The Deficit Deadlift is a expert-friendly barbell strength exercise that targets the glutes, hamstrings and quadriceps, with the abdominals, lats, middle back, traps and forearms working alongside. Here's how to do it right — and what to stop doing.
Stand on a stable platform roughly four to eight inches high with the bar over your midfoot.
Set your feet hip width apart and grip the bar just outside your shins.
Drop your hips until your shoulders sit over the bar with the shins near vertical.
Brace your abdominals hard and pull the slack out of the bar.
Drive through the whole foot and extend the hips and knees together to lockout.
Lower the bar under control back to the platform and reset before the next rep.
02 The payoff
Why it earns its spot
Adds range at the hardest part of the pull to build strength off the floor.
Increases the leg drive demand compared with a deadlift from the floor.
May improve the hamstring to quadriceps strength balance.
03 Don't do this
Common mistakes
Rounding the lower back to reach the bar, which the added range makes far more likely.
Letting the bar drift forward off the midfoot, which lengthens the lever on the spine.
Standing on a platform that is too high for your current hip and ankle range.
Keeping the same load as a floor pull, which forces the hips to shoot up first.
EGON Put it on record
Track it in EGON.
Log every set of the Deficit Deadlift, get your PRs detected automatically, earn aura for the work — and climb five leagues of statues, from Stone to Ego.
