstrings · Glutes · Erectors · Traps · Lats · Forearms). Load and rep range shift the emphasis — heavy triples bias the primary mover, sets of 12+ bring more of the secondaries in.
How many sets of Conventional Deadlift per week?
For hypertrophy, 10–20 direct working sets per week across all exercises for that muscle. This exercise usually contributes 3–8 of those sets, depending on where it sits in your program.
What if I'm training at home in India?
See the home & hostel version above. Bodyweight variants of every major pattern exist and progress for months if you're intentional about it.
How often should I do Conventional Deadlift?
Most intermediates do best with 2× per week frequency on any given lift — one heavier session and one lighter, or two matched sessions with different rep ranges. Beginners can add a third if recovery holds up.
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