Exercise guide · Beginner · Compound

Lever Deadlift: How to Do It & Muscles Worked

The lever deadlift is a machine-based exercise targeting the glutes, with secondary emphasis on the hamstrings and quadriceps. It is performed on a leverage machine, providing guided movement and stability, making it accessible to a wide range of users.

Primary muscles
Glutes
Secondary muscles
Quads , Hamstrings
Equipment
Leverage Machine
Level · type
Beginner · Compound
Demonstration of the lever deadlift
Front view: muscles worked by the lever deadlift. Primary: glutes. Secondary: quads and hamstrings.
Back view: muscles worked by the lever deadlift. Primary: glutes. Secondary: quads and hamstrings.
Primary Secondary

How to do the lever deadlift

  1. Step 1: Adjust the seat height and foot platform to your desired position.
  2. Step 2: Sit on the machine with your back against the pad and your feet flat on the foot platform.
  3. Step 3: Grasp the handles or the sides of the seat for stability.
  4. Step 4: Engage your glutes and hamstrings, and push through your heels to lift the weight up.
  5. Step 5: Keep your back straight and avoid rounding your shoulders.
  6. Step 6: Extend your hips fully at the top of the movement, squeezing your glutes.
  7. Step 7: Lower the weight back down in a controlled manner, keeping tension on your glutes and hamstrings.
  8. Step 8: Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Sets, reps and programming

Suggested sets, reps and rest for the lever 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.

Lever 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.