Barbell Deadlift Exercise Guide
Reviewed by
Valerie Zeller
Printable version
Barbell Deadlift is a strength exercise that works your hamstrings, glutes and spinal erectors.
Barbell Deadlift is a great challenging move. When done correctly, it can effectively target your buttocks, legs, lower back, lower body and upper legs.
It requires barbell to do.
How to do Barbell Deadlift
Setup
Keep foot flat under bar sit down and grab bar with shoulder width or somewhat narrower overhand or mixed grip.
Exercise
Start in a standing position, knees slightly bent, with the barbell in your hands at hip-height. Your feet should be hip-width apart. Maintain a slight retraction of your shoulder blades. Keeping your arms straight, begin to hinge at the hips lowering the bar. Your spine should not change form. Keep your knees in the same slight bend you started with. The moment you feel your spine start to round is the moment you should reverse the exercise, return to standing. Repeat.
Tips
Throughout lift, keep hips low, shoulders high, arms and back straight. Knees should point same direction as feet throughout movement. Keep bar close to body to improve mechanical leverage. Grip strength and strength endurance often limit ability to perform multiple reps at heavy resistances. Gym chalk, wrist straps, grip work, and mixed grip can be used to enhance grip. Mixed grip indicates one hand holding with overhand grip and other hand holding with underhand grip. Lever barbell jack can be used to lift barbell from floor for easier loading and unload of weight plates.
Avoid rounding your back throughout the movement. Focus on keeping your chest up and your back flat.
Only bend through the hips.
Illustrated Guide
Learn how to do barbell deadlift from this step-by-step illustrations:
Muscles Worked
The muscles used for barbell deadlift may change slightly based on the your trained range of motion and technique, but in the most general case, the muscles used for barbell deadlift are:
Primary Muscles
- Hamstrings
- Glutes
- Spinal Erectors
Synergyst Muscles
- Traps
- Lats
- Wrist Flexors
Frequently Asked Questions
Training, Progressions and Regressions
Interested in how to improve your Barbell Deadlift faster?
Barbell Deadlift Training and Progressions
Standards and Averages
Wonder how do others perform in Barbell Deadlift and how should you?
Barbell Deadlift Standards and Averages
Alternatives
Wonder how to work the same muscles with other exercises?
Variations
Wonder how to make Barbell Deadlift either easier or more challenging?
Discover more
Classification
| Type(s) | Strength, Compound, Weightlifting |
| Muscles Worked | Trapezius, Biceps Femoris, Gluteus, Latissimus Dorsi, Erector Spinae, Wrist Flexors |
| Difficulty Level(s) | Challenging, Hard, Moderate, Simple |
| Equipment | Barbell |
| Location | At Gym |
Muscles Worked
| Target muscle(s) | Hamstrings, Glutes, Spinal Erectors |
| Synergyst muscle(s) | Traps, Lats, Wrist Flexors |
