Turn the dog days of summer into deadlift days.

Fun fact: The "dog days" of summer technically begin on July 3 and come to a close on August 11. The origin of the term has to do with constellations and things, but all we care about is the fact that these days are about as hot as it's gonna get — and that often coincides with summertime laziness. If you've traded your outdoor boot-camp workouts for sipping ice cold lemonade on the porch or catching rays on the beach in your downtime, we're looking at you.

But now is not the time to slack, Oxygen fam! One silver lining of it being too hot to train outdoors is that you can focus your energy on getting into a climate-controlled gym and over a barbell. That's right, we mean deadlifting. Even the fittest of us could probably use a form refresher as we build up after a year of on-and-off lockdowns that made going to the gym either unnerving or impossible. Fortunately, you'll find exactly that in the below article that serves as a deadlift master class.

If you're currently on vacation or simply enjoy the heat, we've also got a member-exclusive series of beach workouts waiting for you, plus a muscle-up meal plan that would complement some heavier weight training nicely. You'll also find a beginner's boxing workout for those who really want to change it up.

Whatever form of fitness you choose, stay the course — the dog days are more than halfway through!

— Rose McNulty, Senior Digital Editor

6 Steps to Perfect Deadlift Form

What’s in a name? If it happens to be “deadlift,” then a whole bunch of fear and loathing among the lifting gen pop. The moniker is apt, though. Not that a deadlift will literally kill you, but if you’re doing it right, you’ll be dead tired afterward. Deadlifts engage every major muscle group in your body, especially those in your posterior chain, including the calves, hamstrings and glutes up through your spinal erectors, lats, traps and shoulders. For that reason, proper deadlift form is imperative.

To help you make the most of every rep, we’ve assembled four elite training experts and gleaned their insider tips on deadlift form, function and everything in between. At the end of this master class, you’ll be able to bring your deadlifts back to life and resurrect your progress.

Use this six-step guide to perfect the exercise with the intimidating name.

Keep reading for six expert-backed deadlift form tips »