What it trains
Conventional deadlift is the textbook hinge pattern. The posterior chain (glutes, hamstrings, spinal erectors) drives extension; the lats stabilise the bar path; the upper back resists flexion. It’s the heaviest lift most strength athletes will perform, with 1RM values 20-30% above the back squat for most lifters.
Conventional vs sumo: stance width and torso angle differ. Conventional uses a hip-width stance with hands outside the legs; sumo uses a wider stance with hands inside. Mechanically, conventional is more posterior-chain-dominant; sumo is more quad-dominant. Choose based on mobility, leverage, and what feels natural. Neither is universally better.
How to load it
Heavy compound lifts have lower frequency in most programs to allow recovery:
- General strength: 1-2 sessions/week. Top sets 3-5 reps RPE 8.
- Powerlifting peaking: weekly heavy single + lighter session. Top sets 1-3 reps RPE 8.5-9.5.
- Hypertrophy: less common as primary lift; substitute Romanian deadlift or rack pull for higher-rep posterior chain work.
The deadlift’s high recovery cost rules out high-frequency programming. Once or twice a week is typically the upper limit.
Common mistakes
Bar path drifting forward off the floor. Indicates weak lats. Cue “bend the bar around your shins” or add lat-engagement work like meadows row.
Lower back rounding (lumbar flexion under load). Indicates weak spinal erectors or missing hip mobility. Reduce load 20-30%, work paused deadlifts and Jefferson curls (light) to strengthen the position.
Hyperextension at lockout. Indicates over-cueing “squeeze the glutes”. Lock out neutral, not arched.
Pulling without setting the lats first. Cue: get the bar against the shins, take the slack out before pulling. A “soft start” loses 5-10% of the lift before the bar moves.
How it shows up in programming
Once or twice per week, programmed first in the session (or paired with squat in alternating weeks). Backoff work from a heavy top set is the dominant pattern; AMRAP deadlift sets are specifically risky because of the lower-back fatigue accumulation.
Three-test PR protocol: include deadlift if the lifter trains it weekly. For lifters who only train it bi-weekly, run the test protocol over 12-16 weeks instead of the standard 6-9.
Coach Sheet displays the deadlift in bold as a compound. The Lifting Records tab tracks both conventional and sumo separately when a lifter trains both.