Barbell Straight Leg Deadlift
The straight-leg deadlift is one of the best exercises for hamstring and glute development, teaching a strong hip hinge that carries over to every other lower-body lift.
Equipment
Barbell
Difficulty
intermediate
Sets & reps
3 sets · 8-10 reps
Muscles worked
Hamstrings, Glutes, Lower back, Lats (grip/stabilizers)
A hip-hinge movement performed with nearly straight legs, targeting the hamstrings, glutes and lower back through a long stretch under load.
How to do it
- Stand holding a barbell in front of your thighs with an overhand grip.
- Keep a very slight bend in your knees and push your hips back.
- Lower the bar along your legs, keeping it close to your body, until you feel a deep hamstring stretch.
- Keep your back flat throughout — do not round your spine.
- Drive your hips forward to return to standing, squeezing your glutes at the top.
Coaching tips
- Stop the descent where your lower back would start to round — that's your range for the day.
- Keep the bar brushing your legs; a bar that drifts forward turns into a lower-back exercise, not a hamstring one.
- Go lighter than your regular deadlift — this variation is far more demanding on the hamstrings.
Common mistakes
- Rounding the lower back to chase more range of motion.
- Bending the knees too much, which turns it into a regular deadlift instead of a hamstring-focused hinge.
Frequently asked questions
Is a straight-leg deadlift the same as a Romanian deadlift?
They're closely related — the straight-leg version uses less knee bend and a longer range of motion, making it more hamstring-dominant.
How heavy should I go?
Use significantly less weight than your conventional deadlift — form breaks down quickly if you go too heavy on this variation.
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