Barbell Deadlift From Blocks

Muscles worked

Setup

1. Place the barbell on blocks or a sturdy elevated surface so the bar sits at mid-shin or just below the knee.
2. Stand with feet hip-width apart, shins about an inch from the bar.
3. Hinge at the hips and grip the bar just outside your legs using an overhand or hook grip.
4. Drop your hips slightly until your shins touch the bar, keeping your chest up and back flat.

How to do it

1. Take a deep breath into your belly, brace your core, and pull the 'slack' out of the bar until it clicks against the plates.
2. Exhale as you drive through your heels, extending your hips and knees simultaneously to stand upright.
3. Squeeze your glutes hard at the top of the movement without leaning back or hyperextending the spine.
4. Inhale as you hinge at the hips to lower the bar back to the blocks with control, maintaining a neutral spine.

Form checklist

• Keep the bar in contact with or very close to your legs throughout the lift.
• Maintain a neutral spine; do not round your lower back or look up excessively.
• Ensure your shoulders are slightly in front of or directly over the bar at the start.
• Engage your lats by 'protecting your armpits' to keep the bar stable.

Pro tips

• Focus on 'pushing the floor away' with your legs rather than 'pulling' the bar with your back.
• Use this variation to overload the top half of the movement with 10-20% more weight than your standard floor deadlift to build lockout strength.

Make it harder

• Add a 2-second pause just as the plates leave the blocks to increase time under tension and stability.
• Use a slow 3-4 second eccentric (lowering) phase to maximize muscle fiber recruitment and control.

Frequently asked

What muscles does the barbell deadlift from blocks work?

The barbell deadlift from blocks primarily targets the erector spinae, glutes, hamstrings, lats, and quadriceps, and also works the obliques, rhomboids, and trapezius as secondary muscles.

What equipment do you need for the barbell deadlift from blocks?

The barbell deadlift from blocks uses barbell and weight plate.

Is the barbell deadlift from blocks good for beginners?

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

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