10 Best Dumbbell Deadlift Variations and Their Benefits

As a fitness enthusiast and trainer, I often perform deadlifts with dumbbells as well as suggest to my clients based on their needs.

The dumbbell deadlifts work on multiple muscles simultaneously, including the quads, glutes, hamstrings, lower back, and core.

In this article, I’ve shared the six best dumbbell deadlift variations that can help you enhance your functional fitness and sculpt your lower body.

Whether you train at home or in the gym, you can integrate some of them into your workout routine.

Dumbbell Deadlifts Form and Technique

Doing an exercise with proper form and technique produces better results and minimizes the risk of injuries.

Here are some techniques that’ll help you perform dumbbell deadlifts with the right form.

1. Keep your face pointing slightly upward to improve your position and increase hip drive.
2. To lift the weight off the floor, push your feet into the floor while keeping your core, thighs, glutes, and hips engaged.
3. Engage your lats muscles when you lift the dumbbells off the floor, as it will help you maintain an upright posture, and don’t let your shoulders down at the time of lifting.¹ The Deadlift and Its Application to Overall Performance – National Strength and Conditioning Association
4. Keep your arms straight throughout movement and dumbbells close to your body.
5. Extend your hips forward while returning to the standing position.

10 Best Dumbbell Deadlift Variations to Build Functional Strength

1. Conventional Deadlift
2. Stiff-Leg Deadlift
3. Sumo Deadlift
4. Split Stance Deadlift
5. Romanian Deadlift
6. Single Leg Deadlift
7. DB Deficit Deadlift
8. Unilateral Deadlift
9. One-Arm Deadlift
10. Suitcase Deadlift

1. Conventional Dumbbell Deadlift

Target Muscles: Quads, Hamstrings, Glutes, and Lower Back

Exercise Difficulty Level: Beginner to Intermediate

Benefits: The conventional or standard deadlift works on the legs and back and helps you build strength, mass, and endurance.

Steps to do a standard dumbbell deadlift

1. Grab a pair of dumbbells with an underhand grip and stand upright in the hip-width stance.
2. Keep your core tight, back straight, and chest up. That’s the start.
3. Pushing your hips back and bending your knees, lower the dumbbells until your hands are close to the floor.
4. Lift by pushing through your heels and extending your hips and knees.

Additional Exercise Tips

• Keep your core tight during the whole lift.
• Maintain a neutral spine position throughout the movement.
• If you are a beginner or If you want to lift more weight, you can use a belt because it will protect your lower back from injuries.

2. Dumbbell Stiff-Leg Deadlift

Target Muscles: Hamstrings and Lower Back

Exercise Difficulty Level: Intermediate

Benefits: The DB stiff-legged deadlift reinforces the hamstring, makes your lower body flexible, increases your mobility and strength, and minimizes the risk of low back strain.

Steps to do a Dumbbell Straight Leg Deadlift

1. Holding a pair of dumbbells, stand upright in the hip-width stance with your arms straight against your thigh.
2. Pushing your hips back, lower the dumbbells as close to the ground as possible. You’ll feel the stretch in your hamstrings.
3. Press through your heels to return to the start until your hips are fully extended.

Additional Exercise Tips

• Try to keep your leg as straight and stiff as possible throughout the entire movement.
• Hold the dumbbells firmly and perform each rep in a controlled fashion.
• Make sure to keep your back straight while lowering the dumbbells.

3. Dumbbell Sumo Deadlift

Target Muscles: Inner Thighs, Hamstrings, Glutes, and Erector Spine

Exercise Difficulty Level: Beginner

Benefits: The Sumo deadlift strengthens the inner and outer thigh, which are usually skipped during other deadlift exercises. Adding to your workout regime can help you build a toned, firm, and defined lower body.

Steps to Perform a Dumbbell Sumo Deadlift

1. Holding a dumbbell in each hand in front of your thighs, stand straight with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart and your toes pointing outward.
2. Keep your core tight, back straight, and chest up. That’s the start.
3. Bending at your hips and knees, lower the dumbbells (while maintaining a straight back) until you feel the stretch in your thigh.
4. Lift the dumbbells back until your hips are entirely extended. That’s your one rep.

Additional Exercise Tips

• Keep the dumbbells close to your body and push through your heels to stand up, lifting the dumbbells as you rise.
• Squeeze your glutes at the top and then lower the weights with control.
• Maintain proper form throughout, avoid rounding your back, and use a weight that challenges you but allows for controlled movements.

4. Split Stance Deadlift

Target Muscles: Hamstrings, Quads, Glutes, and Lower Back

Exercise Difficulty Level: Intermediate

Benefits: The staggered deadlift primarily works on the hamstrings but also engages the glutes and lower back. It is a unilateral movement and allows you to train one leg at a time.

Steps to Perform a Staggered DB Deadlift

1. Holding a pair of dumbbells with an underhand grip, stand upright in the split stance.
2. Keep your arms straight against your thigh with your palms facing in.
3. Pushing your hips back, lower the weights until your torso is parallel to the floor.
4. Pushing through your front foot, slowly get back to the standing position.

