Axle Deadlift

Muscles worked

Setup

1. Stand with feet hip-width apart, with the axle bar positioned over the middle of your feet.
2. Hinge at the hips and grip the bar with a double overhand grip (standard for axle training) or a mixed grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width.
3. Drop your hips until your shins are close to the bar, keeping your chest up and spine neutral.
4. Pull your shoulder blades back and down to engage your lats and create tension throughout your upper body.

How to do it

1. Take a deep breath into your abdomen and brace your core forcefully.
2. Drive your feet through the floor to initiate the lift, keeping the bar in a vertical path close to your shins.
3. Exhale as you reach full hip extension, standing tall with your glutes squeezed at the top.
4. Lower the bar under control by hinging at the hips first, then bending the knees once the bar passes them to return to the floor.

Form checklist

• Keep the thick bar in contact with or very close to your legs throughout the entire movement.
• Maintain a flat back and neutral neck; avoid rounding the lumbar spine or looking up too high.
• Ensure your arms remain straight like cables; do not attempt to bend the elbows or 'bicep curl' the weight.
• Keep your weight distributed through the mid-foot to maintain balance and power.

Pro tips

• Squeeze the axle as hard as possible before the bar leaves the floor to 'pre-activate' your forearms and stabilize the wrists.
• Focus on 'pushing the floor away' rather than 'pulling the bar up' to better engage the glutes and quadriceps.
• Avoid using lifting straps for as long as possible to maximize the specific grip-strengthening benefits of the axle bar.

Make it harder

• Perform the lift from a 2-inch deficit (standing on a small platform) to increase the range of motion and initial pull difficulty.
• Incorporate a 3-second eccentric (lowering) phase to increase time under tension for the hamstrings and forearms.

Frequently asked

What muscles does the axle deadlift work?

The axle deadlift primarily targets the calves, glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and trapezius, and also works the erector spinae and obliques as secondary muscles.

What equipment do you need for the axle deadlift?

The axle deadlift uses barbell.

Is the axle deadlift good for beginners?

The axle deadlift is rated intermediate. Build a base with simpler variations first, then progress to it with light load and strict form.

Related exercises

• Barbell Clean PullAdvanced · calves, glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and trapezius
• Barbell DeadliftIntermediate · calves, glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and trapezius
• Barbell Deadlift 360 DegreesIntermediate · calves, glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and trapezius
• Barbell Deadlift Against ChainsAdvanced · calves, glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and trapezius