If you’re looking to improve your deadlift, there’s more to it than… well, just deadlifting. A good deadlift comprises of good biomechanics as well as balanced strength and power. Multiple muscle groups come into play when performing a deadlift, and each requires individual attention to get them into peak deadlifting condition!
In this article, I’m going to be touching on why accessory movements are important and sharing with you a complete list of the best ones for taking your deadlifts to a new level.
A Bit About Accessory Exercises
In a nutshell, accessory exercises focus on movement patterns typical of a lift and the main associated muscles. Accessory exercises are like the bits and pieces that contribute to the ‘big picture’, which in this case, is the deadlift.
For example, a deadlift requires three primary phases of movement:
- Initial drive of the barbell off the ground
- mid-range pull to standing position
- locking out at the top of the movement
To perform each of these phases optimally, posterior chain development is essential. Therefore, the exercises best for assisting your deadlifts would focus on the activation, strength, mobility and conditioning of your glutes, hamstrings, core and upper back.
Accessory work can be done around your primary lift/ or in a workout of their own, depending on your training regime and volume.
There are many exercises that in some way or another can benefit your deadlifts, but if you’re going to spend your time on any deadlift accessories, spend it on these ones! To make things simple, I’ve categorized them into lower body, core and upper body and added video demos as well as step-by-step instructions.
CORE
A strong core that can stabilize well is key to the deadlift. Your core works as a bracing force against the weight of the bar and helps you to maintain a neutral spine, free of excessive rounding in the upper back and hyperextension in the lower back.
1. Dead Bug
Muscles worked: pelvic floor muscles, transversus abdominus (deep core), obliques
How to:
- Lie flat on your back on a mat.
- Lift your arms so that they are fully extended above your chest, shoulder-width apart.
- Lift your legs so that they are fully extended above your hips, hip-width apart.
- Get rid of any arch in your lower back by tilting your hips upwards slightly and pushing your lower back into the ground.
- Draw your belly button into your spine (continuously).
- Lower your legs slightly towards the ground, for as long as you can keep your back free of an arch, flat on the mat.
- When you reach your ‘maximum tension point’, hold the position for your set amount of time.
Suggested hold time: 30 to 60 seconds
Pro tip: don’t forget to breathe – it is too easy to hold your breath in this exercise!
2. Leg Raises
Muscles worked: pelvic floor muscles, lower transversus abdominus (deep core), hip flexors
- Lie on a mat on your back with your hands tucked under your hips for lumbar support.
- Lift your legs to form a 90-degree angle at the hips.
- Keeping your legs straight, lower them towards the ground.
- Maintain as much of a neutral spine as possible, without excess arching.
- Stop just before your legs touch the ground and then lift them back up to starting position.
Suggested repetitions: 10 to 15
Pro tip: for the more advanced, try this exercise with your hands by your sides rather than under your hips.
LOWER BODY
Your glutes and hamstrings are responsible for the initial driving of the barbell off the ground in a deadlift. Having both strength and power through these muscles is important for a sturdy lift. Your glutes are also required in the lock out phase at the top of a deadlift.
In addition to strength and power, hip mobility and hamstring flexibility are vital.
3. Glute Bridge with Resistance Band Hip Abduction
Muscles worked: hamstrings, glutes, hip flexors
How to:
- Place a small loop resistance band just above the top of your knees.
- Lie on your back with your knees bent at 90-degrees and your feet hip width apart, flat on the floor.
- Without opening your knees beyond where they are in starting position, make sure you keep tension on the resistance band throughout the whole exercise.
- Pushing through your heels, raise your hips upwards maintaining a neutral spine, until only your upper back is left on the floor.
- At the top of the movement, you should have a straight line from your knees to your hips to your shoulders.
- Squeeze your glutes tight for a second or so, then lower back down to starting position.
Suggested repetitions: 15 to 20
Pro tip: place a dumbbell or barbell across your lap/hips for some extra resistance!
4. Kettlebell Swings
Muscles worked: glutes, hamstrings, hip flexors
- Start standing with your feet just over shoulder-width apart, in a hip-hinged position, holding a kettlebell on the floor in front of you with both hands.
- Keeping a neutral spine and a slight bend in the knees, pull the kettlebell back between your legs, then with a powerful forward hip drive, thrust the kettlebell on extended arms into a swing motion.
