Deficit Deadlift
Hinge · hamstrings · advanced
Start
FinishHow to do it
Stand on a plate or platform one to two inches high, set up as normal and pull the bar from the extra depth up the legs to a tall lockout.
Muscles worked
Primary: hamstrings · Also works: glutes, lower back, quads
Equipment
Barbell, Full gym
Common mistakes
- Using a deficit so high that the hips shoot up first and the back rounds off the floor
- Keeping full deadlift weight rather than dropping load to match the longer pull
- Letting the bar swing out away from the shins at the start, which is worse with the added depth
Variations
- One-inch deficit to start
- Pause just below the knee on the way up
Can't do this one? Swap it for
Take care: ABROFIT automatically removes this movement for anyone who has flagged a lower back problem. If that's you, use one of the swaps above and speak to a physio before loading it.
Related exercises
- Conventional Deadlifthamstrings
- Dumbbell Romanian Deadlifthamstrings
- Downward-Facing Doghamstrings
- Seated Forward Foldhamstrings
- Lying Leg Curlhamstrings
- Nordic Hamstring Curlhamstrings
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