Which fault in the deadlift indicates the bar moves around the knees during descent?

• A. Loss of midline stabilization: flexion
• B. Weight shifting to the toes
• C. Bar moving around the knees during descent
• D. Bar drifts away from the body

Answer: (C)

Bar path control is being tested here. In a deadlift, the bar should travel in a near-straight line close to the body, staying over the midfoot as you lift and then descend. If the bar moves around the knees during the descent, it shows the bar path isn’t staying in that close, vertical line and instead arcs around the knee region. This usually comes from not hinging the hips back effectively or letting the knees move forward too much, so the bar drifts into a knee-side path rather than sliding down the legs.

Think of it as a bar-path cue: keep the bar in contact with your shins and thighs, with hips driving back and chest up on the way down, so the bar descends straight along your body rather than looping around the knees.

The other faults describe different issues: shifting weight to the toes alters where the bar sits in front of the body, loss of midline stabilization shows up as spinal flexion, and bar drifting away from the body is a general distance issue rather than a path around the knees.