Deadlift Alternatives

Need a Deadlift alternative? Maybe the station is taken, the equipment isn't available, or the movement doesn't feel right. These substitutes were hand-picked to train the same muscles, each with the reason it works. Tap any exercise to open it in the free sheet builder.

Alternative	Equipment	Trains	Why it works
Trap Bar Deadlift	Barbell	Quads, Glutes	Same movement pattern, different equipment · Easier variation to start with
Sumo Deadlift	Barbell	Glutes, Quads	Same muscles from a different angle
Romanian Deadlift	Barbell	Hamstrings, Glutes	Easier variation to start with
Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift	Dumbbell	Hamstrings, Glutes	Same movement pattern, different equipment · Easy to do at home
Cable Pull-Through	Cable	Glutes	Machine-guided, easier to learn and load safely · Easier variation to start with
Barbell Hip Thrust	Barbell	Glutes	Same muscles from a different angle
Kettlebell Swing	Kettlebell	Glutes	Same muscles from a different angle · Easy to do at home

Programs that include Deadlift

Every alternative on this page was hand-picked and cross-checked against our open muscle activation dataset; none of it is auto-generated.