Dumbbell Deadlift

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding dumbbells in front of your thighs. Keeping your back straight, hinge at the hips and lower the dumbbells towards the ground. Push through your heels and engage your glutes to stand back up.

How to perform the Dumbbell Deadlift

  1. Set up. Set up in a stable, balanced starting position appropriate for the Dumbbell Deadlift using your dumbbell.
  2. Brace and execute. Brace your core, control the descent, and move through a full pain-free range of motion while emphasizing your hamstrings.
  3. Reset. Reverse the movement under control and reset between repetitions, keeping your form crisp on every rep.

Coaching cues

  • Move with intent — every rep should feel deliberate, not rushed.
  • Drive force through your hamstrings rather than momentum.
  • Keep your breathing steady: exhale on the hard part, inhale on the reset.

Common mistakes

  • Using too much weight and losing positional control.
  • Cutting the range of motion short and missing the target muscle.
  • Letting your spine round or hyperextend instead of staying neutral.

Detailed cues, common mistakes, and demonstration video are available in the Fitly app.

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Variations of Dumbbell Deadlift

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