Deadlift
Lifts the most weight of any exercise and trains the entire back side of the body at once.
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Muscles worked
Also works
- Equipment
- Barbell
- Level
- Advanced
- Tempo
- Lower 2 s · Lift 1 s
How to do the deadlift
- 1Stand with the bar over your mid-foot, feet about hip width.
- 2Hinge down and grip the bar just outside your legs; bend the knees until the shins touch it.
- 3Brace your core, flatten your back and pull the slack out of the bar.
- 4Push the floor away and stand up, keeping the bar against your legs.
- 5Lower it by pushing the hips back first, then bending the knees once it passes them.
When to pick it: Pick it for total-body strength once you’ve learned the hip hinge — Romanian deadlifts are a good first step.
Form cues
- Push the floor away
- Bar drags up the legs
- Lock out with the glutes, don’t lean back
Common mistakes
- Rounding the back off the floor
- Starting with the bar too far forward
- Jerking the bar instead of pulling the slack out
Sets and reps
| Goal | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strength | 3–5 | 3–6 | 2–3 min |
| Muscle size | 3–4 | 6–15 | 1–2 min |
| Endurance | 2–3 | 15–25 | 30–60 s |
Finish each set with one or two good reps left in the tank. When you hit the top of the rep range on every set, add weight next time.
Equipment taken? Swap it for
These train the same muscles with different equipment.
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All glutes exercises →
General fitness information, not medical advice. Stop if an exercise causes pain, and check with a clinician before starting if you have an injury or a health condition.