- Your arms shouldn’t go higher than parallel to the ground. (If they do, this is a sign you could be recruiting your upper body for help swinging the kettlebell, when all the swing drive and power should come from your glutes and hamstrings).
- Allow the kettlebell to swing back between your legs and repeat into your next swing.
Suggested repetitions: 15 to 20
5. Stiff Leg Deadlifts
Muscles worked: glutes, hamstrings, erector spinae (lower back)
- Start with a barbell racked at mid-thigh height. Take the barbell off the rack and hold it on fully extended arms in front of you with your feet hip-width apart.
- With a neutral spine and slight bend in your knees, lower the barbell down the front of your legs.
- Your end point should be where you feel a deep stretch in your hamstrings.
- Engage through your glutes and pull the barbell back upwards until you are in starting/standing upright position.
- Retract your shoulder blades and squeeze your hips at the top of the movement, but don’t lean back!
Suggested repetitions: 10 to 12
Pro tip: If your hip mobility and hamstring flexibility is already top-notch, stand on a step, bench or weight plates to create extra range.
6. Bottom-Up (Anderson) Squats
Muscles worked: glutes, hamstrings, erector spinae (lower back)
- The only variation in form from your traditional squat is that you are starting in the bottom phase of the squat rather than in the top phase.
- Start with a barbell racked at the same height of the end phase of a ‘parallel to the ground’ squat.
- Rack the barbell as you would in a regular back squat. At this point you will have a neutral spine, your hips will be behind you with your weight in your heels and your knees in line with your toes.
- Engage your glutes, and push up into standing position, driving your hips into a lock position at the top of the movement.
- Return to starting position, with the barbell resting on the catches prior to commencing your next bottom-up squat. (You need to commence the Anderson squat in a dead-stop position).
Suggested repetitions: 10 to 12
Pro tip: Front rack it to spice things up.
7. Wide Stance Leg Press
Muscles worked: glutes, hamstrings, hip adductors
- Place your feet on the outer edges and higher end of the leg press plate.
- Your feet should be pointing slightly outwards.
- Concentrating the weight in your heels, lower the leg press plate down slowly, as low as you can without your hips tilting upwards/ your lower back rolling off the backrest.
- Press back up until your legs are fully extended, but without locking your knees.
Suggested repetitions: 10 to 15
8. Good Mornings
Muscles worked: glutes, hamstrings, erector spinae (lower back)
- Rack a barbell at shoulder height.
- Set the barbell on your upper back/traps with retracted shoulders and lift off the rack.
- Engage your core to keep your spine in a neutral position and maintain a small bend in the knees.
- Hinge at the hips, pushing them backwards whilst your chest moves towards the ground.
- Once you feel a good stretch through your hamstrings, engage through the glutes and drive you hips back forwards until you reach an upright standing position.
- Squeeze your glutes and pause for a second before going into your next rep.
Suggested repetitions: 10 to 12
Pro tip: Have a resistance band looped around your waist and secured somewhere behind you for extra resistance in the hip drive of the eccentric phase.
9. Barbell Hip Thrusts
Muscles worked: glutes, hamstrings
- Start sitting on the floor with your legs out straight and a barbell rolled over them.
- You should be leaning back against a bench with your upper shoulders being at bench height.
- Pull the barbell to the crease in your hips and hold the bar to secure it.
- Bend your knees so that your feet are flat on the floor.
- Engage your core and drive through your heels to push your hips up so that your upper back is now resting on the bench, forming a straight line to your hips and knees.
- Lower back down to an inch of the ground and push back up, squeezing your glutes at the top of the hip thrust.
- Make sure your feet and knees stay hip width apart for the entire movement.
Suggested repetitions: 10 to 12
Pro tip: Have a small resistance band looped just above your knees to add an element of hip abduction and make this exercise extra challenging on your glutes. You don’t need to open your knees, rather just always keep tension on the band.
UPPER BODY
Your upper body plays a major role in the effective execution of a deadlift, specifically your lats. Being able to keep your lats actively engaged through all phases of a deadlift helps keep the barbell secured in the correct position and keeps your back safe from injury during the lift. Your upper body is also involved in the lockout phase of the deadlift.
