MG crew · Powerlifting · Heavy, simple, strong.
Updated October 2026 · 5 min read
“My lower back is sore after deadlifts. Do I need a belt, or am I doing it wrong?”
That’s the question I hear more than any other. Short answer: fix the setup first, then add the belt for your heavy sets. Here’s how I teach the deadlift, start to finish.
- The deadlift is a hip hinge. Your glutes and hamstrings do most of the work; your back holds position.
- Bar over mid-foot, hips back, flat back, brace, then push the floor away.
- Most back pain comes from a rounded back, the bar drifting forward, or adding weight too fast.
- A lever belt helps you brace on heavy sets. Straps keep you training when your grip quits first.
What the deadlift works
One lift, most of your body. The deadlift loads the back of your body hardest, the part coaches call the posterior chain. The American Council on Exercise notes the biggest forces in a barbell deadlift are produced at the hip, then the lower back.
- Glutes and hamstrings: the engine. They straighten your hips and bring the bar up.
- Lower back (erector spinae): holds your spine flat. Its job is to stay still, not to lift.
- Lats and traps: keep the bar tight to your legs and your shoulders set.
- Quads: break the bar off the floor.
- Core and grip: brace the trunk and hold a heavy bar for the whole rep.
Set up like this
- Feet under the bar. Hip-width stance, toes slightly out, bar over the middle of your foot. Shins almost touching.
- Hinge down and grip. Push your hips back, keep your chest up, grab the bar just outside your knees.
- Brace. Big breath into your belly, squeeze your core, pull the slack out of the bar. Back flat, not rounded, not over-arched.
- Push the floor away. Legs and hips together. The bar slides up your shins and thighs.
- Stand tall. Hips through, shoulders back. Don’t lean back past straight.
- Lower with control. Hips back first, bar close, all the way to the floor.
Five mistakes I see every week
1. Rounding the lower back. This moves the load from your hips onto your spine. Fix: take weight off until every rep has a flat back.
2. Hips too high. It turns the lift into a stiff-legged back pull. Fix: sit the hips down until your shoulders are just over the bar.
3. Bar drifting forward. The further the bar is from you, the more your back has to work. Fix: keep it over mid-foot and touching your legs the whole way.
4. Leaning back at the top. Over-arching at lockout loads the small joints of your spine for nothing. Fix: finish tall and neutral.
5. Adding weight too fast. Technique breaks down before strength does. Fix: add weight only when your heaviest set looks exactly like your warm-up.
How to start
Once your form is consistent, 3–5 sets of 3–6 reps with 2–3 minutes’ rest is a standard strength range. Once a week is plenty for most people while they learn the lift; the deadlift is hard to recover from.
Belt and straps: when I use them
The belt gives your core something to push against when you brace. It doesn’t lift for you, and it doesn’t replace learning to brace. My rule: warm-ups without it, belt on for your heaviest sets. Wear it at belly-button height, tight enough that you can still take a full breath into it.
Straps are for when your grip gives out before your legs and back do. That’s common on heavy pulls. Train your grip on warm-up sets, then strap up for the top sets so your back and hips get the work they need.
What I’d put in your bag
10mm Amara leather, steel lever that locks in one move. For your top sets.
Shop now →Might&Glory Heavy Duty Lifting Straps
Military-grade cotton, 45cm, rated up to 100kg per hand.
Shop now →Might&Glory Camo Lifting Straps
Lighter beginner straps if you’re just starting to pull heavy.
Shop now →Might&Glory Heavy Duty Tee
Athletic fit, stretch, quick-dry. What I train in.
Shop now →
Belt, straps and tee in one tap on the Powerlifting hub. Free UAE delivery over AED 350.
Questions people ask me
Do I need a belt to deadlift?
No. Learn to brace without one first. Add the belt for your heaviest sets, when bracing hard on every rep matters most.
Are lifting straps cheating?
Not in training. They let your back and hips work past the point your grip gives up. Keep some sets strap-free so your grip still gets stronger. In competition, check your federation’s rules.
Conventional or sumo deadlift?
Both are fine. Conventional (feet hip-width, hands outside knees) is the one I teach first. Sumo uses a wide stance and puts more work on the hips and inner thighs.
Is a sore lower back after deadlifts normal?
Some muscle soreness the next day can be normal. Sharp pain, pain that doesn’t settle, numbness or tingling is not: stop deadlifting and see a physiotherapist or doctor.
What size lifting belt should I get?
Measure around your waist at belly-button height, not your trouser size, and check the size guide on the product page. Between sizes? Message us on WhatsApp.
Keep going
- Squat day? Bella’s squat guide
- My bench press guide
- Back day: Abdulla on straps vs grips
- Everything for the big three: the Powerlifting hub
This guide is general training information, not medical advice. If you have an injury or ongoing pain, talk to a physiotherapist or doctor before training.
Arif is an illustrative MG crew character created for our brand. The coaching here is written by the MG Activewear team.
Further reading: ACE Exercise Library: Deadlift · ACE: The Deadlift (2024) · NASM: Barbell Deadlift
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