Legs · Barbell
Barbell Deadlift
How to do the barbell deadlift, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Barbell
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Hinge
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Stand with feet hip-width apart, barbell on the floor. Bend at hips and knees, grasp bar with overhand grip. Keeping back straight, lift bar by extending hips and knees. Lower bar back to floor with controlled movement.
- 1Feel your glutes, hamstrings, and lower back driving the bar off the floor
- 2Brace your core and keep your lats engaged to protect your spine
- 3Press through your feet and extend your hips to stand tall
Common mistakes
- Avoid rounding your back or letting the bar drift away from your body
- Don't jerk the bar off the ground; build tension before lifting
- Avoid hyperextending your back at lockout; stand tall
Muscles worked
The barbell deadlift mainly works the glutes, lower back, and hamstrings, with the forearms, quads, upper traps, upper abs, and calves assisting.
- GlutesPrimary
- Lower BackPrimary
- HamstringsPrimary
- ForearmsSupport
- QuadsSupport
- Upper TrapsSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- CalvesSupport
Barbell Deadlift strength standards
See how your barbell deadlift ranks, from Bronze to Champion. These are the same standards the Kovo app uses to rank your lifts.
Bronzee1RM190 lb
Silvere1RM265 lb
Golde1RM360 lb
Platinume1RM452.5 lb
Diamonde1RM507.5 lb
Champione1RM552.5 lb
Find your rank
Enter your best set. We estimate your 1RM and match it to a tier.
Kovo tracks this rank automatically as you train, across every lift, and levels you up as you get stronger.
Kovo programs the barbell 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
- How to do the agility ladder drill
- 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 April 2026.