How to Increase Your Deadlift: Fixes Based on Where You Get Stuck
To increase your deadlift, first find where the lift fails, then train that position. A deadlift that will not leave the floor usually needs stronger legs and a better start position. One that slows at the knee usually needs a stronger back and hips, and a bar that stays close. One that stalls at lockout usually needs stronger glutes, or simply a better grip. Alongside the targeted work, the basics still apply: add weight in small steps, deadlift heavy no more than once or twice a week, sleep properly, and take an easier week every so often. Random extra volume rarely fixes a stalled deadlift. Specific work does.
This assumes you can already deadlift with sound technique. If not, start with our guide on how to deadlift properly, because no accessory exercise fixes a lift that is set up wrong.
Step one: find your sticking point
Film your heaviest sets from the side, at hip height, with the whole bar path in frame. Then watch where the bar slows down or where your position changes. Your log helps too: a failed rep usually tells you more than a successful one.
| Where it fails | Common causes | Useful work |
|---|---|---|
| Off the floor | Hips shooting up, weak quads, slack in the bar, poor start position | Paused deadlifts just off the floor, front squats, setup drills |
| Around the knee | Bar drifting forward, upper back rounding, weak hamstrings and back | Romanian deadlifts, paused deadlifts at the knee, rows |
| At lockout | Weak glutes, grip failing, leaning back instead of finishing | Hip thrusts, rack pulls, grip work, holds |
Weak off the floor
The first few inches of a conventional deadlift rely heavily on the legs pushing the floor away. When people fail here, the hips often rise before the bar moves, turning the lift into a stiff-legged pull that the back cannot finish.
- Fix the setup first. Bar over mid-foot, shins to the bar, hips set so you feel the legs loaded. Pull the slack out of the bar before you pull it off the floor: you should hear the plates click against the bar.
- Brace properly. A big breath into the belly and a tight trunk before the pull, not during it.
- Paused deadlifts. Lift the bar a couple of inches, pause for two seconds without the hips changing position, then finish. Use clearly less weight than your normal working sets.
- Front squats or goblet squats. Stronger quads help the start.
Stuck at the knee
The bar passing the knee is where the back is most loaded. If the bar drifts away from your legs here, the lever arm grows and the lift slows or stops.
- Keep the bar dragging up the legs. Think about pulling it into you. Engaging the lats, as if putting your armpits in your back pockets, helps.
- Romanian deadlifts. They build the hamstrings and the hinge pattern exactly where this sticking point sits. See our Romanian deadlift form guide.
- Paused deadlifts at or just below the knee. Teaches you to hold position in the hardest range.
- Rows. A strong upper back resists rounding. Barbell, cable and dumbbell rows all help.
Stalling at lockout
True lockout failures are less common than people think. Often the problem is grip, or the bar was too far forward earlier and the lockout simply got the blame.
- Glutes. Hip thrusts and glute bridges build the hip extension that finishes the lift.
- Rack pulls or block pulls. Pulling from just below or above the knee lets you handle heavier loads through the top range. Use them sparingly.
- Finish with the hips, not the lower back. Stand tall; do not lean back.
- Grip. If the bar rolls out of your hands, your back is not the issue. Heavy holds, farmer’s walks and chalk help. Simple holds at the top of a heavy deadlift, for time, are an efficient place to start.
The habits that keep a deadlift moving
Do not deadlift heavy too often
Heavy deadlifts are demanding. For most people, one heavy session a week plus a lighter variation on another day is plenty. Training to failure every week usually leads to a stall, not a breakthrough.
Progress in small steps
Once beginner gains slow down, adding big jumps each week stops working. Smaller increments, or adding reps before weight, keep you moving. Plan a lighter week every four to six weeks of hard training.
Eat and sleep enough
Trying to increase your deadlift while in a large calorie deficit is hard. If strength is the priority, eat at roughly maintenance with enough protein, and protect your sleep.
Choose the right stance
Some people simply pull better sumo, with a wider stance and a more upright back; others are better conventional. It depends on your proportions and hips. Try both with moderate weights over a few weeks before deciding.
A simple four-week block
- Main lift once a week: three to five sets of three to five reps, with a couple of reps in reserve.
- One targeted variation: chosen for your sticking point, three sets of four to six.
- One or two accessories: rows, hip thrusts, Romanian deadlifts or grip work.
- Add a small amount of weight each week, then take an easier week and re-test with a heavy single or triple.
If you have a history of back problems, a hernia, high blood pressure or are returning after a long break, check with your GP first before training heavy deadlifts.
When a second pair of eyes helps
Most deadlift stalls are diagnosed in a few reps by an experienced coach, and many come down to setup rather than strength. In private personal training at our Highgate studio, we film, assess and programme around your specific weak point, using the squat rack for pin pulls and paused work when it is needed.
Questions we get asked
How often should I deadlift to get stronger?
For most people, heavy deadlifts once a week, plus one lighter hinge variation on another day, is enough.
Should I use lifting straps?
Straps are fine for heavy back-off sets and rack pulls so your grip is not the limit. Do some work without them so your grip keeps up.
Does a lifting belt help?
A belt can help experienced lifters brace on heavy sets. Learn to brace without one first.
How much is coaching?
Current prices are on our personal training page.
Book with The Highgate House
Ready to start training properly? Email us at [email protected] with the service and the day that suits you, and we will come back to you with times.
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