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Clean Deadlift being performed with proper form
Clean Deadlift demonstration video — proper form for the full movement.

How to do a Clean Deadlift

Reviewed by Jim Parker, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology

About this exercise

Sets Logged
255,779
Popularity Rank
622nd
Difficulty
Advanced
Hamstrings Strength
84 mSCORE 42nd
Equipment Required

Workouts with Clean Deadlift

    Target muscles worked

    Primary Muscles
    Hamstrings
    Secondary Muscles
    Trapezius, Quads, Back, Lower Back, Glutes, Forearms

    Instructions for Proper Form

    Clean Deadlift is a variation on the more standard Deadlift. Like other Deadlift variations, this is a compound exercise that primarily targets the muscles in the rear chain (backside of the body), especially the glutes and hamstrings. Unlike a standard deadlift, the form for this variation is based on the Clean. This is a great exercise for improving your floor pull for Cleans.

    1. Stand in an upright posture with your feet at shoulder-width apart and angled out slightly positioning a loaded barbell an inch away from the front of your lower legs.
    2. Hinge at the hips and flex your knees to drop down allowing shins to drop forward while keeping the bar above your shoe laces.
    3. With your arms extended, grip the barbell with a double overhand grip next to your lower legs while keeping your chest up. Position your shoulders slightly in front of the bar.
    4. Maintain this rigid spinal posture throughout the exercise.
    5. Pull the barbell in a vertical path next to your body with explosive power by extending your hips and knees until you are back to a standing upright posture with a slight extension in the hips.
    6. Lower the barbell in a duplicate path it came up with.

    Common Form Mistakes

    • Rounded Back

      Rounding your back as you pull the weight off the floor is going to increase your risk of injury, and make this exercise less effective. Prior to beginning the lift, pull your shoulders back, and brace your lower back. Pull up on the weight, without lifting it off the ground. Once you’ve confirmed that you’re in a good position, start your lift.

    • Not Close Enough

      The bar should be right up against your shins or just an inch or so away. Having the bar further away is going to place more tension on your lower back, and make it much easier for your back to round as you lift the weight off the floor.

    Weight & 1 Rep Max Calculator

    Average Clean Deadlift standards by male, female, weight, age and height

    Use this calculator to see Fitbod's possible first recommendations for you. This would be your starting line, based on more than 4.5 billion logged sets from 1.1 million users.

    • beginner
      8
      reps
      55
      lbs
      1 Rep Max
      70
      lbs
    • intermediate
      8
      reps
      70
      lbs
      90
      lbs
    • advanced
      8
      reps
      90
      lbs
      115
      lbs

    Enter your stats to calculate your Reps & Weight

    How is this calculated?

    Alternatives & Variations to Clean Deadlift

    Filter By

    1. 1. Deadlift

      Photo of Deadlift being performed
      98.7 mSCORESWAPPED 587 TIMES

      Deadlift is one of the three powerlifting movements. It’s a compound exercise that primarily targets muscles in the rear chain (backside of the body), and is great for developing strength in these muscles. It’s a staple in most programs, and is often used as a metric for tracking strength.

    2. 2. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift

      Photo of Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift being performed
      97.6 mSCORESWAPPED 301 TIMES

      This exercise is a variation on Romanian Deadlifts. Like other Romanian Deadlifts, this is a compound exercise that primarily targets your hamstrings and glutes. The use of dumbbells can help with some limitations in mobility, and is a great starting point for anyone working towards performing Deadlifts or Romanian Deadlifts with a barbell.

    3. 3. Romanian Deadlift

      Photo of Romanian Deadlift being performed
      98.6 mSCORESWAPPED 262 TIMES

      Romanian Deadlift is a variation on the more standard Deadlift. It’s a compound exercise that primarily targets your glutes, and hamstrings. Unlike the standard Deadlift, this variation focuses mostly on driving your hips forward to raise the weight, and restricts movement in your knees. This is a great exercise for building strength, and can translate well to other exercises that utilize a hip hinge.

    4. 4. Clean

      Photo of Clean being performed
      83.3 mSCORESWAPPED 135 TIMES

      Clean is a compound, explosive exercise that targets a wide range of muscle groups including the legs, back, and shoulders. It involves lifting a barbell from the ground to your shoulders in one fluid motion. This exercise improves power, strength, and coordination, and is often used to develop overall athleticism and prepare for more complex Olympic lifts.

    5. 5. Seated Leg Curl

      Photo of Seated Leg Curl being performed
      98.8 mSCORESWAPPED 113 TIMES

      Seated Leg Curl is a weighted, isolation exercise that targets the hamstrings. Because a vast majority of lower body exercises tend to be compound movements, this exercise is a great way to isolate the hamstrings for building muscle mass, and developing strength. The use of a machine restricts your range of motion, and adds stability, allowing you to focus on exertion more than stabilizing the movement.

    6. 6. Smith Machine Stiff-Legged Deadlift

      Photo of Smith Machine Stiff-Legged Deadlift being performed
      84.6 mSCORESWAPPED 77 TIMES

      Smith Machine Stiff-Legged Deadlift is a variation on the more standard Romanian Deadlift. Like other Romanian Deadlift variations, this is a compound movement that primarily targets the glutes and hamstrings. The use of a Smith Machine restricts your range of motion, and adds stability to the movement. This allows you to focus on exertion, or learning the movement rather than focusing on stability.

    7. 7. Good Morning

      Photo of Good Morning being performed
      90.4 mSCORESWAPPED 59 TIMES

      Good Morning’s are a compound exercise that primarily target muscles in the rear chain (backside of the body), but especially the hamstrings, and lower back. While this can be an effective exercise, there is some risk to performing this exercise with a loaded barbell on your back. If you’re unfamiliar with this exercise, try starting with a dumbbell variation as you learn the movement.

    8. 8. Lying Hamstrings Curl

      Photo of Lying Hamstrings Curl being performed
      95.8 mSCORESWAPPED 57 TIMES

      Lying Hamstring Curl is a weighted, isolation exercise that targets the hamstrings. There’s a relatively short list of isolation exercises for lower body muscle groups. Because of this, this is a great addition to a lower body workout in order to build strength and muscle mass in the hamstrings specifically. The use of a machine restricts your range of motion, and adds stability to the movement, allowing you to focus on exertion rather than stabilizing the movement.

    9. 9. Sumo Deadlift

      Photo of Sumo Deadlift being performed
      88.9 mSCORESWAPPED 51 TIMES

      Sumo Deadlift is a variation on the more standard Deadlift. Like other Deadlifts, this is a compound exercise that primarily targets muscles in the rear chain (backside of the body), and especially hamstrings and glutes. While this exercise receives some criticism, it’s a perfectly valid choice for building strength, and a great addition to your leg days.

    10. 10. Dumbbell Stiff Legged Deadlift

      Photo of Dumbbell Stiff Legged Deadlift being performed
      89.2 mSCORESWAPPED 40 TIMES

      Dumbbell Stiff Legged Deadlift is a variation on the more standard Romanian Deadlift. The use of dumbbells allows for a bit less stability than a barbell variation, while also giving you more freedom in your range of motion. This is a great exercise for anyone looking to improve or work towards Romanian Deadlifts.