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Deadlift

Advanced

The king of posterior-chain lifts, building total-body strength from the ground up.

Target muscles

Lower Back, Glutes

Calories burned

~12 kcal / set

Secondary muscles

Hamstrings, Traps, Forearms

Equipment

Barbell

Goal

Strength, Muscle Gain

Sets / Reps

4 × 5-8

Benefits

  • • Builds full posterior-chain and grip strength
  • • One of the best lifts for total-body strength

Step by step

  1. 1Stand with the bar over mid-foot, feet hip-width apart.
  2. 2Hinge down and grip the bar just outside your knees.
  3. 3Brace your core, flatten your back, and drive through your heels to stand up.
  4. 4Lock out tall at the top, then lower the bar back down with control.

Breathing guide

Take a deep breath and brace before the pull, exhale after passing your knees.

Common mistakes

  • • Rounding the lower back
  • • Letting the bar drift away from the shins
  • • Jerking the bar off the floor

Safety tips

  • • Keep the bar close to your body throughout the lift.
  • • Brace your core hard before every rep.

Variations

  • • Romanian deadlift
  • • Sumo deadlift
  • • Trap bar deadlift

Related exercises

Pull-up

3 × 6-10

Lat Pulldown

3 × 10-12

Bent-over Row

4 × 8-10

Seated Cable Row

3 × 10-12