- EquipmentBarbell
- PatternHinge
- Reps1 to 8 reps
- Joint loadLower back
Stand with the bar over the middle of your feet, feet about hip width apart. Hinge down, grip the bar just outside your knees and bring your shins to the bar.
First cueKeep the bar touching or close to your legs.
How to do the Deadlift
Set up. Stand with the bar over the middle of your feet, feet about hip width apart. Hinge down, grip the bar just outside your knees and bring your shins to the bar.
- Flatten your back, pull your chest up and take the slack out of the bar.
- Push the floor away with your legs, keeping the bar close to your shins.
- As the bar passes your knees, drive your hips forward until you stand tall.
- Lower the bar by pushing the hips back first, then bending the knees once it passes them.
Form cues
- Keep the bar touching or close to your legs.
- Keep your back flat from start to finish.
- Brace your stomach before each rep.
Common mistakes
- Rounding the lower back as the bar leaves the floor.
- Letting the hips shoot up first so the back does all the lifting.
Take care. Learn the hinge with light weight first, and end the set when your back can no longer stay flat.
Muscles worked
Main target: Upper back. The upper back is the muscle between and around the shoulder blades. It pulls the shoulder blades together and back, which is what every row trains and what holds a posture against a long day at a desk.
On the way: Glutes, Hamstrings, Lower back and Traps.
Its other side: Chest, Front delts and Triceps, in the horizontal push and pull pattern.
What to pair it with
Movements that round out a workout with the Deadlift, from the same catalog the StatBlockFit app logs.
- Barbell Bench Press Superset partner: it trains the other side of the horizontal push and pull pattern, so the two can alternate.
- Pull-Up Same pull session: it trains the lats.
- Face Pull Same pull session: it trains the rear delts.
A complete workout around it
4 movements, the Deadlift first, at the catalog's rep ranges. Load it into the workout builder to change the sets, reps and weights, then bookmark it or download it.
- Deadlift 3 × 1 to 8 reps
- Barbell Bench Press 3 × 3 to 10 reps
- Pull-Up 3 × 3 to 15 reps
- Face Pull 3 × 12 to 20 reps
Alternatives and swaps
The same main muscle with other equipment: a swap never changes the muscle a workout trains.
Home or dumbbell swap
Chest-Supported Dumbbell Row
Dumbbell
Gym or cable swap
Seated Cable Row
Cable
Less load on the lower back
Hip Thrust
From the app's workaround table: less load through a bending spine.
A swap describes the movement, not your body: if a joint hurts, ask a professional before you train it.
Working weight and 1RM calculator
Enter a set you did: the weight, the reps and how many more reps you had left in you. The estimate is the formula the StatBlockFit app uses for its records, weight × (1 + (reps + reps in reserve) ÷ 30); above 12 reps it is rough.
Training zones
| Zone | Share of 1RM | Usual reps |
|---|---|---|
| Strength | 85 to 90 % | 3 to 6 |
| Muscle growth | 70 to 80 % | 6 to 12 |
| Endurance | 60 to 65 % | 15 to 20 |
A warm-up before the working sets: 50 % for 5, 70 % for 3 and 85 % for 1, each rounded down to a plate.
Common starting points, not a prescription: the right weight is the one you can lift with good form for the reps you planned.
Variations and preparation
Its variations: Sumo Deadlift, Trap Bar Deadlift, Rack Pull, Deficit Deadlift, Snatch-Grip Deadlift and Kettlebell Deadlift.
Do before it: Cat-Cow (bracing), Broomstick Hip Hinge (same movement, lighter), Kettlebell Romanian Deadlift (same movement, lighter) and Glute Bridge (glutes switched on).
Track it in StatBlockFit
In the StatBlockFit app the Deadlift is logged set by set: the app suggests your next weight after each session, times your rests, keeps your records and shows the 72-hour recovery of every muscle on its training map. The training guide explains how.
Questions
How do you do the Deadlift?
Set up: Stand with the bar over the middle of your feet, feet about hip width apart. Hinge down, grip the bar just outside your knees and bring your shins to the bar. Steps: 1. Flatten your back, pull your chest up and take the slack out of the bar. 2. Push the floor away with your legs, keeping the bar close to your shins. 3. As the bar passes your knees, drive your hips forward until you stand tall. 4. Lower the bar by pushing the hips back first, then bending the knees once it passes them. Form cues: Keep the bar touching or close to your legs. Keep your back flat from start to finish. Brace your stomach before each rep. Common mistakes: Rounding the lower back as the bar leaves the floor. Letting the hips shoot up first so the back does all the lifting. Take care: Learn the hinge with light weight first, and end the set when your back can no longer stay flat.
What muscles does the Deadlift work?
It trains the upper back as its main target and works the glutes, hamstrings, lower back and traps on the way.
What can I do instead of the Deadlift?
At home: Chest-Supported Dumbbell Row. In a gym: Seated Cable Row. With less load on the lower back: Hip Thrust. Each trains the same main muscle.
What should I pair the Deadlift with?
Good partners in the same workout are Barbell Bench Press, Pull-Up and Face Pull.
How heavy should the Deadlift be?
Pick a weight you can lift for the planned reps with one or two left in reserve. As a common starting point, sets of 3 to 6 reps use about 85 to 90 percent of your one-rep max and sets of 6 to 12 reps about 70 to 80 percent; the calculator on this page does the arithmetic.