Deadlift

Start Position:
Feet should be shoulder width apart for a symmetrical overhand grip Bar against shins shoulders vertically over the bar, back flat, pelvis and head aligned with spine Scapula retracted and depressed. Reverse the grip (over/under) when loading causes slippage. Use of straps should be minimized (for forearm size development in the bodybuilder, and grip strength in the athlete).
Get Set: (Immediately prior to lifting the weight).

Extend the legs slightly to take up slack (tension on the bar) remembering to keep your back totally straight and never rounded. Inhale Brace the stomach muscles as if you are about to take a hit there. This creates a positive abdominal pressure to support the lift and create stability. Squeeze the butt muscles. Raise tension in the upper back, where scapula position is to be held. Look straight leveling your chin to the floor.

Take Off: (First pull from ground to just above the knees, keeping your shoulders tight and rigid)
Extend the legs, imagining pushing the legs through the ground, using gluts as prime muscle of use. As you extend your legs, the trunk angle does not change (stays at the same angle as in start), i.e. the hips do not raise them faster than the shoulders. The upper back must be maintained in a flat position. Bar stays in contact with the shin skin at all times.

Second Pull: (From just above the knees to standing)
Now you stand up as your would getting up from a chair, forcing the hips through with drive from the gluteals. Bar stays in contact with the shin and thigh skin at all times. Finish in an upright position. If the upper back position is held throughout, the shoulders will be down and back in the finish position automatically.

Lowering back to the start position:
Unlike most exercises (including the squat), the eccentric phase of the deadlift is not a reverse mirror image of the concentric. Less importance is placed on the lowering phase unless there is a specific need; most lifters will lower the bar as quickly as possible while maintaining control. The importance of this exercise is in the pulling upwards.

Deadlift - Part 1