Barbell Clean Deadlift

QuadricepsBarbellIntermediate

The Barbell Clean Deadlift is a foundational exercise that targets the posterior chain, including the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back.

  1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, barbell over the midfoot.
  2. Bend at the hips and knees to grip the barbell with an overhand grip.
  3. Engage your core and lift the barbell by extending your hips and knees simultaneously.
  4. Keep the bar close to your body as you lift it to hip level.
  5. Lower the barbell back to the ground with control.

How to perform the Barbell Clean Deadlift

  1. Set up. Set up in a stable, balanced starting position appropriate for the Barbell Clean Deadlift using your barbell.
  2. Brace and execute. Brace your core, control the descent, and move through a full pain-free range of motion while emphasizing your quadriceps.
  3. Reset. Reverse the movement under control and reset between repetitions, keeping your form crisp on every rep.

Coaching cues

  • Move with intent — every rep should feel deliberate, not rushed.
  • Drive force through your quadriceps rather than momentum.
  • Keep your breathing steady: exhale on the hard part, inhale on the reset.

Common mistakes

  • Using too much weight and losing positional control.
  • Cutting the range of motion short and missing the target muscle.
  • Letting your spine round or hyperextend instead of staying neutral.

Detailed cues, common mistakes, and demonstration video are available in the Fitly app.

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