8 Deadlifting Variations To Try For Better Results

deadlift variations for better results

Considered one of the top three exercises to have in your arsenal, the deadlift helps to build muscle, burn fat, and develop raw power. Aside from supporting your endeavors of attaining a head-turning physique, the deadlift can improve your day-to-day life, making functional movements easier and reducing your risk of injury.

If you want to learn how to master the traditional deadlift, check out our deadlifting checklist.

What if you’ve never tried a deadlift before? Maybe you have limited mobility and you want to gradually work your way up to the traditional barbell deadlift. Are you a long-time lifter who is looking for deadlifting variations that will support your performance in other exercises?

Let’s take a look at 8 deadlifting variations that can help beginners to learn and execute a perfect deadlift while giving veteran lifters a chance to strengthen overall lifting power and strength.

These deadlifting variations have been ordered from least difficult to most difficult. If you’re a beginner, we recommend beginning with number one, taking several weeks to master it, then progressing to the next variation.

1. ROMANIAN DEADLIFT

The Romanian deadlift is the first stop on your way to learning how to perform the traditional barbell deadlift. It’s ideal for beginners as it strengthens the glutes and hamstrings, which are primarily used during the traditional deadlift. It also helps you to learn the hip hinge movement that is crucial during a barbell deadlift.

The form and execution of a Romanian deadlift is very similar to traditional deadlift but you’re not pulling from or releasing to the floor. Instead, the Romanian deadlift begins standing with dumbbells or on a rack. The range of motion is also different, stopping around the knee or when your back is parallel with the floor.

HOW TO PERFORM A ROMANIAN DEADLIFT:

  • Hold a pair of dumbbells and stand tall with your chest up
  • Begin by bending the knees slightly
  • At the same time, drive your hips back and lower your upper body
  • Pause when your back is parallel with the floor
  • Drive your hips forward and return to the starting position

2. STAGGERED FOOT DEADLIFT

The next level of difficulty and a great way to change up your leg routine is to use staggered feet dumbbell deadlifts.

Much like when you use a staggered grip – one hand up, one hand down – by staggering your feet, you are able to pull more weight than with the Romanian deadlift.

What’s more, staggering your feet will place a greater challenge on the side of the body with the foot that is favoring forward. Naturally, to balance everything out you’ll need to perform a set with the left foot staggered and another set with the right foot staggered.

The staggered foot deadlift will help you prepare for the single leg variety of deadlifts. Before moving on to the one-sided deadlift, consider wrapping a resistance band around your legs to increase the demand on the hip flexor muscles.

HOW TO PERFORM A STAGGERED FOOT DEADLIFT:

  • Hold a pair of dumbbells and stand tall with your chest up
  • Begin by moving the left foot ahead of the right foot so that the toes on the right foot are in the middle of the left foot
  • Now bend at the knees – you’ll notice one leg has a greater degree of bend than the other
  • At the same time, drive your hips back and lower your upper body
  • Pause when your back is parallel with the floor
  • Drive your hips forward and return to the starting position
  • Once you finish with the prescribed repetitions, repeat on the other side of the body

3. ONE-SIDED DEADLIFT

Using the form of a traditional dumbbell deadlift, you’ll hold a dumbbell or kettlebell in only one hand as you perform the movement.

Since you’re holding weight on only the left or right side of your body, one-sided deadlifts place a greater demand on the core, especially the obliques. All movement originates from the core and the traditional deadlift requires a strong core, which means this deadlifting variation is going to be extremely useful for optimizing performance and injury prevention.

HOW TO PERFORM A ONE-SIDED DEADLIFT:

  • Hold a dumbbell in your left hand and stand tall with your chest up
  • Begin by bending at the knees – you’ll feel a greater pull on the left side of the core
  • At the same time, drive your hips back and lower your upper body
  • Pause when your back is parallel with the floor
  • Drive your hips forward and return to the starting position

4. SINGLE-LEG ROMANIAN DEADLIFT

The single-leg Romanian deadlift is arguably one of the most under-utilized exercises in the industry. Sure, you may be using less weight than with a standard deadlift, but you’re demanding much more from your hamstrings, glutes, calves, and hip flexors.

Single-leg Romanian deadlifts require a greater degree of flexion, stabilization, and mobility. You’re isolating each side of the body during the hip hinge movement, eliminating any potential weakness during one of the most important parts of the traditional deadlift.

By incorporating this deadlift variation into your routine, you can prevent overcompensation issues while improving the mobility needed to perfectly execute a traditional deadlift. You’ll also notice improvements in other lower body exercises such as the squat and step up.

HOW TO PERFORM A SINGLE-LEG ROMANIAN DEADLIFT:

  • Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell in your left hand
  • Shift all the weight to your left foot
  • Slide the right foot back until it lifts off the ground
  • Maintain a flat back and keep your chest up as you hinge at the hips
  • You’ll feel a lot of tension in the hamstrings, glutes, and core of your left side
  • Slowly move the right leg back and drive your hips forward
  • Do not let the right leg touch the ground
  • Once you finish all prescribed repetitions, repeat on the other side of the body

For those with knee issues, consider wearing a knee sleeve.

