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Movement Family
Deadlift.
Total-body strength, expressed through the hips.
A hip-dominant hinge pattern that loads the entire posterior chain — hamstrings, glutes, erectors, and lats — to lift mass from the floor. Knees bend, but the action is driven by the hips. The bar travels in the closest path to the body’s center of gravity.
Pattern
Hip Hinge / Hip Dominant
Joint Action
Hip Extension (with co-contracted Knee Extension)
Plane
Sagittal
Axis
Mediolateral
148 variations indexed·14 equipment types
Featured Coach
Alex
Strength & Conditioning
3-PLANE
Dr. Atlas
Biomechanics
Anatomy
The Archetype Muscle Map
Every variation in this family follows the same muscle role pattern. Equipment and angle change the emphasis — not the architecture.
Target
Gluteus Maximus
Synergist
HamstringsErector SpinaeQuadriceps
Stretch
Hip FlexorsRectus Abdominis
Stabilizer
Latissimus DorsiTransverse AbdominisTrapeziusForearms
Muscle Role Color System
Target
Primary mover doing the most work in the exercise.
Synergist
Assisting muscles that support the primary mover.
Stretch
Muscles loaded eccentrically — actively lengthening.
Stabilizer
Bracing & joint-stabilizing muscles holding posture.
Training Outcomes
Why train the Deadlift?
Hypertrophy
Hamstring and glute mass with strong erector and trap recruitment.
Strength
Highest absolute load lift — pure expression of total-body force production.
Function
Bulletproofs the hinge pattern used to pick up anything heavy without injury.
Coaching · Form Diagnostics
Common Mistakes Across Every Variation
These three errors show up in barbell, dumbbell, machine, and bodyweight variants alike. Fix them once — the rest of the family follows.
Mistake
Lumbar rounding off the floor.
Correction
Set lats first; hips and chest rise together — not hips first.
Mistake
Bar drifting away from the body.
Correction
Keep the bar in contact with shins/thighs throughout; engage lats to hold it close.
Mistake
Hyperextending at the lockout.
Correction
Finish with hips stacked under shoulders — squeeze glutes, do not lean back.
Variations
Every Deadlift in the library
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Related Movement Families
Patterns that share architecture, complement load distribution, or pair well in programming.