How to Do It

1. Load the sleeve of a barbell into a landmine unit. Stand at the opposite end of the bar and load its sleeve with weight. If you don’t have a landmine in your gym, wedge the bar into a corner.

2. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and bend at the hips, bending your knees as needed until you can grasp the sleeve, fingers interlaced. Your lower back should be flat.

3. Take a deep breath. Twist your feet outward, rooting yourself into the floor, and extend your hips to lift the bar up in front of you.

Person gripping a barbell for a romanian deadlift exercise

The 10 Worst Deadlifting Mistakes

Get the inside scoop on the worst deadlift mistakes and how to avoid them.

Read article

Spare Your Spine

The path the bar follows in a landmine allows you to keep your spine more upright, so you don’t put forces on it that can cause injury—as with a classic barbell deadlift.