learn me on deadlifts?

[jehan60188]

i feel like adding deadlifts to my (admittedly minimal) lifting repertoire would be beneficial, but when I look at videos, it seems like very few muscles are being used (mostly lower back).  any tips/pointers on getting started?

it also looks like a great way to injure my lower back if I do it wrong.
any tips/pointers on avoiding that?

where should I deadlift (right now, I'm thinking the squat rack, since my gym has limited space/options; but I don't want to be 'that guy')
 

[chairohkey]

Google "rippetoe deadlift" or better yet buy Starting Strength 3rd Ed.

[dgreenwood]

I second the recommendation above, that's how I learned to dead lift.  

 

It may seem like very few muscles are used when you watch but it doesn't feel that way when you do them.  I've read that no other single exercise uses more muscles than the dead lift, something like 62% of the muscles in your body.

[Knightwatch]

To quote the above-referenced legend himself:

 

 

 

You just step up to the bar with a vertical-jump stance width, with toes out and your shins about an inch from the bar, grab it just outside your stance with your knees still straight, then bend your knees forward and out a little bit until your shins touch the bar, squeeze your chest up until your back is flat, take a big breath, and drag the bar up your legs until you're standing up straight.

 

See? One (admittedly run-on) sentence describes the whole thing.

 

 

[Zorch]

it also looks like a great way to injure my lower back if I do it wrong.

any tips/pointers on avoiding that?

 

Couple things:

 

1. Back position is everything - focus on keeping your back straight(not rounding it) throughout the lift.

2. Bar path - as others have mentioned, the bar goes up and down along the front of your legs.  If the bar goes farther from your body, that's BAD - it generally leads to more torque on your back and increased injury risk.  Personally, I wear windpants/warm-ups when I deadlift to limit the damage from the bar scraping my shins.

3. Be sure to use your legs too - note that in the video the initial motion of the bar off the ground is driven largely by the legs.  Too much back and not enough legs is one of the ways to hurt yourself on the deadlift.

 

If you have good ROM on your hamstrings(as indicated by the ability to squat heavy at good depth) it makes good form easier to maintain.

[SuperUnison]

+1 for starting strength. Also video yourself if you can so that you can compare your form.

 

A good tip I got was keep your head looking ahead rather than down, helps keep your back straight.

[This is Seth]

where should I deadlift (right now, I'm thinking the squat rack, since my gym has limited space/options; but I don't want to be 'that guy')

 

 

Everyone else has answered the "how", so I'll answer the "where". 

 

Any where you want. Squat rack, fine. Power cage, fine. Middle of the floor, fine.

 

You honestly don't need a ton of space, just enough for the barbell to start on the ground and make its way up your legs. My gym only has one power cage, no squat rack. So, I leave it alone and will usually just grab a  bar off of a bench and set up shop right next to said bench. 

[Gainsdalf the Whey]

My gym only has one power cage, no squat rack. So, I leave it alone and will usually just grab a bar off of a bench and set up shop right next to said bench.

Ditto for when I still went to the gym. Don't take up space in the squat rack using it to DL unless you are doing a variation that requires it. Almost as bad as curling there. M