Conventional Deadlift
Lifting a loaded bar from the floor to standing. A true full-body strength builder for the hips, legs and back.
Muscle activation
- Glutes25%
- Hamstrings20%
- Lower back15%
- Quads15%
- Traps8%
- Forearms7%
- Lats5%
- Adductors5%
Approximate share of work; varies with grip, stance and tempo.
Step by step
1. Start position
Stand with feet about hip width, the bar over your mid-foot.
2. Mid-rep
Keep the bar dragging close to your shins and thighs.
3. End of the movement
Once the bar passes the knees, drive the hips forward to stand tall.
4. Common mistake
Jerking the bar off the floor
Ways to do it
Deadlift & hinge on 10 different setups — pick whatever is free in your gym. Progress is tracked separately for each.
- Barbell, conventionalConventional Deadlift
- Barbell, sumoSumo Deadlift
- Trap barTrap Bar Deadlift
- Rack pullRack Pull
- Romanian, barbellRomanian Deadlift
- Romanian, dumbbellsDumbbell Romanian Deadlift
- Single-legSingle-Leg Romanian Deadlift
- Good morningBarbell Good Morning
- 45° back extension45° Back Extension
- Kettlebell swingKettlebell Swing
How to do it
Setup
- 1Stand with feet about hip width, the bar over your mid-foot.
- 2Hinge down and grip the bar just outside your legs, overhand or mixed grip.
- 3Bend the knees until your shins touch the bar, keeping hips above knees and shoulders slightly ahead of the bar.
- 4Pull the slack out of the bar, set your lats and brace hard before lifting.
Execution
- 1Push the floor away with your legs while keeping your back angle constant off the floor.
- 2Keep the bar dragging close to your shins and thighs.
- 3Once the bar passes the knees, drive the hips forward to stand tall.
- 4Lock out with glutes squeezed and shoulders stacked over the hips — no leaning back.
- 5Return the bar by hinging at the hips first, then bending the knees once it passes them.
Breathing
Breathe in and brace before each rep, hold through the lift, breathe out at lockout or once the bar is back on the floor.
Tempo
2-1-1-0 (eccentric-pause-concentric-pause); reset on the floor each rep
Muscles worked
Primary
Glutes, Hamstrings, Lower back
Secondary
Quads, Traps, Forearms, Lats, Adductors
Key form cues
- Push the floor away
- Bar stays close
- Chest up, lats tight
- Hips through to finish
Common mistakes
Jerking the bar off the floor
Pull the slack out first so the bar 'clicks' against the plates, then squeeze it up.
Hips shooting up before the bar moves
Start with the hips a little lower and think 'legs push' before 'back pulls'.
Rounding the lower back
Brace harder, keep the lats tight and reduce load until you can hold a neutral spine.
Range of motion
From the bar resting on the floor to standing fully upright with hips and knees locked.
Variations
Easier
Trap-bar deadlift or kettlebell deadlift
Harder
Deficit deadlift or paused deadlift (below the knee)
At home
Kettlebell or backpack deadlift, or single-leg RDL
Machine / cable
Cable pull-through or back extension