Dumbbell Deadlift
A step-by-step form guide from the Ægir Iron exercise library: how to do the lift, what to watch for, and the muscles it trains.
- Equipment
- Dumbbell
HOW TO PERFORM
- Stand with the feet hip width apart and a dumbbell on the floor just outside each foot, handles running front to back.
- Push the hips back, bend the knees and grip the handles with a flat back and straight arms.
- Brace, then push the floor away and stand tall with the dumbbells at your sides.
- Lock the hips and knees out together, then lower the dumbbells to the floor along the same path.
FORM TIPS
- With the weight at your sides the hips sit lower than in a barbell deadlift and the legs do more of the work. Keep the chest up over the bells.
- Set the dumbbells down on every rep. Bouncing them off the floor skips the hardest part of the lift.
TARGET MUSCLES
Primary
- Glutes
- Quads
- Lower Back
- Hamstrings
Secondary
- Traps
- Forearms
- Adductors
Log it in Ægir Iron to track your PRs and estimated 1RM, and to see the sets each muscle gets every week. Free for individual lifters.