The Deadlift Warm-Up That Gets Your Blood Pumping
- Josh Gainer
- Sep 11, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
Warm-ups before you deadlift shouldn't be negotiable.
Maybe you fit in a quick stretch or a couple rushed reps with the bar, but then jump straight to loading plates. Not a good way to start if you want to avoid feeling stiff or out of position.
Warm-ups aren't just for cardio. They get your whole body ready to pull effectively.
That means opening up range of motion, getting blood moving, and dialing in the positions you need before your heavy sets. There’s solid evidence that specific warm-ups improve force production and performance in strength movements when you actually build up to working sets instead of jumping straight in.
I'm going to give you the lowdown on the warm-up I personally use before I step foot on the deadlift platform.
I start with Jefferson curls to get a sick stretch going. Here's how to do a Jefferson curl:
Grab a box and a barbell. In the video I'm using the 15 lb bar, but you can use the 45 lb power bar, too.
Stand on the box and grip the barbell with a double overhand grip.
Push the bar straight down in slow, controlled motion. You can round your back since you're using light weight.
Depending on your mobility, let the bar stop anywhere between your lower shins to below your feet.
Hold the bar here for about 3 to 5 seconds. Really feel the stretch throughout your whole body: your hamstrings lengthening, up the spine and whole back, through to your lats.
Then, slowly come back up in the same controlled motion.
Repeat 5 to 10 times.
Next, I get my lats engaged with a straight arm lat pulldown:
Attach a resistance band to the top horizontal bar of the power rack. In the video I'm using a red resistance band for a little tension without overexertion.
Step about 3-4 feet away from the power rack. Take one side of the resistance band in each hand. The higher up you grab on the resistance band, the more tension you'll create.
Keeping your arms straight, pull the resistance band down to your waist.
Do this for about 3 sets of 5 to 10 reps.
The same tension in the lats and obliques that you're activating in the straight arm lat pulldown carries over into the deadlift when you pull the bar into your body.
Lastly, I'm going to hit the posterior chain without overloading my spine.
A great way to do this is reverse hypers with very light weight:
I'm using a reverse hyper machine, but you can also use a bench if you don't have access to the machine.
I start with two 25 lbs plates, but you can use more or less depending on your ability and familiarity with the movement.
Lay flat on your stomach, and make a 90 degree angle by positioning your legs straight down.
If you're not using a reverse hyper machine, you most likely will not be able to lower your legs as much or use any weights. That's okay, just get as full of a range of motion as you can with this exercise.
Keeping your upper back still, swing your legs upward behind you until your whole body is straight.
Do this for about 3 sets of 5 to 10 reps.
With reverse hypers, you're getting blood into the lower back and hips without loading your spine and battling fatigue.
Targeted warm-ups before your deadlift can improve your performance by kick-starting the right muscles before the main lift. Your deadlifts will feel a whole lot better when you actually take the few extra minutes to warm up in an intentional way.
I'm here to help you dial in on optimizing your gym time. Drop me a line and I'll:
👉 Get you into a free 1:1 personal coaching assessment, or
👉 Save your spot in one of my group strength training classes.
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