7 Essential Deadlift Accessory Exercises You Need to Know

People that are tall with long arms and legs tend to favor the sumo deadlift over the conventional one. The reason for that is that the shorter you are, the less ROM there will be. On the other hand, longer limbs naturally extend the ROM; thus, the sumo variation is one of the ways to make the ROM more sensible for people with long legs and arms.

Especially for people with long femurs, the sumo deadlift is likely to be a much easier and preferred variation, as the conventional one requires them to bend down low.

Because we often spend our days sitting down - in the car, in an office, or at home, we have compromised hip mobility. And for some people, it’s so bad that they cannot perform the range of motion required for the conventional deadlift. In those scenarios, the sumo is typically the preferred variation, as it doesn’t require a lot of mobility in the hip and is generally less taxing on the lower back. 

With that said, we also have to mention that for some individuals, the wider stance required for the sumo deadlift is also challenging. They’re unable to maintain a neutral spine, even with the easier variation. In such cases, it’s better to first work on fixing the mobility issues and then move on to deadlifting. 

These involve pulling the barbell off the floor using a raised surface to elevate the position of your feet. This increased range of motion makes the bottom phase of the lift harder, activating your posterior chain to a greater degree than in conventional deadlifts.

Deficit deadlifts are designed to improve your pull time off the floor, with conventional deadlifts likely feeling easier when you program them back in. Benefits may also include improved proprioception at the bottom of the lift and a stronger lumbar spine area.

To perform deficit deadlifts, use a pair of weight plates or a small wooden box. Use the same technique as you would with a conventional deadlift.

These are similar to back squats, however, the barbell sits on the front of your shoulders rather than your lower back. This places more emphasis on your quadricep muscles and less stress on the lower back region compared to normal squats.

This makes front squats a great exercise for developing quad strength, something that may be impacting the bottom phase of the deadlift if you’re struggling with knee extension. They are also a great back-friendly exercise if you struggle with lower back issues or have an injury you need to work around.

To perform a front squat, assume a hip-width stance and place the barbell on the top of your shoulders close to your neck. Grip the barbell with a shoulder-width grip and brace your core before moving down into a deep squat position. Keep a neutral spine throughout.

Banded deadlifts involve attaching a resistance band to the barbell, increasing the tension as you bring the barbell higher up your body when the band starts to stretch. As you need a bigger hip drive to bring the barbell up past your knees, banded deadlifts lead to much greater glute activation. This makes them good if you need to work on weak glute muscles that are causing you difficulty bringing the bar above your knees.

To perform banded deadlifts correctly, attach a resistance band to the middle of the barbell shaft perpendicular to your feet. Loop either end around the barbell and stand on the other end with both feet before lifting normally.

These involve pulling the barbell from a higher starting point by using the safety pins or J-hooks on a squat cage. The higher starting position allows you to focus on maintaining a tighter body position during the lockout phase of the deadlift, improving your technique and working on timing issues. Rack pulls also improve grip strength as you’re able to load more weight onto the bar without worrying about being able to pull the barbell off the floor.

To perform rack pulls correctly, place a barbell on the safety pins or J-hooks of a squat rack above knee height. Bend your knees slightly and lean forward at the hips. As you lift the bar, extend through your hips and pull your shoulders back to lock out the barbell.

The hip thrust is an excellent exercise for building glute strength. It’s one of the best exercises to isolate your glute muscles, making it ideal for deadlift accessory training.

Hip thrusts allow you to focus on driving your hips up by fully engaging your glute muscles to drive the barbell upwards off the floor. By using an elevated bench or podium to support your back, less emphasis is placed on your lumbar spine and hamstring muscles.

To perform hip thrusts correctly, brace your core and lift the barbell by extending your hips and keeping your upper back against the bench. As you lift, brace your core and squeeze your glute muscles as your hips fully extend. Pause at the top and slowly lower to the starting position.