Deadlifting - Your Guide

Janae Reed
Jun 1, 2025
3 min read

How to Improve Your Deadlift Form: A Guide for Strong Women at OHANA Fitness

At OHANA Fitness, we believe that strength is more than physical—it’s about confidence, power, and showing up for yourself. One of the most empowering lifts you can master in the gym is the deadlift. It targets your glutes, hamstrings, core, and back—helping you build a strong, resilient body from the ground up.

But great form matters just as much as great effort. Whether you’re new to strength training or aiming to hit a new PR, here’s how to perfect your deadlift form and lift with confidence.

1. Start with a Powerful Setup

Your stance sets the tone for the entire lift. Stand with your feet about hip-width apart, toes angled slightly out. The bar should sit over the middle of your foot—lined up roughly with your shoelaces.

👟 OHANA Tip: Think about rooting your feet into the floor. A stable base = a strong lift.

2. Find the Right Grip

Reach down by pushing your hips back, keeping your chest proud and back flat. Grab the bar just outside your knees with a firm grip. You can stick with a double overhand grip (both palms facing you) or switch to a mixed grip for heavier lifts.

💪 Keep your arms straight and don’t shrug your shoulders—your lats should be engaged like you're trying to "squeeze your armpits shut."

3. Brace Your Core & Set Your Back

This is where the magic starts. Before you lift, take a deep breath into your belly, tighten your core, and lock in a neutral spine (flat back, not arched or rounded).

✨ Think: "Shoulders back, chest up, abs tight."

4. Lift with Purpose

Drive through your heels and push the floor away as you stand. Your hips and chest should rise together. The bar should stay close to your legs the whole time—almost skimming your shins.

🔥 Visual Cue: “Push the floor away” rather than “yank the bar up.”

5. Own the Top Position

At the top of the lift, stand tall—hips forward, glutes squeezed, shoulders back. No need to lean back or arch.

👑 Celebrate it—this is your moment of power.

6. Lower with Control

Don’t just drop the bar. Hinge at the hips, keep your back tight, and let the bar glide down your thighs. Once it passes your knees, bend them to return to your starting position.

📏 Think of it as a reverse of the way you came up.

Common Mistakes to Watch Out For

❌ Rounding your back (especially at the bottom).
❌ Letting the bar drift away from your body.
❌ Hips rising too quickly (your chest should lift with them).
❌ Overextending at the top (no need to lean back).

OHANA Pro Tips to Level Up

Warm Up Right: Dynamic stretches for hips and hamstrings go a long way.
Work on Core Strength: A strong core protects your spine and boosts control.
Try Variations: Romanian deadlifts, trap bar deadlifts, and sumo deadlifts can all help improve your form and target different muscles.
Video Your Lift: Seeing yourself lift can help catch small tweaks and build awareness.

Final Words from Your OHANA

Deadlifting isn’t about lifting the heaviest weight in the gym—it’s about building strength you can feel in and out of the gym. Every time you pull that bar from the floor, you’re proving to yourself how strong, capable, and powerful you are.

We’re here to coach you, cheer you on, and remind you: strong looks good on you.