Kettlebell deadlift

1. 1

   Set the kettlebell on the floor between your feet, in line with your midfoot, and stand with your feet slightly wider than your hips.

2. 2

   Push your hips back, bend your knees as needed and grab the handle with both hands, back flat and shoulders over the kettlebell.

3. 3

   Brace your core and push the floor away, straightening your hips and knees together until you are standing.

4. 4

   Squeeze your glutes at the top without leaning back. Lower the same way, hips back, until the kettlebell touches the floor.

• Mistake

  Rounding your back to reach the kettlebell on the floor.

  How to fix it

  Push your hips back more and bend your knees more to reach the handle. If your back still rounds, set the kettlebell on a low step.

• Mistake

  Kettlebell out in front of your feet, pulling you forward.

  How to fix it

  Start with the kettlebell between your feet, in line with your midfoot. It travels up and down close to your legs.

• Mistake

  Pulling with your arms and shrugging your shoulders.

  How to fix it

  Keep your arms straight, like hooks. The power comes from your legs and hips, and your shoulders stay away from your ears.

Reps in reserve: how many more reps you could still do with good form when you end the set.

• Dumbbell deadlift

  One dumbbell standing on end between your feet, held by the top end with both hands.

• Barbell deadlift

  The next step when the kettlebell gets light. The barbell lets you load much more.

• Kettlebell swing

  The same hip hinge, now done explosively with the kettlebell swinging.

• At home: deadlift at home

  With a kettlebell, a dumbbell or a weighted backpack held by its top handle, always between your feet.

• Prefer more stability? Kettlebell deadlift from a step

  Prefer a shorter range? Set the kettlebell on a step or stacked plates. It's the same movement with less range.

• Barbell deadlift

  Gluteus maximus · Barbell

  Intermediate

• Dumbbell Romanian deadlift

  Gluteus maximus · Dumbbell

  Beginner

• Dumbbell sumo squat

  Gluteus maximus · Dumbbell

  Beginner

• 

  Gluteus maximus

  56 exercises

• How to grow glutes

  What the science says about sets, exercises and how long it takes.

• Sets and reps

  Currier BS, D'Souza AC, et al. American College of Sports Medicine Position Stand. Resistance Training Prescription for Muscle Function, Hypertrophy, and Physical Performance in Healthy Adults: An Overview of Reviews. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2026;58(4):851-872.

  Full textPubMedDOI

• Muscles worked

  Martín-Fuentes I, Oliva-Lozano JM, et al. Electromyographic activity in deadlift exercise and its variants. A systematic review. PLoS One. 2020;15(2):e0229507.

  Full textPubMedDOI

• Muscles worked

  Delgado J, Drinkwater EJ, et al. Comparison Between Back Squat, Romanian Deadlift, and Barbell Hip Thrust for Leg and Hip Muscle Activities During Hip Extension. J Strength Cond Res. 2019;33(10):2595-2601.

  PubMedDOI