# Shoulders on Deadlift

**URL:** <https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/t/shoulders-on-deadlift/7346>\
**Category:** Training Q&A \[Moderated\]\
**Created:** [October 28, 2019, 2:12am UTC](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/t/shoulders-on-deadlift/7346 "2019-10-28T02:12:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![LeonSquatsky](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/forum.barbellmedicine.com/leonsquatsky/32/6265_2.png) [@LeonSquatsky](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/u/LeonSquatsky)\
**Post date:** [October 28, 2019, 2:12am UTC](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/t/shoulders-on-deadlift/7346/1 "2019-10-28T02:12:52Z")

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Hi!

I think I’ve been accidentally performing the deadlift in two totally different ways.

Today I tried focusing on bringing the shoulders down and holding them there for the whole rep, and whew it was hard to make the bar move!

At first I thought it was just a hard day.

But then I remembered that previously I’ve been exploding the bar off the ground with a kind of row movement, using my lats and shoulders to “float” the bar off the ground by really puling back.

What should I be doing or cueing myself to do on the deadlift?

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**Author:** ![Jordan\_Feigenbaum](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/forum.barbellmedicine.com/jordan_feigenbaum/32/1315_2.png) [@Jordan\_Feigenbaum](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/u/Jordan_Feigenbaum)\
**Post date:** [October 28, 2019, 2:21pm UTC](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/t/shoulders-on-deadlift/7346/2 "2019-10-28T14:21:40Z")

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We don’t usually cue the shoulders to do anything active during the deadlift. If the weight is light, a concentric contraction of the lats and upper back musculature can sometimes lift the weight off the ground- but when it’s heavy this is not going to happen. We recommend squeezing the chest up with locked arms, perform the valsalva, and then drag the bar up your legs.

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**Author:** ![Jordan\_Feigenbaum](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/forum.barbellmedicine.com/jordan_feigenbaum/32/1315_2.png) [@Jordan\_Feigenbaum](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/u/Jordan_Feigenbaum)\
**Post date:** [October 29, 2019, 3:25pm UTC](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/t/shoulders-on-deadlift/7346/3 "2019-10-29T15:25:03Z")

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I can’t be sure without seeing video, but if you externally rotate your elbows may rotate backwards for a moment in time, though gravity will sort this out for you shortly.