Legs · Dumbbell
Dumbbell Straight Legs Deadlift
How to do the dumbbell straight legs 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 with your knees only slightly bent. Hinge at your hips and push your glutes back, lowering the weights along 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 the stretch load into your hamstrings as you hinge back
- 2Keep your back flat and chest proud the whole way down
- 3Drive your hips forward to stand and finish with a glute squeeze
Common mistakes
- Do not round your lower back to reach lower
- Avoid bending your knees into a squat instead of hinging
- Do not let the dumbbells drift away from your legs
Muscles worked
The dumbbell straight legs deadlift mainly works the hamstrings and glutes, with the lower back, forearms, and lower abs assisting.
- HamstringsPrimary
- GlutesPrimary
- Lower BackSupport
- ForearmsSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- LatsMinor
- Upper TrapsMinor
- Mid TrapsMinor
- Upper AbsMinor
- QuadsMinor
- CalvesMinor
- AdductorsMinor
Kovo programs the dumbbell straight legs 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.