Correction for when the hips rise too quickly in a deadlift: which cue is advised?

• A. Deploy a deep breath and hold.
• B. Cue 'Lift your chest more aggressively.'
• C. Move shoulders forward and extend the arms.
• D. Increase the weight to test strength.

Answer: (B)

When hips rise too quickly in a deadlift, the torso tends to lose its tall, neutral position and the bar can drift away from the body. The best corrective cue is to lift the chest more aggressively. Pushing the chest up prompts you to extend through the thoracic spine, keeping the spine neutral and the chest held high as you begin the pull. This helps maintain proper bar path and load through the legs and hips in a coordinated way, preventing the hips from shooting up ahead of the shoulders.

Breathing and bracing can help stability, but a deep breath and hold alone won’t directly address the timing of hip vs chest movement. Moving the shoulders forward and extending the arms would disrupt proper alignment and likely worsen the back angle. Increasing the weight to test strength isn’t a corrective cue and can reinforce bad mechanics.