Additional Exercise Tips

• Squeeze your butt and quads as you return to the standing position.
• Perform deadlifts for both legs individually.
• Keep the weights close to your body throughout the lift. That’s your one rep!

5. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift

Target Muscles: Hamstrings and Lower Back

Exercise Difficulty Level: Beginner to Intermediate

Benefits: Dumbbell RDL strengthens hamstrings and lower back and makes your posterior chain flexible. It also enhances hip mobility and lowers the risk of injuries.

Steps to Perform a DB Romanian DL

1. Holding a pair of dumbbells, stand in a hip-width stance.
2. Keep your arms straight against your thighs with your palms facing in.
3. Pushing your hips back, slowly bend your hips and lean your torso forward until your hands reach below your knees. You can slightly bend your knees.
4. Pushing through your heels, slowly return to the standing position.

Additional Exercise Tips

• Maintain a flat back and tight core throughout the movement.
• You can softly bend your knees while hinging at your hips.

6. Dumbbell Single Leg Deadlift

Target Muscles: Hamstrings, Glutes, Abs, and Lower Back

Exercise Difficulty Level: Advanced

Benefits: The dumbbell single-leg deadlift is a unilateral exercise that works on the posterior thigh, glutes, abs, and lower back. It doesn’t only make your legs firm but also helps improve strength imbalance and muscle definition.

Steps to Perform a DB One-Leg Deadlift

1. Grab one dumbbell in each hand and stand straight with your feet together.
2. Keep your arms straight with your palms facing in.
3. Leaning your torso toward the floor, raise your right leg behind you.
4. Once your leg and torso are parallel to the floor, pause for a moment.
5. Return to the standing position in a controlled fashion.
6. Do as many reps as possible, then switch to the opposite side and repeat.

Additional Exercise Tips

• Make sure to hold your core as tight as possible during the movement. It helps maintain balance while standing on one leg.
• Use your feet to return to the upright position.

7. DB Deficit Deadlift

Target Muscles: Thighs, Glutes, and Abdominals

Exercise Difficulty Level: Intermediate

Benefits: Deficit deadlifts are an excellent way to provide more stretch to the bicep femoris and semitendinosus. It also increases flexibility in our posterior chain and makes your lower body healthy.

Steps to Perform a Deficit DB Deadlift

1. Holding a pair of dumbbells, stand on the stable blocks or plates with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Maintaining a flat back, bend at the hips and knees and lower the dumbbells until they touch the ground.
3. Push through your heels to stand up, lifting the dumbbells as you rise.

Additional Exercise Tips

• Use light dumbbells.
• Perform interchangeably with other dumbbell deadlifts.
• Keep the rep ranges between 4 to 6 per set.
• Avoid if you’ve hamstring or lower back strain.

8. Unilateral Dumbbell Deadlift

Target Muscles: Lower Body and Core

Exercise Difficulty Level: Advanced

Benefits: This deadlift is also known as a single-arm, single-leg deadlift. It also reinforces the legs, glutes, and core and enhances balance, muscle coordination, and strength. You can also do this exercise to work more on your weaker side and correct muscle imbalance.

Steps to Perform a Deficit DB Deadlift

1. Grab a dumbbell in your right hand and stand straight with your feet together.
2. Raise your left leg back as you lower the dumbbell and lean your torso toward the floor.
3. Pause for a moment when your left leg and upper body are paralleled to the ground.
4. Pressing through your right foot, stand back up to the start.
5. Complete as many repetitions as you like, then repeat on the opposite side.

Additional Exercise Tips

• Lift your leg and bend your torso simultaneously.
• Keep your core tight throughout the movement.
• Avoid rounding your back during ascent and descent.

9. Dumbbell One-Arm Deadlift

Target Muscles: Legs and Core

Exercise Difficulty Level: Beginner

Benefits: This exercise is great for beginners who want to build foundational strength and help them do the other deadlift variations.

Steps to Perform a One-arm DB Deadlift

1. Stand upright in the hip-width stance, holding a dumbbell in your right hand.
2. Hinge at your hips until the dumbbell reaches close to your feet.
3. Push through your heel to stand up straight. That’s one rep.
4. Complete as many repetitions as you like, then repeat on the opposite side.

Additional Exercise Tips

• Perform an equal number of reps and sets on each side.
• Increase weights gradually.

10. Dumbbell Suitcase Deadlift

Target Muscles: Thighs, Glutes, and Back

Exercise Difficulty Level: Beginner

Benefits: The suitcase deadlift works the same as the standard deadlift, so you can do any of the two depending on what suits you the most.

Steps to Do a Suitcase Dumbbell Deadlift

1. Holding one dumbbell in each hand, stand straight.
2. Keep your arms straight at your sides with your palms facing in.
3. Brace your lower body and core and maintain a flat back. That’s the start.
4. Bending your knees and lower torso until your hip is between your knees and lower back.
5. Pressing through your feet, stand back up. That’s one rep.

Additional Exercise Tips

• Make sure your lower body is engaged while standing straight.

References

• 1
  The Deadlift and Its Application to Overall Performance – National Strength and Conditioning Association