10. Straight Arm Pull Downs
Muscles worked: latissimus dorsi
How to:
- Attach a rope handle to the top of a cable machine tower. Hold one side of the rope in each hand and take a few steps out from the cable machine.
- Lean forward 30 or 40 degrees forward at the hips and keep a small bend in your knees.
- Have your arms extended in front of you, higher than your head to start off with.
- Place a small bend in your elbows and pull the cable down all the way so that your hands end up by your sides. At this point, your lats should be fully contracted.
- Hold for a second and allow back up to starting position slowly until you feel a stretch through your lats.
Suggested repetitions: 10 to 15
Pro tip: Try the “21s” method with this exercise. 7 repetitions full range, 7 repetitions the top half of the range and 7 repetitions the bottom half of the range.
11. Rack Pulls
Muscles worked: forearms, latissimus dorsi, trapezius, erector spinae (lower back) and glutes/hamstrings as secondary muscles.
How to:
- Rack a barbell in a power rack either just above or below your knee depending on your desired range of movement for the rack pull. (I, personally, like to commence my rack pulls from just above the knee).
- Your feet should be hip-width apart and you should be standing directly behind the bar with your legs touching it.
- Take an overhand grip (or split grip if lifting heavy) just on the outside of your knees.
- Your hips should be behind you and your knees slightly bent.
- Engage your lats, pull your shoulders back and pull the barbell up from rack position to standing position, squeezing your glutes at the top.
- Make sure your lats stay engaged and your shoulders stay back and strong from pull to lockout.
Suggested repetitions: 8 to 10
12. Pronated Grip Bent Over Barbell Row
Muscles worked: forearms, trapezius, rhomboids (middle back), erector spinae (lower back) and glutes/hamstrings as secondary muscles.
How to:
- Start with a barbell racked at mid-thigh height.
- Lift the barbell off the rack with a shoulder-width pronated grip and have it in front of you on straight arms.
- Push your hips back allowing your torso to come down to about 60-degrees.
- Keep your core and lats engaged and your shoulders back.
- Then pull the barbell up towards the bottom of your rib cage, elbows going just wide of your sides.
- Hold for a second at the top of the row when your shoulder blades should be fully squeezed together.
- Lower down slowly before starting your next repetition.
Suggested repetitions: 8 to 10
Pro tip: Try a 3 to 4 second eccentric phase for extra burn.
13. Dumbbell Shrugs
Muscles worked: forearms, trapezius, rhomboids (middle back), levator scapulae (side of neck)
How to:
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and a dumbbell in each hand with your arms down by your sides.
- Keeping your arms straight and by your sides with your shoulder blades squeezed together, elevate your shoulders as high as possible towards your ears, consequently lifting the dumbbells.
- Hold for a second in the top position and then return to where you started.
- Note, keep your shoulders retracted for the entire movement.
Suggested repetitions: 10 to 15
Pro tip: Shrugs should be performed after your deadlifts if done on the same day. They can also be done on a different day all together but doing them the day before deadlift day is not advised.
14. T-Bar Row
Muscles worked: forearms, trapezius, rhomboids (middle back), erector spinae (lower back) and glutes/hamstrings as secondary muscles.
How to:
- Set up a barbell in a landmine press attachment with a narrow grip handle just under the collar of the barbell.
- Stand over it, facing away from the landmine attachment and grip the handle – your palms should be facing each other.
- In the first instance, use your legs to stand upright with the bar.
- Your starting position for the rows should be standing in a shoulder-width stance with a slight bend in the knees and hinged at the hips with your torso about 60-degrees from upright. Your chest and head should be up.
- Start with the bar on extended arms, then pull up towards your chest, elbows skimming past your sides.
- Hold for a second in the top position and focus on squeezing your middle back and biceps.
- Lower back down to starting position and spend minimal time at the bottom before going into your next repetition.
Suggested repetitions: 10 to 15
Closing Words
Increasing your deadlift weight is challenging, especially when you feel you have hit that major strength plateau. However, as you can see, there are many exercises that can assist your deadlifts if incorporated into your training regime.
The deadlift is an exercise which, as mentioned, has many components and utilizes many muscles groups. Each of which can be developed and enhanced by practicing these deadlift accessory exercises for your lower body, upper body and core.
And the best part is that the benefits of these exercises go way beyond your deadlift performance… so, what are you waiting for!
