I remember this old story I read reposted on a fitness forum describing the friendship and mentorship between a novice and a champion bodybuilder. When they first spoke, the first thing the champion says is his name, and the second thing he says is asking whether or not the novice is doing his deadlifts. “Gotta do those deads, kid”. It was a funny introduction, but it is also amazing how important a seasoned veteran considered the deadlift. It isn't an honor without reason. Sometimes called 'the King of Lifts' for its explosive effectiveness as developing several major muscle groups, not to mention how it being a compound lift can be extremely useful to not just bodybuilders, but a large range of other athletes from football and soccer players, to runners, sprinters, cyclists, and even those competitive tree climbers.
The deadlift, when executed properly, works the glutes, the calves, the back, the arms, the abs, and pretty much every muscle group in the body in some way or another. Sounds incredible, yes? But just how does one properly execute a deadlift? There are whole dissertations, truth be told, that pop up on any search engine discussing and meticulously outlining proper form and the various benefits of the myriad variations that exist. It is baffling the amount of information out there! Did you know simply by changing your grip on the bar you completely change the effectiveness of your results? All this shows just how big an impact form and technique makes.
Proper form can break down into a few major points. Failure to follow even these basics results not only in a substandard workout, but it can very easily lead to some serious injury and major discomfort, also as they sometimes call it online 'snap city'.
First: make sure you start off with your feet spaced shoulder-width apart.
Second: make sure your back is in a neutral position. This one is big, since most injury comes from improper back alignment. Your back should be straight at rest, and it should never curve either inward or outward.
Third: the deadlift is first and foremost working out the legs and glutes. They need to be doing the work; everything else is there to make sure your form is stable. Your hips should be hinged to properly allow you to keep that back and those arms straight the entire time. The deadlift should be a fast drive from the legs, but it isn't a squat either, so treat it accordingly.
Fourth: breath properly. Inhale at rest, then exhale as you preform the lift. This will help a lot with maintaining core and back stability.
Always remember that proper form is the best way to prevent injury, but also don't forget plain good sense when exercising. Always make sure you are properly warmed-up with some good light stretching, and make sure you know your limits. You can switch up your grips as said above, and you also can supplement your grip with a dusting of chalk powder. Don't forget there is a wealth of knowledge online you can check for more information, and don't forget to check back here later for more fitness tips. And a final note: gotta do those deads.