How? Stand with feet shoulder-width apart holding a barbell across your thighs. Retract your shoulder blades, brace your core and then lean forward at the hips, bending your knees so the bar travels straight down your shins. Stop at around mid-shin level and drive back up to the start. Don’t arch your back at any point during the lift.

Why? ‘The deadlift mimics the simple, everyday movement of bending down to pick something up off the floor,’ says sports therapist and personal trainer Derek Gardner. ‘But most people don’t perform it properly and are surprised when they injure their lower backs and have to come and see me. In fact the deadlift itself is a great injury prevention measure because it has such a powerful effect on strengthening your core muscles and your lower back muscles, which support your glutes and back muscles during the lift.’