4 Ways to Deadlift around an Injury

Mike Collette • September 29, 2020

4 Ways To Continue To Deadlift Around An Injury

By: Martha Theirl, PT, DPT, Cert-CMFA, SFMA L-1 ( Owner of Q4 Physical Therapy )

A woman is lifting a barbell in a gym.

Do you have pain during deadlifts? Are you currently injured but trying to continue to train around that injury? Try out these deadlift modifications to help train around pain or improve your movement patterns. 

 

The deadlift is one of the most valuable lifts we have in CrossFit, and in rehabilitation! It helps to train the core, back, leg, foot, and arm strength all in one go, and makes us feel powerful to boot! If you’re feeling a little under the weather or trying to train around an injury, here are a few ways to continue to lift while you’re rehabbing your injury.

 

As always, this is meant to be educational and not individual medical advice. You should always consult a licensed healthcare professional; Physical Therapist or otherwise to address your individual needs and ensure these modifications are safe and effective for you. If you have specific questions, please reach out at martha@q4pt.com and we will work together to create an individualized care plan to address your goals!

 

1. Pain during the initial pull

 

This may be set up related, but can also be hamstring or low back pain when you go to deadlift weight directly off the ground. By placing your weight on blocks (or other stacked weights!) you lessen the range of motion you have to pull through, decreasing pain and allowing you to still deadlift with good form. As you’re able, you can lower the blocks or remove a plate to gradually bring you back to the ground. This is also a great move for beginners who are trying to lock in good form!

A pair of rogue barbells are sitting on a wooden box.

2. Knee pain during sumo deadlifts

 

The sumo deadlift is a more knee dominant form of the deadlift as you start from a greater knee bend, and it is more demanding on the quadriceps muscles. Make sure your sumo stance is correct for you without knee collapse, good foot position, and that the feet aren’t too wide. We discuss this more in our how to: deadlift blog post, coming soon! Changing to a conventional deadlift position helps you to take the pressure off the knee and quad.

A man is squatting with a barbell in his hands.

 

3. Elbow pain during the pull or grip

 

Difficulty with gripping due to forearm or elbow pain? Using lifting straps can take the pressure off your grip and allow you to continue to train through your rehabilitation for your arm. Also, if you haven’t talked to someone about why you’re getting gripping pain, please do! These straps are easy to find and useful not only in the deadlift but also for squatting if you have difficulty getting into a front rack position!

A man is holding a barbell with a strap around his wrist.

4. Low Back pain

 

If you have low back pain during or after deadlifts (or any movement!), the root cause absolutely needs to be found. It may be a simple set up issue, due to high weight or volume (or both!), or it may be something more musculoskeletal. Recommendations here include meeting with a physical therapist, taking a hard look at your mechanic’s during the lift, and setting a course forward to get you pain-free. Options such as decreasing range of motion, switching to a sumo stance which is less demanding on the back muscles (also a great modification during pregnancy!), using a hex bar to be a bit more upright, decreasing the range of motion, and switching to a kettlebell are all options to pursue here.

A woman is squatting down to lift a barbell in a gym. 

Just because you are rehabilitating an injury doesn’t mean you can’t train! You may need to modify what you are doing as you rebuild to be stronger and more resilient! Have questions about these? Just Ask! Be resilient to the finish!

Previous Blogs

By Mike Collette February 9, 2026
Recovery isn’t new—our focus on it is. Explore a quick timeline from early stress science to burnout research to wearables and recovery studios.
By Mike Collette February 3, 2026
Sharang is a standout part of the Prototype community—steady, positive, and always putting in the work—and his commitment to consistency, camaraderie, and long-term progress makes him a perfect example of what PTS is all about. Below he answers some questions and shares his experience. Share your experience at Prototype—favorite memories, moments, or stories or what’s your favorite part/what do you look forward to? What stands out most about Prototype is the camaraderie. The members, especially in the 7AM and Noon classes, create a great balance of fun and focus. Everyone is friendly and supportive, but when it’s time to work, people take the WODs seriously and push themselves to improve. That combination can be hard to find. All the coaches play a huge role in setting that tone. My favorite moments are the everyday ones i.e. showing up, putting in the work together, leaving class feeling accomplished. What I look forward to most is continuing to train alongside people who genuinely enjoy the process and want to get better. “Because summer’s coming.” Who at Prototype has made the biggest impact on you and why? As a dad of two young daughters, the people who’ve made the biggest impact on me at Prototype are the women in the gym. They all train with confidence, strength, consistency and set a powerful example. It’s the kind of environment I hope my daughters grow up seeing where strength is normal and earned. What are your hobbies and activities outside the gym? I dabble a bit in photography, star gazing and love to travel. Playing atrocious golf. How has Prototype helped you or solved a problem for you? Prototype has helped me stay active. There’s a real sense of happiness and accomplishment after each workout, and that feeling has become addictive in the best way. Knowing I’ll leave class feeling stronger, physically and mentally, keeps me coming back. Prototype has turned working out from something I should do into something I genuinely want to do, which has made a huge difference in maintaining a sustainable fitness routine. What are your current fitness goals? Steady progress and longevity. If I can keep lifting, moving well, and feeling good years from now, I’ll consider that a win. I hope my future self will thank my present self. Favorite Quote If you can’t explain it simply you don't understand it well enough.
By Mike Collette December 30, 2025
Greg is an amazing part of our community — consistent, encouraging, and ready to get after it. He truly represents what the PTS community is all about. Prototype of the Month is well deserved! Below, he answers a few questions about his time at PTS. Share your experience at Prototype—favorite memories, moments, or stories or what’s your favorite part/what do you look forward to? I definitely look forward to that feeling of clarity after finishing up a workout. I feel ready to tackle the rest of the day. Sometimes I have trouble getting mentally ready for a tough looking metcon, but I always feel better afterwards. Who at Prototype has made the biggest impact on you and why? All the coaches and members are great, I look forward to seeing everyone when I am there, but the person who has made the biggest impact is Bridget Owens. She is my motivation and always pushes me to keep going and push myself to get better. What are your hobbies and activities outside the gym? I love cycling and mountain biking, the workouts at prototype have definitely helped improve my fitness so that I can do better on the bike even though I don’t get out as often as I would like. Also spending time with my family, grilling and BBQing when the weather is nice and getting to the beach in the summer. How has Prototype helped you or solved a problem for you? Prototype has helped enormously with my level of anxiety, I was really struggling when we first moved into town, the community and workouts at Prototype have been a life saver for my mental health. What are your current fitness goals? I want to get better at gymnastics, maybe get some toes to the bar. Favorite Quote Two Quotes: “Bone on bone, stack it” -Jon “Activate the lower half” -Brian
More Posts

Climb to New Heights

Prototype Training Systems is more than a gym - it is a lifestyle. Join us today!

Book Free No-Sweat Intro