Barbell Deadlift From Deficit

Muscles worked

Setup

1. Stand on a stable platform or weight plate (1-3 inches high) with your feet hip-width apart.
2. Position the barbell over the mid-foot, approximately one inch away from your shins.
3. Hinge at the hips and grip the bar just outside your legs with a firm overhand or hook grip.
4. Lower your hips until your shins touch the bar, ensuring your chest is up and your spine is neutral.

How to do it

1. Take a deep diaphragmatic breath, brace your core, and pull the 'slack' out of the bar until you feel total body tension.
2. Exhale as you drive your feet through the platform, pushing the floor away to initiate the lift with your quadriceps.
3. Keep the bar in contact with your body as you transition into a full hip lockout, squeezing your glutes at the top.
4. Inhale and reverse the movement by hinging at the hips and controlling the weight back to the floor with a flat back.

Form checklist

• Maintain a flat, neutral spine; do not allow the lower back to round to compensate for the extra depth.
• Keep the barbell as close to your shins and thighs as possible throughout the entire movement.
• Ensure your hips and shoulders rise at the same rate during the initial pull off the floor.
• Keep your lats engaged by 'tucking your shoulder blades into your back pockets' to stabilize the spine.

Pro tips

• Focus on the 'leg press' cue: imagine you are pushing the platform away from you rather than pulling the bar up.
• Because of the increased range of motion, prioritize hip mobility in your warm-up to ensure you can reach the bar without lumbar flexion.

Make it harder

• Add a 2-second pause one inch off the floor to eliminate momentum and build extreme positional strength.
• Increase the deficit height slightly (up to 4 inches), provided you can maintain a flat back at the start.

Frequently asked

What muscles does the barbell deadlift from deficit work?

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

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

The barbell deadlift from deficit uses barbell and weight plate.

Is the barbell deadlift from deficit good for beginners?

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

Related exercises

• Band DeadliftBeginner · calves, glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and trapezius
• Barbell Clean And JerkAdvanced · deltoids, erector spinae, glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and trapezius
• Barbell Hang Clean Below The KneesAdvanced · calves, glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and trapezius
• Barbell Hang Clean High PullAdvanced · erector spinae, glutes, hamstrings, lats, quadriceps, and trapezius