Notice that my hips are pushed forward, shoulders are still back, and knees are not locked. To bring the weight up through the top part of the deadlift, push the hips forward (really squeeze the glutes and contract the hamstrings to do this). When your hips extend in this way, your back just naturally comes up.
If you do any of the following it is lekely that you need to correct your form.
Do not round your back in any deadlifting movement. This will make your back vulnerable to injury if you do so. Concentrate on keeping the lumbar arch in place, keep the chest forward, shoulders back and look up with your eyes.
Do not jerk the movement. It should be smooth from top to bottom. Quick movements put a lot of strain on your spine. You should avoid this in your regular routines.
Do not tip forward or move your feet during this lift. If you do this signifies that you're off balance and risking a back injury. Keep the weight back, push through your heels and keep the weight as close to your centre of gravity as possible.
Do not hitch the bar... ie. Jerk the bar up and down in the middle of the movement in order to get past a sticking spot.
Do not let your knees bow in and out during this lift. Lateral movement is dangerous for the knees.
If you seem to pull too much with your back or push too much with your legs you might want to concentrate on doing the leg push and back pull in a simultaneous manner.
Do not go really heavy all at once. When I started deadlifts it was with a weight of 95 lbs. I concentrated on the form and slowly built my spinal erectors over time. In the past year I've quadrupled that number for the same reps. Do not rush your deadlift... remember slow and steady progress is the safest way to get to your goal.
Do not rush your rest and recuperation when doing this exercise. The deadlift is very taxing on your entire system. I would advice doing it once a week at most if you're taking it to failure. Also allow plenty of rest between squats and deadlifts in your workout scheduling IMHO.
Good luck and welcome to the world of deadlifting!
Since I am a newb here I'll gladly take the heat for asking this question. What exactly is a deadlift? I see people talk about deadlifts but I've found that deadlift can mean different things. According to this site a deadlift with dumbbells looks like more of a leg exercise. However, reading from above it looks like you guys are refering to "Barbell Romanian Deadlift" when you say deadlift.
Can someone please clear this up for this newb?
Thanks.
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Notice that my hips are pushed forward, shoulders are still back, and knees are not locked. To bring the weight up through the top part of the deadlift, push the hips forward (really squeeze the glutes and contract the hamstrings to do this). When your hips extend in this way, your back just naturally comes up.
Newlife... You look JUST LIKE Mistress Krista! [img]tongue.gif[/img]
Notice that my hips are pushed forward, shoulders are still back, and knees are not locked. To bring the weight up through the top part of the deadlift, push the hips forward (really squeeze the glutes and contract the hamstrings to do this). When your hips extend in this way, your back just naturally comes up.
Newlife... You look JUST LIKE Mistress Krista! [img]tongue.gif[/img] [/quote]I swear that is not me.....No really!
:p 
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