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
See it in motion
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
Kovo programs the barbell deadlift for you and tracks it every session.
The AI builds your whole program, drops the right lifts into each workout, and adjusts your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More glutes exercises
- How to do the barbell hip thrust
- How to do the cable kickbacks
- How to do the curtsy lunge
- How to do the resistance band glute bridges
- How to do the machine hip abduction
- How to do the leverage machine hip thrust
Last reviewed April 2026.