5. TRAP BAR DEADLIFT

Before you begin performing the traditional barbell deadlift, you may find that the trap bar deadlift is a good starting point for a few reasons:

First, there is less of a learning curve. Stepping inside of the trap bar, the weight distribution is centered. A traditional barbell deadlift on the other hand will place the weight load in front of you. Most people find this to be far easier to master than your traditional deadlift.

Second, for those with mobility or back issues, the trap bar deadlift is a safer choice. Since the weight isn’t in front of you but centered with your body, there is no strain or pull on the back. Assuming it’s performed correctly, the trap bar deadlift is going to eliminate or greatly reduce the risk of back strain.

Finally, for experienced lifters who want to maximize their lifting potential, the trap bar deadlift variety allows you to pull more weight. As a result, you’ll see greater improvements in your traditional barbell deadlift as well as the other variations on this list.

HOW TO PERFORM A TRAP BAR DEADLIFT:

  • Step into the center of a loaded trap bar
  • Bend at the knees and lower your hips so you can secure your grip on the bar handles
  • Stand tall with your chest up and core braced
  • Holding the trap bar, bend at the knees and drive your hips back
  • Hinge at the hips, allowing your upper body to move forward and down
  • Pause once the weights touch the floor
  • Drive the hips forward and straight the knees to return to the starting position

6. SUMO DEADLIFT

The sumo variation takes the foot placement of the deadlift outside of shoulder width in the same way you imagine the stance of a sumo wrestler. This one simple change in foot placement moves the demand on several major muscle groups and has a few key benefits:

The widened foot placement with turnout places a greater demand on the quadricep muscles. While the hamstrings will be activated during a sumo squat, the degree of activation is much less. The sumo deadlift is a safe way to increase quadricep strength and power without the risk of straining the back.

Speaking of straining the back: Sumo deadlifts are often recommended for those with lower back issues as there is limited flexion in the spine unlike the traditional deadlift.

Finally, for those who want to increase trap size, the sumo deadlift requires greater effort from the upper back muscles. This will help to develop larger and more defined traps.

HOW TO PERFORM A SUMO DEADLIFT:

  • Step up to a loaded barbell in front of you
  • Place your feet outside of shoulder width
  • Lower your hips toward the ground in order to secure a firm grip on the barbell – Place the arms inside of the knees
  • Straight your back and brace your core but keep in mind you’ll still have a stance that favors your body going forward
  • Hinge at the hips and pull the barbell up
  • Make sure your knees are falling in line with your toes
  • Drive the hips forward, feel the contraction, then lower the bar to the ground

7. BLOCK DEADLIFT

By elevating the barbell higher from the floor during the starting position, block deadlifts or block pulls focus on the top portion of the traditional deadlift. Not to be confused with rack pulls where the barbell is set on pins, the block deadlift maintains the feeling of pulling from the floor. In other words, you’ll get that same bend in the bar you would if you were performing a traditional deadlift.

Block deadlifts are great for beginners and veterans alike. For beginners, block pulls can strengthen the weakest part of your deadlift. For veterans, block pulls allow you to improve the explosive portion of the lift without the same risk.

The block deadlift is also ideal for those lifters with shorter arm length. When you have short arms, you have to use a greater range of motion, pre-engaging muscles that would ordinary be neutral. Naturally, this could pose for a greater risk of injury if you have mobility issues.

HOW TO PERFORM A BLOCK DEADLIFT:

  • Elevate each side of the barbell with blocks or weight plates (usually the latter works best)
  • Step up to the barbell aligning your shins with the smooth sections – this should be around shoulder width
  • Keep your chest up, brace the core, and straight your back
  • Bend at the knees and drop your hips in order to secure an overhand grip
  • Pull the barbell up while you drive your hips forward
  • Slowly lower the barbell to the starting position

8. DEFICIT DEADLIFT

The final deadlifting variation that we would recommend is the deficit deadlift but only for those with previous experience. The deficit deadlift engages the same musculature as the traditional deadlift with a greater demand on mobility and strength.

The deficit deadlift is the complete opposite of the block deadlift as you – not the barbell – are standing on a raised platform, lengthening the range of motion instead of shortening it. This added engagement is ideal for seeing impressive strength gains, but also poses a risk of strain for those with mobility issues.

If you’ve mastered the form of the traditional deadlift, you’re comfortable with the other variations listed above, and you have no mobility issues, give the deficit deadlift a try, but be sure to lift light in the beginning.

HOW TO PERFORM A DEFICIT DEADLIFT:

  • Place a raised platform in the center of a loaded barbell
  • Stand in the center of the platform
  • Step up to the barbell aligning your shins with the smooth sections – this should be around shoulder width
  • Keep your chest up, brace the core, and straight your back
  • Bend at the knees and drop your hips in order to secure an overhand grip
  • Pull the barbell up while you drive your hips forward
  • Slowly lower the barbell to the starting position

WHICH IS YOUR FAVORITE DEADLIFTING VARIATION?

Are you ready to try the box deadlift? Nervous about the deficit deadlift? Have questions about form and execution? Let us know on our Facebook.

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