Barbell Clean Deadlift

Muscles worked

Setup

1. Stand with feet hip-width apart, with the barbell positioned over the balls of your feet.
2. Squat down to grip the bar just outside your shins using a double overhand or hook grip.
3. Set your hips lower than a standard deadlift, with your chest up and shoulders slightly in front of the bar.
4. Flatten your back, engage your lats by pulling the bar into your shins, and brace your core.

How to do it

1. Inhale deeply and initiate the lift by pushing through the floor with your legs, keeping the angle of your torso constant until the bar reaches your knees.
2. As the bar passes your knees, drive your hips forward and extend your knees to stand tall, exhaling at the top of the movement.
3. Maintain a controlled tempo, ensuring the bar travels in a perfectly vertical line close to the body.
4. Lower the bar by hinging at the hips first, then bending the knees once the bar clears them to return to the starting position.

Form checklist

• Keep the bar in light contact with your shins and thighs throughout the entire lift.
• Ensure your hips and shoulders rise at the same rate during the initial pull from the floor.
• Maintain a neutral spine and 'proud' chest; do not allow your lower back to round.
• Keep your arms straight and relaxed like cables; do not attempt to 'row' the weight.

Pro tips

• Focus on 'pushing the floor away' rather than pulling the bar to maximize leg drive and maintain the correct torso angle.
• Squeeze your armpits shut to engage the lats, which stabilizes the upper back and keeps the bar from drifting forward.
• Visualize keeping your weight balanced over the mid-foot to prevent tipping onto your toes or back onto your heels.

Make it harder

• Clean Deadlift with a Pause: Pause for 2 seconds at knee height during the ascent to build isometric strength.
• Deficit Clean Deadlift: Stand on a 1-2 inch platform to increase the range of motion and demand on the quadriceps and glutes.

Frequently asked

What muscles does the barbell clean deadlift work?

The barbell clean deadlift primarily targets the calves, glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and trapezius, and also works the erector spinae as secondary muscles.

What equipment do you need for the barbell clean deadlift?

The barbell clean deadlift uses barbell and weight plate.

Is the barbell clean deadlift good for beginners?

The barbell clean deadlift is rated intermediate. Build a base with simpler variations first, then progress to it with light load and strict form.

Related exercises

• Axle DeadliftIntermediate · calves, glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and trapezius
• Band DeadliftBeginner · calves, glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and trapezius
• Barbell Clean PullAdvanced · calves, glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and trapezius
• Barbell DeadliftIntermediate · calves, glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and trapezius