Glutes exercise
Dumbbell DeadliftHow to do it, with form in numbers
- Main muscles
- Glutes, Hamstrings
- Also works
- Quads, Lower back, Forearms
- Equipment
- Dumbbell
- Level
- Beginner
How to do it
How do you do the Dumbbell Deadlift?
- Place the dumbbells on the floor beside your feet and stand hip-width apart.
- Push your hips back and bend your knees to grip the handles, palms facing in.
- Flatten your back, lift your chest and brace your stomach.
- Push through your feet and stand up tall, dumbbells by your sides.
- Push your hips back and lower the dumbbells to the floor with control.
Cues
- Chest up, back flat.
- Dumbbells straight up and down by your legs.
- Squeeze your glutes to finish.
Common mistakes
- Rounding your back to reach the floor: bend your knees more, or start from a raised surface.
- Hips rising first: push the floor away with your legs as your chest lifts.
- Leaning back at the top: stop when you are standing straight.
Form in detail
What does good form look like?
Starting position
Two round dumbbells (head diameter about 23 cm, so the handles sit about 11–12 cm off the floor) lying on the floor just outside the feet, handles parallel to the feet and level with the middle of the foot. Feet hip-width apart, toes forward to slightly out (0–10°). Hinge and bend the knees to take a neutral grip (palms facing in), thumbs wrapped. Arms straight and vertical.
The movement
The dumbbells travel straight up beside the legs, over the middle of the foot, without swinging forward. Knees and hips straighten together, the back angle held until the dumbbells pass the knees, then the hips drive forward to stand tall. Lowering reverses it: hips push back first, knees bend as the dumbbells pass them, and the dumbbells touch the floor lightly without a bounce or letting go.
End position
Standing tall, hips and knees straight (0°), shoulders back, dumbbells hanging at the sides of the thighs. No lean back. Hold 0.5 s.
Tempo
Dumbbells on the floor 0.5 s / lift 1.5 s / lockout 0.5 s / lower 2 s.
Form in numbers
What are the angles and distances?
| Measure | Target | Good range | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Handle height at the start | 11.5 cm | 10–13 cm | |
| Dumbbell fore-aft position | over mid-foot | within 5 cm of the ankle-to-toe midpoint | |
| Hip height vs knee height at the start | level | 0–5 cm above | |
| Arm angle from vertical (side view) | 0° | under 5° throughout | |
| Hip and knee extension at lockout | 0° | −5 to 0° (no lean back) |
The targets our 3D demo was built to, from the references below. Bodies differ, so treat the ranges as a guide for your own build.
For coaches
Use this demo in your clients’ programs
The Dumbbell Deadlift is in Trainaq’s exercise library. Add it to a workout, and your client sees this demo in the free Trainaq app above the sets they log.
