Pause Deadlift Technique & Programming

One of the best deadlift variations is the pause deadlift. It is the single most effective exercise to build a stronger bottom position and emphasise driving off the floor from the legs first. The pause deadlift is a staple in all of my athletes’ training.

How do you perform pause deadliftS?

The pause deadlift is set up exactly the same as the deadlift, except you will pause for 2-seconds somewhere between the floor and knee. The bar needs to be motionless throughout the pause without dropping down again when driving to standing. The goal is to pull explosively from the pause, and not compromise technique or proper positioning throughout the process.

I’ll explain the step-by-step technique for performing the perfect pause deadlift,

Pause Deadlift Technique

The pause deadlift is simply a regular deadlift with a pause somewhere between the floor and knee.

Even though this might seem like a small difference, the impacts of a pause while deadlifting can change the empahsis of the movement drastically. Furthermore, implementing an effective pause can be difficult if you don’t understand the mechanics of how the ‘bottom-end’ position should look like.

Here are some technique tips for implementing the perfect pause deadlift:

1. The pause should be measured when the bar is motionless

An effective pause is when the barbell is motionless, which should last for 2-seconds.

A major fault is when lifters start counting the pause when the barbell is still traveling upward. This looks like the barbell slowing down, but not stopping entirely. This would be considered ‘cheating the method’ and should be avoided.

2. The pause should be implemented somewhere between the floor and knee

One of the common questions about the paused deadlift is where should you pause within the range of motion.

The exact place is going to differ on an individual basis, but for most people, the pause will be implemented somewhere between the floor and knee. Typically, you’ll pause wherever you have a sticking point, which is where you either feel the weakest or fail under maximal loads.

If you struggle to break contact with the floor, then you should bring the bar up about 1-2 inches and then pause in that position. Alternatively, if you struggle to bring the bar into the lock-out position, then you should pause either just below the knee or at the knee.

Very few lifters will pause the deadlift above the knee because there are other deadlifting variations to improve the lockout that are more effective.

3. The bar should remain on your shins

One of the key positions in the deadlift is to keep the barbell as close to your body (shins and thighs) as possible while executing the movement.

Having the barbell stay on your body is primarily controlled by the strength and tension in your lats. If your lats are not engaged, then it’s much easier for the barbell to drift away from the body. When this happens, the load will pull you forward, and it will require a lot more strength and energy to keep your balance.

Since the paused deadlift creates more time under tension in the bottom position, your lats will need to work harder to maintain the bar on your shins. If you find the bar drifting away from the body as you cycle through reps, then it might be a sign that your lats need to get stronger.

4. Focus on the position of your torso and shoulders

When implementing the paused deadlift, your torso and shoulders should keep a very similar angle related to the barbell compared with your start position.

In the start position for a regular deadlift, your shoulders should be slightly in front of the barbell, with your torso about 45-degrees to the floor.

Some lifters might have their shoulders more or less in front of the barbell, and their torso angle more or less horizontal to the floor in their start position. But, the key aspect is that when you implement a pause these angles shouldn’t change all too much. This is especially true if you are choosing to pause just off the floor.

A common fault for some lifters who struggle off the floor is their hips will rise too fast out of the bottom position. In other words, their hips travel faster than the barbell, and their torso becomes more parallel to the floor as they initiate the movement. This is something you want to avoid when pause deadlifting.

5. Cue yourself to ‘drive from the legs’ first

In order to maintain the position of your torso and shoulders, you want to cue yourself to drive from the legs first.

If you begin the deadlift using your glutes and spinal erectors as the prime mover, then you’ll end up changing your torso and shoulder position to favor those muscle groups.

Instead, the deadlift should be initiated using the knee extensors to drive the barbell from the floor to knee position. Since the quads are the primary knee extensors, you want to think about ‘pushing the floor away’ by using the quads and extending from the knee.

This is a cue that also helps prevent your hips from rising too early in the bottom position of the deadlift.

6. Be explosive out of the paused position

Once you’ve paused, and you’ve committed to driving up to standing, you want to produce the maximum amount of force to stand up. You don’t want to pull from the paused position lazily or else you’ll risk failing the rep if the load is too heavy. Additionally, it’s a good habit in any movement to always think about moving the barbell as quickly as possible throughout the concentric range of motion.

Additionally, you want to ensure that after you’ve paused the barbell travels upward. What you want to avoid is the barbell dipping down after the pause before traveling up again. This is helped if you be ‘aggressive’ pulling from the paused position.

7. Be consistent with where you pause

If you’ve decided to pause the deadlift 2-inches off the floor, then every rep you do should be paused in this position. You want to create consistency in where you pause so that you’re working your weaknesses in the most specific way possible. The more precise you are in where you pause, the better results you’ll get from doing this movement.

How to Program Pause Deadlifts

If you are deadlifting more than once per week, then the best way to implement pause deadlifts is on one of the additional deadlifts workouts throughout the week. The first day would be regular deadlifts, and the second day would be pause deadlifts, focusing on your ‘weak point’ within the range of motion.

If you are new to pause deadlifts, then I would use the additional deadlift day for technique purposes only. You should aim to master the principles above before doing any significant loading for the paused deadlift. At the same time that you’re practicing the paused deadlift, you should continue to progress the regular deadlift day to build both volume and intensity.

Here are some commonly asked questions I get about programming pause squats:

How long should the pauses be for paused deadlifts?

Pause deadlifts should be programmed at 2-seconds. This ensures that the lifter is not rushing the pause and that there is a meaningful amount of time under tension in the most compromised position of the movement. Some lifters like to perform pause deadlifts while listening to a metronome so that they know they’re not shorting the length of the pause.

What is the double pause deadlift method?

The double pause deadlift is an advanced version of the pause deadlift.

This is where you would implement two pauses at two different points at the bottom end of the deadlift. Lifters doing the double pause method will pause 1-2 inches off the floor, and then bring the bar up to the knee and pause again before pulling to lockout.

I would only program the double pause method for athletes who seriously struggle with where their torso and shoulders are within the bottom end of the deadlift. The double pause method is only programmed for technique purposes and is done with lighter loads.

How much should your pause deadlift be compared with your regular deadlift?

The average lifter should be able to pause deadlift about 90% of their 1 rep max deadlift. Therefore, if you are using percentages to base your training numbers, then you’ll want to use a rep max that is 90% of your regular deadlift.

Here is an example:

Let’s say your workout calls for 4 sets of 4 reps at 80% of your 1 rep max. If your 1 rep max deadlift is 400lbs, then the workout would be completed at 320lbs (400lbs X 0.8).

If you wanted to do that same workout using the pause deadlift, then you would use a rep max that is 90% of your 1 rep max deadlift. In this cause, you would use 360lbs as your pause deadlift 1 rep max (400lbs X 0.9).

Now when you calculate your 4 sets of 4 at 80% for pause deadlift, it will be 290lbs (360lbs X 0.8).

How many reps should you do for pause deadlifts?

I would keep most of the reps for pause deadlift within 3 to 5.

Here is a sample program:

Week 1: 4 sets of 5 reps @ 70%

Week 2: 4 sets of 4 reps @ 72.5%

Week 3: 5 sets of 3 reps @ 75%

Week 4: 5 sets of 3 reps @ 77.5%

The load is increasing literally over the weeks, but you should still feel like you’re leaving 1-2 reps left in the tank by the time you get to the prescribed rep range.