We’ve been through a lot in our October fitness challenge. We committed to doing some deadlifts, we psyched up and stretched out, we experimented with single-leg moves and unusual objects, and we learned how to get plates on and off the bar without a struggle.

Now it’s time to settle up: What did you accomplish, learn or otherwise experience this month?

Hope everyone's enjoying the deadlift challenge! Even if you're an old hand with free weights, deadlifts can be tricky to set up because the bar is on the ground, not on a rack, and you'll soon be dealing with weights that are heavy enough to be unwieldy.

We're deadlifting this month, and I'd love to hear how it's going for everyone so far. (I did one workout already, and will try to get in two next week.) But if you're new to this, or if you find the move intimidating, we have some suggestions for how to prepare.

Welcome back, friends! We’ve done a lot of bodyweight exercises in our fitness challenges, and last month we got out on the road for some running or walking. This month we head into the gym for some heavy lifting — but don’t worry, even if you don’t have a gym membership we’ll have options for you too.

If you want to get stronger, some kind of resistance training is the way to go. So when you walk into the gym, should you start loading plates onto a barbell or should you just walk up to the first easy-to-use machine you spot? Let's compare both approaches.

The deadlift is not a squat movement, but without practice, most people end up squatting down awkwardly. Coach Marshall Roy, owner of RISE Gym in Philadelphia, has this tip to rethink the way you approach deadlifts: They're really about going back and forth, rather than up and down.

Video: With an exercise as technical and with as many moving parts as the deadlift, there's always something you can do to improve. This video by Eric Cressey explains how the width of your grip can affect your ability to lift that weight.

The barbell squat, deadlift and bench press are lovingly referred to as the "Big Three" exercises. When done correctly and together in a workout program, they hit oh-so many muscles in your body, teach you coordination and stability, and build incredible strength. If you're new to lifting, learning these exercises is a great place to start.