Legs · Barbell
Barbell Reeves Deadlift
How to do the barbell reeves deadlift, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Barbell
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Hinge
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Load a barbell on the floor and grip the rims of the weight plates rather than the bar. Set your hips, keep your back flat, and lift by driving through your legs and extending your hips, then lower under control. Gripping the plates massively increases the demand on your grip and upper back.
- 1Your grip and forearms straining to hold the plates
- 2Your glutes, hamstrings, and lower back driving the lift
- 3Your upper back and traps fighting to keep your shoulders set
Common mistakes
- Rounding your back as you pull from the plates
- Letting the plates slip from your fingers; grip hard and evenly
- Jerking the weight off the floor instead of a smooth pull
Muscles worked
The barbell reeves deadlift mainly works the forearms, glutes, lower back, and hamstrings, with the upper traps, quads, lats, mid traps, upper abs, and calves assisting.
- ForearmsPrimary
- GlutesPrimary
- Lower BackPrimary
- HamstringsPrimary
- Upper TrapsSupport
- QuadsSupport
- LatsSupport
- Mid TrapsSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- CalvesSupport
- Lower TrapsMinor
- Lower AbsMinor
Kovo programs the barbell reeves deadlift for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More glutes exercises
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- How to do the airdyne bike
- How to do the arc trainer
- How to do the assault bike
- How to do the medicine ball atlas stone lift
- How to do the b stance hip thrust
Last reviewed June 2026.