The Work of the Deadlift

The barbell on the ground in front of me is loaded with every weight plate I own (695 pounds in all). It’s a rare day for such a heavy feat — heavy for me anyway, and made heavier by the fact that I’m standing on plates while doing it. And so, I grip the bar with my right hand turned overhand and my left underhand.1 The plan is to complete one good pull. A single pull involves moving the barbell and all those attendant plates from the ground to a locked-out position past my knees.