Barbell Hook Grip Deadlift

How to do it

Stand with feet hip-width apart and the barbell over your mid-foot. Take a hook grip by wrapping your fingers over your thumb against the bar for a secure hold, then hinge at the hips and bend your knees with a flat back. Drive through the floor and extend your hips and knees to stand tall, then lower the bar under control along your shins.

1. 1The thumb pinned under your fingers giving a locked, secure grip
2. 2The hamstrings and glutes loading as the bar tracks up your shins
3. 3A hard glute squeeze as you stand tall at lockout

Common mistakes

• ×Rounding your lower back or letting the bar drift forward
• ×Pulling with your arms instead of driving from the hips and legs
• ×Releasing the thumb pressure too early and losing the grip

Muscles worked

The barbell hook grip deadlift mainly works the glutes, forearms, lower back, and hamstrings, with the upper traps, quads, lats, upper abs, lower abs, and calves assisting.

• GlutesPrimary
• ForearmsPrimary
• Lower BackPrimary
• HamstringsPrimary
• Upper TrapsSupport
• QuadsSupport
• LatsSupport
• Upper AbsSupport
• Lower AbsSupport
• CalvesSupport
• BicepsMinor
• Mid TrapsMinor
• Lower TrapsMinor
• ObliquesMinor
• Front DeltsMinor
• AdductorsMinor