Is deadlifting dangerous?

The deadlift has an image problem. It sounds grim, it involves a heavy bar on the floor, and everyone has an uncle who "did his back" lifting something once. Meanwhile, people who love it describe it as the most natural lift there is. Both camps have a point, and the truth sits comfortably between them.

What the deadlift actually is

At its simplest, a deadlift is picking something up off the floor and standing tall with it, then putting it back down. You do a version of it whenever you lift a suitcase, a bag of compost or a sleeping child. In the gym, it is usually done with a barbell, a kettlebell or a pair of dumbbells, and there are variations:

• Conventional deadlift: feet about hip-width, hands just outside the legs.
• Sumo deadlift: a wide stance, hands inside the legs.
• Romanian deadlift: starts standing and lowers the weight only partway, hinging at the hips.
• Trap bar deadlift: you stand inside a hexagonal bar, which many beginners find more comfortable to learn.

The common thread is the hip hinge: pushing your hips back while keeping a long, braced back, then standing up by driving through the floor.

Where the reputation comes from

Some of it is pure gym theatre: grunting, dropped bars, videos of very heavy lifts. Some of it comes from back injuries during everyday lifting, which get lumped together with a gym lift that is actually taught and controlled. And some of it is earned in the sense that any heavy lift done badly or too heavy can hurt.

What the research suggests

A systematic review in Sports Medicine looked at injury studies across weight-training sports, including powerlifting, in which the deadlift is one of the three competition lifts alongside the squat and bench press. It concluded that these sports appear to have relatively low rates of injury compared with common team sports. The most commonly injured areas included the shoulder, lower back and knee, and strains and sprains were the most common injury types.

Two caveats are worth keeping in mind. The review looked at competitive athletes rather than beginners in a local gym, and the authors noted that much of the research was retrospective and could be better. So the honest summary is: lifting is not unusually dangerous as sports go, and like any sport it has risks you can manage.

How to learn it sensibly

• Get coaching. A session or two with a qualified coach or trainer is the best investment you can make. Having someone watch the lift from the side saves months of guesswork.
• Start light. Very light. A kettlebell, a broomstick, an empty bar. Learn the shape before you add weight.
• Practise the hinge. Stand with your back near a wall and push your hips back to touch it, keeping your back long. That is the movement.
• Keep the weight close. The bar or bell travels close to your legs, almost brushing them.
• Brace, then lift. Take a breath, tighten your middle as if expecting a gentle poke in the stomach, then stand up.
• Stand tall, do not lean back. Finish upright, hips through, without arching backwards.
• Build up slowly. Add weight in small steps over weeks. Our guide on how heavy to lift explains how to judge it.

Stop signs

Stop the set if your back rounds noticeably, the bar drifts away from your legs, or anything hurts sharply. Pain that lingers is a reason to see a physiotherapist or doctor, not to push on. And if you have a back problem or any medical condition, check with a health professional before taking up lifting.

Do you have to deadlift at all?

No. It is a useful, satisfying lift, but there are many ways to build strength, and plenty of people never deadlift and are perfectly strong and capable. If the gym itself is the obstacle, our piece on strength training when gyms intimidate you is a gentler way in.