Deficit Deadlift

What it is

This deadlift variation significantly increases your range of motion by requiring you to stand on an elevated surface. You pull the barbell from a lower starting position, which intensely challenges your posterior chain. It primarily strengthens your lower back, while also heavily engaging your glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, forearms, and mid-back muscles.

Technique tips

• Stand on a stable, low platform to increase your pulling range of motion.
• Set your hips low and ensure your shins lightly touch the bar.
• Keep your chest up and maintain a neutral spine from start to finish.
• Drive through your heels, extending your hips and knees powerfully.
• Brace your core and take a deep breath before initiating each pull.

How to track your progress

Log the weight and reps of each set. Straddly turns every set into an estimated one-rep max, so a heavier single and a strong set of eight both count as progress, and it flags a personal record the moment you beat your best.