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What is Lockout?
Lockout is the finishing position of a lift — the point where the bar or your body has traveled through the full range of motion and the prime working joints are completely extended. In the bench press, that means the elbows are straight with the bar directly over the shoulders. In the squat and deadlift, it means the hips and knees are locked out and the lifter is standing fully upright with shoulders back. In competition, a referee's down or rack signal only comes once lockout is confirmed — a lift that stalls just short of full extension is not a made lift, no matter how much of the range was completed.
How it works
Lockout matters because it is both a strength requirement and a judging checkpoint. Some lifters are strong through the middle of a lift but weak specifically at the top, often because the muscle group that finishes the movement — triceps in the bench, glutes and hip extensors in the squat and deadlift — lags behind the muscles that start it. This creates a lockout weak point distinct from a mid-range sticking point: the bar keeps moving but stalls or grinds in the last few inches. Because competition lifts are only valid once lockout is reached and held, training the specific joint angles involved in finishing a lift is a core part of powerlifting programming.
Types
Bench press lockout
Usually limited by triceps and serratus anterior strength; addressed with close-grip pressing, board presses, and triceps accessory work.
Deadlift lockout
Usually limited by glute and hip-extension strength or losing back position off the floor; addressed with rack pulls, block pulls, and Romanian deadlifts.
Squat lockout
Usually limited by glute and core strength finishing hip extension; addressed with pause squats, good mornings, and hip thrusts.
Worked example
Say a lifter grinds a 150 kg deadlift and it stalls a few centimeters below full lockout. Here's how a coach might diagnose and address it over a training block.
| Week | Focus | Exercise added | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-2 | Diagnose | Video the lift from the side | Confirms whether the bar stalls at the floor, mid-shin, or near lockout |
| 3-6 | Targeted strength | Rack pulls from just below the knee, 3 x 5 | Overloads the exact top-range joint angle where lockout fails |
| 7-8 | Retest | Full deadlift attempt at 150 kg | Confirms whether lockout strength has closed the gap |
Lockout weak points respond best to partial-range work at the specific joint angle that's failing, not just more full-range volume.
Lockout vs sticking point
| Lockout | Sticking point | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it occurs | The final, fully extended position of the lift | Wherever the strength curve is weakest — often mid-range, not the end |
| What failing there means | The lift isn't valid even if most of the range was completed | The lift can still stall or grind but often recovers if it clears this point |
| Typical cause | A specific muscle group lagging at full extension (triceps, glutes) | An unfavorable joint angle or moment arm partway through the lift |
A lift can clear its sticking point and still miss at lockout — they are two different failure locations.
Common misconceptions
- "A lift is good as long as the bar goes all the way up." In competition, the bar must reach a fully controlled, motionless lockout — elbows straight, or hips and knees locked with shoulders back — and referees will red-light a lift that stalls or is still grinding.
- "Weak lockouts are always a triceps or glute problem." Losing tightness or back position earlier in the lift, like spinal flexion off the floor in the deadlift, often shows up as a weak lockout even though the real fault happened much earlier in the range.
- "More total volume automatically fixes a weak lockout." Lockout-specific weak points usually respond faster to partial-range overload at the exact failing joint angle, like rack pulls or board presses, than to more full-range training volume.
Related terms
Lockout FAQ
What does lockout mean in weightlifting?
Lockout is the fully extended finishing position of a lift — straight elbows in the bench press, or straight hips and knees in the squat and deadlift — that a referee must see before the lift counts as complete.
Why is my deadlift lockout weak?
Weak deadlift lockouts are usually caused by insufficient glute and hip-extension strength, or by losing spinal position off the floor earlier in the pull, which shows up as a stall near the top even though the real fault started lower.
How do you fix a weak bench lockout?
Target the triceps and lockout range directly with close-grip bench press, board presses, pin presses, and triceps accessory work, since a weak bench lockout is most often a triceps strength limitation.
Is lockout the hardest part of every lift?
Not always — the sticking point, often in the middle of the range, can be harder than lockout. Lockout is a specific failure location tied to the finishing muscles, not automatically the toughest part of the lift.
Does a referee check lockout in competition?
Yes. Referees specifically watch for full elbow extension in the bench press or full hip and knee extension with an upright torso in the squat and deadlift before signaling that the lift is complete.
References
- IPF Technical Rules Book 2023 (lockout/rack and down-signal criteria). International Powerlifting Federation
- The Real Reason Your Deadlift Lockout Is Weak, and How to Fix It. BarBend
- How to Improve Your Deadlift Lockout. BarBend
- The Sticking Point in the Squat: What Causes It and What To Do About It. Stronger by Science
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