• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • Contributors
    • Matt Beecroft, Master RKC
    • Martijn Bos, Master RKC
    • Andrea Du Cane, Master RKC
    • Angelo Gala, Master RKC
    • Chris Holder, Master RKC
    • Steve Holiner, Master RKC
    • Dan John, Master RKC
    • Mike Krivka, Master RKC
    • Thomas Phillips, Master RKC
    • Robert Rimoczi, Master RKC
    • Phil Ross, Master RKC
    • Max Shank, Master RKC
  • Workshops
    • HKC Workshops
    • RKC Workshops
    • RKC-II Workshops
  • Find an RKC Instructor
  • Resources
    • Articles
    • Forums
    • Kettlebells
    • Products
  • Blogs
    • PCC Blog
    • Strong Medicine Blog
  • Archives

RKC School of Strength

Official blog of the RKC

Use These 3 Cues to Teach The Deadlift

August 21, 2019 By William Sturgeon Leave a Comment

William Sturgeon Deadlift Coaching Cues

When teaching a client how to deadlift, we must first help them master the hip hinge. Often when we begin to teach someone how to hinge we use the following cues: “keep a slight bend in the knees, push your hips back, keep your back straight, pack the shoulders, push your hips forward and stand tall…”

These cues are effective, but when someone has never done a hip hinge before, all these words may be too overwhelming.

When we’re working with a client, we always want to make sure that they are not confused. We want to make our instructions as clear as possible so that they are set up for success.

Start by teaching your client a tall & tight position.

Tall & Tight

  • This position begins standing with feet shoulder width apart. Then, instruct your client to pull their hips slightly forward. Tell them to imagine pulling their belt buckle to their chin.
  • Next teach the tight position. This begins by tucking the ribs down and pinching the shoulders back.
  • The tall & tight position teaches how to maintain a neutral spine while maintaining tension in the core.

Reach Your Hips Back

Next we are going to teach our client how to reach their hips back. “Begin with a slight bend in the knees. Reach your hips back by trying to touch your butt towards the wall behind you, while keeping the tall and tight position.” These instructions can get complicated quickly, so I use the following cues instead:

  • I begin by helping people understand this movement by instructing them to place their fists on their hips.
  • Then I tell them to imagine their body is a can crusher—the upper body being the top half and the lower body being the bottom half of the machine.
  • Next, I ask them to reach their hips back and “crush their cans.”

Drive Through Your Hips

Lastly we will review “driving through the hips” to finish the exercise.

  • While maintaining a tall and tight position, push through the hips to the starting position.
  • Next, think about punching your feet into the ground, while thrusting your hips forward.

Once you’ve mastered this fundamental skill you can now progress to loading your client for a deadlift.

Just remember: tall & tight, reach your hips back, and drive through the hips.

****

William Sturgeon, RKC II trains clients at his gym, Restored Strength. Contact him through his website at RestoredStrength.com or follow him on Facebook: facebook.com/restoredstrength

Share this:

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • More
  • Reddit
  • LinkedIn
  • Tumblr

Filed Under: Coaching, Kettlebell Training, Mobility and Flexibility Tagged With: coaching cues, coaching deadlift, deadlift, how to do a kettlebell deadlift, kettlebell deadlift, William Sturgeon

Primary Sidebar

Featured Products

previous arrow
BOOK-RKCBookofSnC
HardStyleKettlebellChallegeDanJohn700
BookCoverMasterTheKettlebell1
RKCiconKettlebell512
KettlebellGoddessdv040
next arrow

Recent Posts

  • RKC Big Six Workout
  • The Kettlebell Swing & Low Back Pain
  • Key Kettlebell Exercises To Help You Create Better Balance
  • How to Most Effectively Use Kettlebells to Meet Your New Year Goals
  • 1 Exercise That Checks All The Boxes
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER!

Archives

Copyright © 2025

Dragon Door Publications / The author(s) and publisher of this material are not responsible in any manner whatsoever for any injury that may occur through following the instructions or opinions contained in this material. The activities, physical and otherwise, described herein for informational purposes only, may be too strenuous or dangerous for some people, and the reader(s) should consult a physician before engaging in them.