Exercise guide · Intermediate · Compound

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

The dumbbell straight leg deadlift is a strength exercise targeting the glutes, hamstrings, and lower back. It involves hinging at the hips while keeping the back straight and lowering dumbbells toward the ground, then returning to the starting position.

Primary muscles
Glutes
Secondary muscles
Hamstrings
Equipment
Dumbbell
Level · type
Intermediate · Compound
Demonstration of the dumbbell straight leg deadlift
Front view: muscles worked by the dumbbell straight leg deadlift. Primary: glutes. Secondary: hamstrings.
Back view: muscles worked by the dumbbell straight leg deadlift. Primary: glutes. Secondary: hamstrings.
Primary Secondary

How to do the dumbbell straight leg deadlift

  1. Step 1: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand with an overhand grip.
  2. Step 2: Keeping your back straight and your core engaged, hinge at the hips and lower the dumbbells towards the ground, allowing your torso to lean forward.
  3. Step 3: Continue lowering the dumbbells until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings, keeping your knees slightly bent.
  4. Step 4: Pause for a moment at the bottom, then engage your glutes and hamstrings to lift your torso back up to the starting position.
  5. Step 5: Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Sets, reps and programming

Suggested sets, reps and rest for the dumbbell 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.

Dumbbell Straight Leg Deadlift alternatives

More exercises that train the glutes as their main target:

More glutes exercises

See the best glute exercises, ranked →

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.