Common questions, tips & tricks for barbell squats and deadlifts
Molly Clark 25/08/26Why strength train in the first place? Strength training isn’t just about building muscle or lifting heavier weights in the gym. Across the lifespan, maintaining strength and muscle mass plays an important role in our bone health, metabolic health, physical function, independence and ability to keep doing the things we enjoy.
As we get older, we naturally start to lose muscle mass and strength. Resistance training is one of the best tools we have to help slow this process and maintain our physical capacity. Research also consistently links resistance training with better physical function and a lower risk of all-cause mortality.
Do I need these in my routine? Technically, no. There are heaps of other variations and exercises that can build the same muscle groups.
However, for a well-rounded program centred around getting strong and staying fit for life, squats and deadlifts are two really useful staple movements.
Both require whole-body coordination and trunk strength, and allow you to train multiple muscle groups at once. They also have a great crossover into day-to-day life.
They can also be really rewarding movements and give you an opportunity to safely build up to some decent loads over time.
Are squats and deadlifts safe? Generally, yes.
The idea that a particular exercise is simply “good” or “bad” for your body can create a lot of unnecessary fear around movement.
Injury is usually much more complicated than one movement or one position. Often, problems occur when there is a mismatch between what the body is currently prepared for and the amount of load, volume or intensity being asked of it.
For a very basic example, if someone is currently comfortable lifting around 40 kg and suddenly attempts 80 kg without gradually building towards it, their tissues may not be prepared for that jump in load.
This doesn’t mean technique doesn’t matter. It does. But injuries are rarely explained by one small change in position alone.
When we’re trying to understand why a tissue injury has occurred, we need to look at the whole person and the overall context, rather than blaming one movement. This can include things like general health, sleep, recovery, nutrition, mental readiness, training load, previous injuries and current tissue capacity.
There is also an inherent level of risk with almost everything we do, whether that’s playing sport, running, driving a car or lifting weights. The advantage with strength training is that many of these variables can actually be controlled and progressed gradually.
In my professional opinion, the benefits of strength training far outweigh the potential risks associated with it, particularly when training is appropriately programmed and progressed.
Where does form matter? “Correct form” is a broad concept.
What looks comfortable and efficient for one person may look quite different for someone else.
Things that can influence your squat or deadlift include:
- Training history and experience
- Hip anatomy
- Ankle mobility
- Shoulder mobility
- Femur length
- Torso length
- Previous injuries
- Strength and confidence
Rather than chasing “perfect form”, I often find it more helpful to think about efficient form.
What position allows you to produce force comfortably, confidently and consistently? Generally, this involves finding a position where you can control the load, coordinate the movement well and keep the bar moving efficiently.
Form matters, but load selection and progression matter too.
If you’re new to barbell movements, there is also a skill-learning component. I always tell clients to give their body some time to learn the movement before worrying about putting crazy amounts of weight on the bar.
Build the movement first. Then build the load.
How can I get a better squat? This is a highly individual answer, but here are a few simple things I commonly look at.
Heels peeling off the ground? Limited ankle dorsiflexion can sometimes contribute to your heels lifting.
Try placing a small plate or heel wedge underneath your heels and see whether the movement immediately feels more comfortable.
Also make sure you’re allowing enough movement through the hips. As you squat down, your hips and knees should work together. If you’re struggling to comfortably sit into the movement, using a box behind you can sometimes help build confidence and give you a target to squat towards.
Struggling to hit depth? This could be related to movement skill, confidence, strength, mobility or simply your individual anatomy.
A few things you can try:
Heel elevation:
A small heel lift can make it easier to achieve depth, particularly if ankle mobility is a limiting factor.
Adjust your stance:
Try moving your feet slightly wider or narrower and see what feels best for you.
Turn your toes out slightly:
For some people, a small amount of toe turnout creates more space at the hips and makes it easier to squat comfortably.
Try a box:
Squatting to a box can help you understand where your depth is and build confidence under load.
Experiment with bar position:
High-bar and low-bar squats change the mechanics slightly. Depending on your proportions, mobility and training goals, one may feel much more natural than the other.
There isn’t one universal bar position that works for everybody.
For most people without an injury or other restriction, working towards roughly parallel, where the hips are around the level of the knees, can be a useful general target.
That doesn’t mean everyone needs to squat to exactly the same depth.
I would usually rather see someone gradually develop good control and comfortable range before chasing heavier loads.
Deadlifts:
Finding the right deadlift position can also take some trial and error.
There are plenty of variations, including:
- Conventional barbell deadlift
- Trap-bar deadlift
- Sumo deadlift
- Romanian deadlift (RDL)
If you’re new to deadlifting
I often like using RDLs first to help teach the hip hinge.
The goal is learning how to move through the hips while maintaining good trunk control before making the movement more complex.
A deadlift is generally more hip-dominant than a squat.
Rather than simply bending the knees and sitting down, think about allowing the hips to travel backwards while keeping your trunk strong and controlled.
Learn to create tension!
Before the bar leaves the floor, think about creating tension through your whole body.
One cue that can help is engaging your lats and gently “pulling the slack out of the bar” before you lift.
You should feel like your body and the bar are connected before you start pushing through the floor.
Find your hip position
There isn’t one exact hip height that everybody needs to use.
Your starting position will depend on things like your leg length, torso length and the deadlift variation you’re performing.
The goal is to find a position where you can create tension, stay balanced and produce force efficiently.
Keep the bar close
For a conventional barbell deadlift, aim to keep the bar close to your body throughout the movement.
Your shins will generally stay relatively vertical compared with a squat.
Instead of pushing your knees excessively forward towards the bar, think about bringing yourself towards the bar, creating tension and then pushing the floor away.
Consider starting with a trap bar
A trap-bar deadlift can be a great introduction to heavier deadlifting.
It tends to sit somewhere between a squat and a hinge, and many people find the position slightly more natural when they’re first learning.
One final thing – Anything involving a barbell can take a little longer to learn because there are more moving parts and a greater coordination demand.
That doesn’t mean you’re “bad” at the movement.
Take your time, experiment with positions, build the load gradually and give your body an opportunity to learn the skill.
There isn’t one perfect squat or deadlift that everybody needs to copy.
The goal is to find a variation and technique that works well for your body, your goals and your current level of capacity.