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

How to do a Snatch Deadlift

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

About this exercise

Sets Logged
63,986
Popularity Rank
1000th
Difficulty
Advanced
Hamstrings Strength
48 mSCORE 96th
Equipment Required

Workouts with Snatch Deadlift

    Target muscles worked

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

    Instructions for Proper Form

    The Snatch Deadlift is a variation of the traditional deadlift, tailored specifically to improve the pulling phase of the snatch lift. It employs a wider grip, mimicking the snatch setup, which emphasizes the engagement of the posterior chain muscles—hamstrings, glutes, and lower back—while also strengthening the upper back, traps, and grip. This exercise enhances the lifter's ability to generate power from the ground, crucial for successful snatch execution. Ideal for weightlifters looking to improve their snatch technique, the Snatch Deadlift also offers benefits in terms of overall strength, stability, and postural control.

    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 your shins to drop forward to touch the barbell.
    3. With your arms extended, grip the barbell with a double overhand wide grip while keeping your chest up.
    4. Maintain this rigid spinal posture throughout the exercise.
    5. Pull the barbell in a vertical path next to your body by extending your hips and knees until you are back to a standing upright posture.
    6. Lower the barbell in a duplicate path it came up with.

    Weight & 1 Rep Max Calculator

    Average Snatch 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
      45
      lbs
      1 Rep Max
      55
      lbs
    • intermediate
      8
      reps
      60
      lbs
      75
      lbs
    • advanced
      8
      reps
      75
      lbs
      95
      lbs

    Enter your stats to calculate your Reps & Weight

    How is this calculated?

    Alternatives & Variations to Snatch Deadlift

    Filter By

    1. 1. Deadlift

      Photo of Deadlift being performed
      98.7 mSCORESWAPPED 33 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. Romanian Deadlift

      Photo of Romanian Deadlift being performed
      98.6 mSCORESWAPPED 21 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.

    3. 3. Clean Deadlift

      Photo of Clean Deadlift being performed
      85.7 mSCORESWAPPED 14 TIMES

      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.

    4. 4. Sumo Deadlift

      Photo of Sumo Deadlift being performed
      88.9 mSCORESWAPPED 11 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.

    5. 5. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift

      Photo of Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift being performed
      97.6 mSCORESWAPPED 10 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.

    6. 6. Trap Bar Deadlift

      Photo of Trap Bar Deadlift being performed
      92.7 mSCORESWAPPED 9 TIMES

      Trap Bar Deadlift is a variation on the more standard Deadlift. Like other variations, this is a compound movement that primarily targets your lower body, and rear chain (backside of the body). Using a Trap Bar can make this a much more accessible variation than a standard Deadlift, as it places less tension on your lower back, and is generally easier to perform correctly than a standard Deadlift.

      • Intermediate
      • Quads
      • Trap Bar

    7. 7. Seated Leg Curl

      Photo of Seated Leg Curl being performed
      98.8 mSCORESWAPPED 7 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.

    8. 8. Smith Machine Stiff-Legged Deadlift

      Photo of Smith Machine Stiff-Legged Deadlift being performed
      84.6 mSCORESWAPPED 7 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.

    9. 9. Kettlebell Swing

      Photo of Kettlebell Swing being performed
      87.3 mSCORESWAPPED 6 TIMES

      Kettlebell Swing is a compound, explosive movement that primarily targets the hamstrings and glutes. This is a great exercise for improving power and explosiveness. It's especially helpful in developing glute drive which can help improve a number of different exercises, and sport performance.

    10. 10. Good Morning

      Photo of Good Morning being performed
      90.4 mSCORESWAPPED 5 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.