Conventional Smith Machine Deadlift

Deadlift with the bar guided vertically: it asks you to sit the hips back so the bar clears the knees.

• Compound
• Machine
• Advanced

How to do it

• The bar moves vertically: send the hips back and keep the shins nearly vertical so the bar clears the knees
• Keep the load against your legs and your back neutral from the pull off the floor
• Push the floor away with your feet and extend hips and knees together

Sets, reps and tempo

Ranges: 3–6 reps for strength · 5–8 for hypertrophy · 1–3 RIR

Tempo: Drive up explosively with a neutral back, lower for 2 s keeping the bar close

Common mistakes

• Pulling with the back before the legs
• Placing the feet so far forward that the bar cannot travel against your legs

Muscles worked

Primary

• Hamstrings
• Glutes
• Back

Secondary

• Erectors / lower back
• Traps
• Forearm

Alternatives

• Conventional Deadlift
• Romanian Deadlift
• Barbell Row
• Hip Thrust