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Muscles Worked Upon by a Deadlift

Indrajit Deshmukh
The muscles worked by deadlift exercises include the muscles in the back, glutes, legs, arms, and shoulders. This makes it a very useful exercise in any workout plan. Here's some information on this exercise.
The deadlift is one of the best exercises when it comes to working multiple muscle groups at once, and improving stability and strength. There is a misconception among many weightlifters that the deadlift is an injury-prone exercise.
If you maintain correct form and technique, you can easily avoid injures. If you are looking to build muscle mass and strength, then you should definitely include this exercise in your weight training plan. It gives you a complete body workout, right down from your leg muscles up to your shoulder muscles.
The muscles worked upon by a deadlift include the glutes and the calf muscles. It also works on the muscles in back, arm, and the shoulders. There are different versions of this exercise, which target different muscles. The technique, form, and posture for each of these exercises varies.

Romanian Deadlift

Stand close to a barbell so that your shins are slightly touching the bar. For the starting position, bend your knees slightly, push you hips back, and grip the bar with an overhand grip.
Keep you back straight and don't bend your shoulders. Now use your hips to lift the bar without bending your arms or arching your back. Once you are standing straight, go back down by pushing your hips back and bending the knees. The muscles worked in this exercise are:
  • Primary - Hamstrings
  • Secondary - Glutes
  • Lower Back
  • Calf muscles

Straight Leg Deadlift

For this exercise, stand close to a barbell on a shallow platform. Grip it with an overhand grip or an alternate grip (one hand over the barbell and the other under the barbell). For the starting position, lift the bar so that you are in a standing position with your knees and back straight.
Now bend forward from the hips until your back is parallel to the floor, with the weight in extended arms.
Do not touch the weight to the floor. Now come back up by flexing your glutes and hamstrings. The muscles worked in this exercise are:
  • Primary - Hamstrings
  • Secondary - Glutes
  • Obliques
  • Latissimus Dorsi

Sumo Deadlift

To perform the sumo deadlift, stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Squat down and grip the bar with your arms inside the legs. You can choose to grip the bar with a pronated or an alternate grip. Lift the bar by extending your hips and knees until you are standing straight.
Make sure that your shoulders are held back when executing this exercise. From your standing position, slowly go down by bending your knees. Muscles worked in this exercise are:
  • Primary - Lower Back
  • Secondary - Glutes
  • Quadriceps
  • Hamstrings
The muscles worked by deadlift exercises also include your arms and trapezius muscles, as they are involved in lifting the bar and holding it steady. The deadlift is one of the most useful back and hamstring exercises when it comes to weight training.
It would be best that you first perform this exercise under the supervision of a fitness expert.