Exercise guide · Beginner · Compound

Band Straight Leg Deadlift: How to Do It & Muscles Worked

The band straight leg deadlift is a resistance exercise targeting the muscles of the lower back, hamstrings, and glutes. Using a resistance band, it mimics the movement of a traditional straight leg deadlift, focusing on hip hinging and posterior chain activation.

Primary muscles
Not recorded
Secondary muscles
Hamstrings , Glutes
Equipment
Band
Level · type
Beginner · Compound
Demonstration of the band straight leg deadlift
Front view: muscles worked by the band straight leg deadlift. Secondary: hamstrings and glutes.
Back view: muscles worked by the band straight leg deadlift. Secondary: hamstrings and glutes.
Primary Secondary

How to do the band straight leg deadlift

  1. Step 1: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and place the band around your feet.
  2. Step 2: Hold the band with both hands, palms facing your body, and keep your arms straight.
  3. Step 3: Engage your core and maintain a slight bend in your knees.
  4. Step 4: Slowly hinge forward at your hips, keeping your back straight and chest lifted.
  5. Step 5: Lower the band towards the ground while keeping your legs straight.
  6. Step 6: Pause for a moment at the bottom, then squeeze your glutes and hamstrings to return to the starting position.
  7. Step 7: Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Sets, reps and programming

Suggested sets, reps and rest for the band straight leg deadlift by training goal
Goal Sets Reps Rest Effort
Strength 3–5 3–6 3–5 min 1–3 reps in reserve
Muscle growth 3–4 6–12 2–3 min 1–2 reps in reserve
Muscular endurance 2–3 12–20 1–2 min 1–3 reps in reserve

Ranges follow the ACSM position stand on progression in resistance training. Muscle grows across a wide range of loads when sets end close to failure (Schoenfeld et al., 2017), longer rests between heavy sets support strength and size (Schoenfeld et al., 2016), and stopping a rep or two short of failure works about as well as training to failure (Grgic et al., 2022). Estimate your working weights with the strength calculators.

Sources

  1. American College of Sports Medicine. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41(3):687-708.
  2. Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Strength and hypertrophy adaptations between low- vs. high-load resistance training. J Strength Cond Res. 2017;31(12):3508-3523.
  3. Schoenfeld BJ, Pope ZK, Benik FM, et al. Longer interset rest periods enhance muscle strength and hypertrophy in resistance-trained men. J Strength Cond Res. 2016;30(7):1805-1812.
  4. Grgic J, Schoenfeld BJ, Orazem J, Sabol F. Effects of resistance training performed to repetition failure or non-failure on muscular strength and hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sport Health Sci. 2022;11(2):202-211.

Step-by-step instructions and demonstration media are from the ExerciseDB exercise dataset.

This guide is general fitness information, not medical advice. Stop if an exercise causes pain and speak to a doctor or physiotherapist about injuries or health conditions before starting a new programme.