Do Your Leg & Hip Extend at the Same Time in a Deadlift?

Performing the deadlift with proper technique is crucial for reducing your chances of injury during this heavy-duty strength-training exercise. Your body should move as one coherent unit -- your knees and hips extending at the same rate. Perfect the technique with an empty barbell before adding significant weight.

  1. Deadlift Basics

    • Place a loaded barbell on the floor and position your feet under the bar, about shoulder-width apart. Squat down and grab the bar with an overhand grip just past your knees. Keep your head and chest up, and your back straight. Brace your core, exhale and stand up, holding the bar close to your legs. At the top of the movement, you should be in a standing position with the bar resting against the top of your thighs. Slowly reverse the movement, lowering the bar back to the floor.

    Timing is Everything

    • As you pull the bar off the floor and stand up, your hips and knees should extend at the same rate. The same goes for when you lower the bar back to the floor. The joints move at the same rate, without one extending or bending faster than the other. The deadlift is not an explosive movement; you don't yank or jerk the bar off the floor. So take your time and move your body in sync to reduce your chances of injury and increase the effectiveness of the movement.

    Shooting from the Hip

    • One common form blunder during the deadlift is pulling the hips up too fast, lifting them before the bar even leaves the floor. This shifts your weight forward and rounds out your back, leaving you vulnerable to injury. Moving your hips and knees at the same time helps you maintain a flat back throughout the exercise.

    Knee Jerk Reaction

    • Your hips should be low at the start of the deadift, but not too low, not squatting low. The deadlift is it's own exercise, not a variation on a squat. If you start with your hips below your knees, you will extend your knees first to get your hips up where they should be. At the start of the deadlift, your hips should be at or slightly higher than your knees. The exact position depends on the length of your limbs. With your back flat, position your shoulder blades over the bar; this should set your hips at the proper height.

    The Hip Bone Connects to the Thigh Bone

    • Don't think about pulling the bar off the floor. This may cause you to inadvertently yank with your upper body to get the bar up, forcing your hips to extend with no movement in the knees. Instead, think of pushing your feet, specifically your heels, through the floor and unfolding your body as a connected whole.