I know the title might raise some eyebrows, but it shouldn’t be taken literally. There are solid approaches, methods, and rules to consider when coaching any lift in the weight room. Still, when we talk about exercise technique or human movement in general, why do textbooks become the measuring stick for everything? Textbooks provide context and information, and sometimes they’re handy coffee-table reading. But we don’t live in textbooks. What a squat, sprint, overhead press, or even a carrot cake looks like in a textbook can be very different from how it’s actually done in real life.
Textbook technique and why it doesn’t exist
I do believe there are some universal principles for coaching lifts like the deadlift, squat, bench press, or kettlebell swing that help clients reap benefits safely and reduce injury risk. I want my clients to get strong over the long term, not just check boxes. It wouldn’t be good for business or my reputation if every deadlift looked the same.
When it comes to universal principles for deadlifting, there’s really just one: loaded spinal flexion is a no‑go. That’s about it. If you follow that one rule, you’re doing better than most. But beyond that single rule, there are many nuances that vary from person to person. Training experience matters. A beginner with a barbell is not held to the same standard as a competitive powerlifter with years under their belt. So does someone with a long history of lower‑back issues. Goals, movement quality, personal preferences, and even anatomical differences all play a role.
People have different hips, so they’ll move differently and, likely, be coached differently. One person with a certain hip shape may need a different setup than someone with a different shape. There are many excellent resources that break down anatomy, assessment, biomechanics, and ideal positions, but every resource has bias. And remember: textbook technique only exists on the page.
I once heard a coach say the same thing and my first reaction was to laugh, then shake it off and focus on practical results. In the real world, textbook technique is as much a myth as detox drinks that claim to make you pee rainbows. What looks ideal on paper doesn’t always translate to real life. As coaches, we must understand this. If we cling to a single method as if it applies to everyone, we’re doing a disservice to our clients.
A real-life example
A few months ago I started working with a woman who had been dealing with low‑back pain and wanted me to take over her programming and clean up her deadlift technique. She’d tried many approaches and was frustrated that her back always bothered her.
During an initial consult I like to observe people’s natural movement. I set up a barbell on the floor with a load she could handle safely and let her perform her lift. Her default stance was conventional, which wasn’t the worst, but I could see why her back hurt.
We had already noted she lacked thoracic spine extension and had limited hip mobility. After a hip‑scour and Rockback test, I found she could achieve more hip flexion with more hip abduction—an important detail for her. The Rockback test helps gauge usable hip flexion ROM without losing lumbar position.
People tend to post pictures and stories of “ideal” setups from articles, but that’s not how real bodies work. My client had read that deadlifting = conventional stance every time, and other coaches had echoed that. That’s the textbook trap: on paper everything looks perfect, but in real life it isn’t always true.
Here’s what happened next: I moved her into a wider, sumo‑leaning stance that better matched her anatomy. The change immediately improved her spine position and created a much better starting position to pull, with no lumbar flexion. She also reported no pain after the adjustment. She left the session inspired and hopeful about training.
I shared this story online, and some coaches challenged it. One suggested the problem was my coaching, not her anatomy, despite not being in the session. Another claimed no client would walk into a gym and not be able to deadlift conventionally after day one. That pushback highlighted the very mindset I’m arguing against: a narrow view that one method fits all.
Take a step back
People shouldn’t be forced into a single routine because that’s what you prefer or what a textbook says. A good coach respects that everyone is different and keeps personal biases in their back pocket, recognizing there’s no single correct way to perform any lift. Tailor the lift to the lifter, not the other way around.
If someone maintains a solid spine in a Rockback test but not during a deadlift, the issue is likely not mobility. It could be the novelty of the exercise or a need for more motor control and practice. Conversely, if someone can’t control range of motion in the deadlift and shows the same pattern in the Rockback test, mobility or structural factors are more likely at fault.
