Overview

The sandbag deadlift aka ‘traditional deadlift’ or ‘conventional deadlift’, is the first exercise to learn as it’s the technique used to pick the Sandbag up from the floor for many exercises. Deadlifts are an important lift for any training program and is the foundation for learning many other lifts, it’s a fantastic exercise for developing the posterior chain.

Teaching Points

  1. Stand with feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart.
  2. Point the toes out slightly.
  3. The sandbag will be positioned as close to your feet as possible.
  4. Hinge at the hips, keep a neutral spine and look forward and down.
  5. Grasp the sandbag with two hands.
  6. Inhale into the belly and keep the core braced.
  7. Drive through the hips, keep your weight on your heels and squeeze the glutes until your body reaches full extension.
  8. Exhale at the top.
  9. Reverse the movement.

Common Problems & Solutions

Error: Leaning too far forward
Correction: Sit back on the hips and keep the weight on your heels with your chest facing forwards.

Error: Overextending at the top of the movement.
Correction: Finish the movement in full extension with a perfect straight line running up the side of your body with your ankles, knees, hips and shoulder stacked directly on top of each other.

Error: Losing neutrality through the spine
Correction: Keep your chest up and shoulders back.

Error: Looking downwards
Correction: Look 5-6 feet in front or towards the horizon.