Legs · Dumbbell
Dumbbell Straight Leg Deadlift
How to do the dumbbell straight leg deadlift, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Dumbbell
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Hinge
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Stand holding a dumbbell in each hand in front of your thighs, feet hip-width apart and knees almost straight with just a soft bend. Hinge at your hips and push your butt back, lowering the dumbbells down the front of your legs until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings. Drive your hips forward to stand tall and squeeze your glutes at the top.
- 1Feel a deep stretch through your hamstrings as you hinge and lower the
- 2weights
- 3Keep the dumbbells close to your legs and your back flat the whole way
- 4Drive your hips forward and squeeze your glutes to stand back up
Common mistakes
- Don't round your back or let your shoulders slump forward
- Avoid bending your knees to turn it into a squat
- Don't jerk the weight up with your lower back at the bottom
Muscles worked
The dumbbell straight leg deadlift mainly works the hamstrings, lower back, and glutes, with the forearms, upper traps, and upper abs assisting.
- HamstringsPrimary
- Lower BackPrimary
- GlutesPrimary
- ForearmsSupport
- Upper TrapsSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- LatsMinor
- Mid TrapsMinor
- Lower AbsMinor
- QuadsMinor
- CalvesMinor
- AdductorsMinor
Kovo programs the dumbbell straight leg 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 hamstrings exercises
- How to do the deficit rdl
- How to do the leg curl
- How to do the dumbbell rdl
- How to do the glute ham raise
- How to do the jefferson curl
- How to do the leg swings
Last reviewed June 2026.