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Deadlifts are bad for your back

The evidence does not support the idea that deadlifting is inherently harmful to the back. Weight-training sports have low injury rates compared with team sports, a meta-analysis found no clear link between lumbar flexion during lifting and back pain, and supervised deadlifting has been used in back-pain trials. The evidence is thin and of low quality, though, and the lower back is one of the more commonly injured areas in lifters, so progression and technique still matter.

What the science says

  • Lifting sports injure people often Limited evidence

    Keogh and Winwood's 2017 review of injury epidemiology across weight-training sports found relatively low injury rates compared with common team sports; bodybuilding had about 0.24-1 injury per 1,000 hours, while strongman and Highland Games were higher. The lower back was among the most commonly injured sites, along with the shoulder and knee. Most studies were retrospective.

  • Bending the lower back while lifting causes back pain Limited evidence

    Saraceni's 2020 meta-analysis found low-quality evidence that greater lumbar flexion during lifting was not a risk factor for the onset or persistence of low back pain, and most studies found no difference in lumbar flexion between people with and without back pain. Low-quality evidence cuts both ways: it does not prove rounding is harmless under maximal loads.

  • People with back pain can tolerate deadlifting Limited evidence

    In Aasa's 2015 randomized trial of 70 people with recurrent low back pain, a supervised high-load deadlift program with education reduced pain intensity about as much as low-load motor-control exercise, although the motor-control group improved more on activity scores. This is one small clinical trial, not a recommendation to self-treat back pain.

What to do instead

If you deadlift, learn the movement with light loads, progress gradually, and stop sets when form breaks down; the deadlift is a tool, not a requirement.

Learning phaseSeveral weeks with light loads, focusing on bracing and bar path
Working sets2-4 sets of 3-8 reps at a load you control
Frequency1-2 times per week
ProgressionSmall load increases (about 2.5-5 kg per week while possible)
AlternativesRomanian deadlift, hip thrust or back extension if you prefer

Who should be careful

For healthy adults without back problems. If you have current or recurrent back pain, sciatica, or a diagnosed spinal condition, get an assessment from a physician or physical therapist before deadlifting; this page is not a treatment plan.

Frequently asked questions

Are deadlifts dangerous for the spine?

The available evidence, though thin, does not show that. Weight-training sports have relatively low injury rates compared with team sports, though the lower back is one of the more common injury sites.

Is a rounded back during lifting dangerous?

A 2020 meta-analysis found low-quality evidence that lumbar flexion during lifting was not a risk factor for back pain, but that does not prove rounding under maximal loads is harmless.

Can people with back pain deadlift?

In one 2015 trial of people with recurrent back pain, supervised deadlifting reduced pain about as much as motor-control exercise. Anyone with back pain should get individual advice from a physician or physical therapist.

Scientific references

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