What is the deadlift?

The deadlift is a weight training exercise where a loaded barbell is lifted off the ground from a stabilized, bent over position. It is one of the three canonical powerlifting exercises, along with the squat and bench press. Deadlift refers to the lifting of dead (without inertia) weight, such as weights lying on the ground.

It is one of the few standard weight training exercises in which all repetitions begin with dead weight. In most other lifts there is an eccentric (lowering of the weight) phase followed by the concentric (lifting of the weight) phase. During these exercises, a small amount of energy is stored in the stretched muscles and tendons in the eccentric phase. However, the deadlift is solely a concentric movement, beginning at its most difficult point and without stored elastic energy.