My favorite Deadlift cue explained

In this article, I'll try to explain my favorite deadlift cue, which helped me pull almost a quarter of a ton in competition. So, let's get started.

Why use cues?

Deadlifting is an art, it can be as simple or complex as you want. But, if you are striving for long-term strength progression, then achieving optimal technique is a requirement. Improving your technique is also one of the best ways to bust through plateaus, and gain longevity in the weight room.

Using cues is one of the best paths to fixing technique errors and optimizing your technique for strength output. They are designed to help us reach the desired change in the way we lift, without thinking literally about what is happening with our body.

A good example of this point is a deadlift cue "push the floor away". It's meant to help the lifter engage his quads more, you won't push the floor away but this verbal cue might help you with better leg drive off the ground, without thinking about the biomechanics of the quads.

Cues are also extremely helpful in improving our focus during a training session. Our minds are often littered with an infinite stream of random thoughts. Your inner dialogue is an important factor in training results. By using cues you help to steer your mind towards a single thought, which can have a significant impact on your technique. Self-talk is a very neglected topic, but I think it's an important one for training outcomes.

When it comes to cues, we also have to remember that they aren't universal. A deadlift cue that works for a lifter with short arms and long legs won't have the same effect on a person who is built to deadlift. This is to say that no single cue will be perfect for everyone and you have to individualize which ones you decide to use.

Retraction in the deadlift

Before we talk about the cue that helped me pull almost a quarter of a ton in competition, we have to talk about its opposite, retracting your scapula.

Retraction is the act of pulling your shoulderblades back and together. This mistake will cause you a ton of strength loss right off the floor, where most people struggle in their deadlifts, sadly I see it way too often.

-"But shouldn't we try to keep our back as straight as possible".

-No, this common misconception won't save you from back pain. Actually, the human spine is very resistant to injury even in deep flexion, and we won't be getting into end-range lumbar flexion in the deadlift. So stop fearing a tiny bit of spine flexion, it is absolutely acceptable(1).

Also, keeping your back straight and retracting your scapula are two different things, you can deadlift with a straight back, but only if you overdo cuing "straight back" it you'll end up retracting.

Because your arms are now effectively shorter(as we can see in the picture above), the ROM will be longer. Even if it only adds a couple of centimeters to your deadlift, breaking the floor becomes a challenge, it's almost like you're pulling off a deficit.

The cue: Long arms/Reach to the bar

Note. Depressing the scapula(bringing the shoulderblade down the side of your body) ≠ Retracting the scapula(pulling your shoulderblade back)

The point of this cue is to achieve the shortest range of motion possible by elongating our arms, the most important part is how we accomplish that.

Here are a few things you can do, to make sure you're using this cue correctly:

1. The simplest point is just to make sure your arms are straightened. You can think about squeezing your triceps to ensure you don't flex your biceps during the deadlift. This is especially important for mixed-grip pullers.

2. Think about depressing the scaps, and avoid putting too much thought into contracting the lats upwards. If you squeeze your lat muscles too hard you'll get to a point that resembles what some might call "squeezing a pencil between your shoulderblades". This leads to retraction and even pulling the shoulderblade upwards. Instead, think about moving your lats through the sides of your torso, and bringing the bar into your body this way.

3. Once you understand the difference between retracting and depressing your scaps, get into your deadlift starting position and protract your shoulderblades. This might seem counterintuitive, but it will further decrease your ROM of the floor. Don't forget about using your lats to depress the scapula during the concentric. If you forget about it, your back might keep rounding more during the concentric which actually leads to lowered force output and is another mistake.

4. Think about your arms as a single rope connected by your traps and upper back (circled in red). This rope should have no slack, so you should let your upper back hang completely loose. This step can tie very well with the actual verbal cue of reaching your arms to the bar. Reach to the bar with your arms to leave no slack in them instead of bending your hips and back.

5. This one is for advanced athletes only: Use thoracic flexion to your advantage, this is the extension of allowing your shoulderblades to protract, in this step you actually let your upper back round forward to gain additional strength close to the floor. The main drawback of this method is that you will need to make up for the lost ROM near the lockout when it comes time to extend your back. If your lockout is your weak point, then this cue might only make it worse.

6. The last part of this tip isn't meant for beginners because they might flex their lumbar spine which is actually detrimental to your deadlift performance and might lead to a greater injury risk when it comes to loading some heavy weight on the bar. Remember to keep your lumbar spine straight and only flex your thoracic spine.

Deadlift cue FAQ

What does long arms/reach to the bar mean?

This cue is meant to help you shorten your ROM from the floor by making your arms as long as possible. It's the most effective if your weakest point in the deadlift is breaking the floor.

Does this cue work for conventional and sumo?

Yes of course, however from my experience I can tell that sumo pullers might benefit slightly more from the additional strength of the floor. This cue will still work well for conventional pullers.

Is this a cue for advanced athletes or can beginners use it?

If you are a beginner, you can still implement this cue into your deadlift technique. I would focus on implementing the verbal cues "reach to the bar" and "arms as hooks", not flexing your elbows, and not retracting your scapula.