Transform Your Lower Body: Master the Reeves Deadlift

The Reeves deadlift, named after the 1947 Mr. America and 1950 Mr. Universe champion Steve Reeves, is a barbell deadlift variation that biases the hamstrings, back, glutes, traps, and calves. Its unique grip places a significant emphasis on the forearm and grip strength.

In this Reeves deadlift guide, I present easy-to-follow coaching cues and instructions to master this deadlift variation.

How To Do a Reeves Deadlift

Here is a step-by-step guide to perform this exercise:

Step One — Assume the Starting Position

Stand in front of a loaded barbell with a hip-width stance. Grab the weight plates with just your fingers using a semi-neutral grip. Rubber or urethane plates are recommended for a better grip.

Bend your knees and hinge at the hips to reach the weight plates, ensuring your thighs are nearly parallel to the ground. Keep your back straight, engage your core, and direct your gaze forward.

Step Two — Lift the Barbell off the Floor

Extend your knees, hips, and ankles simultaneously to lift the barbell off the floor. During the eccentric phase, tighten your grip on the weight plates to prevent them from slipping out. Pause at the top for one second.

Step Three — Return the Barbell to the Floor

Slowly return the barbell to the floor, ensuring that your back remains flat and your core is engaged to protect your spine.

Muscles Worked

The primary muscles working are your hamstrings, glutes, traps, back, and forearms. The secondary muscles include the quadriceps, abs, obliques, and lats.

Benefits: Reeves Deadlift 

Here are the most notable benefits of doing Reeves deadlifts.

Improved Forearm and Grip Strength

The Reeves deadlift is excellent for building forearm strength and endurance, as you must hold the weight plates just with your fingers.

Peer-reviewed studies and extensive literature highlight grip strength as a key indicator of health and longevity, particularly in older adults. (1)

Enhanced Shoulder Stability

You must contract your entire shoulder complex by pulling the scapula back and down. This helps stabilize and improve the overall health and longevity of your shoulders.

One study also found that shoulder stabilization exercises, such as Reeves deadlifts, can help with pain alleviation and functional recovery in patients with shoulder impingement. (2)

Improved Core Engagement

You must keep your core braced throughout the movement to do a Reeves deadlift correctly. This works your core and helps prevent lower back injuries during the lift.

Variety and Challenge

Sometimes, you just need a break from monotonous training regimes, and Reeves deadlift can definitely help with that. Unlike most deadlift variations, this exercise places a significant emphasis on forearm and grip strength.

Changing your routine can improve your adaptability. When you return to your main lifts, you’ll continue making progress.

In a YouTube video, Adam Schafer, NASM-certified personal trainer and host of the Mind Pump show, shares his thoughts on the best deadlift variations for muscle-building and strength:

“Most girls that I am training who want to develop their butt can sumo deadlift more than they can conventional, RDL, stiff-legged, and also squat, which is one of the best exercises for developing hip muscles. However, most of my clients can’t squat 225 pounds, but most can do a sumo deadlift of 225 pounds. Compared to focusing only on a single muscle, the benefits of that are incredible. So, I recommend using all deadlift variations. They are all different, and I would never pair them together unless I had a client who had a very specific reason, such as competing. However, for the general population, to get your clients strong and build muscle, I would prefer to use all the variations but in different training blocks, not together in a single workout.”

Variations and Alternatives

Here are the best Reeves deadlift variations and alternatives to consider:

Reeves Hex Bar Deadlift

The Reeves hex bar deadlift shifts the focus to the quads instead of the glutes and erector spinae muscles.

Steps:

1. Load the hex bar deadlift with the appropriate weight, place it on the floor, and enter the hex bar with your feet a little wider than hip-width apart.
2. Perform the rest of the steps as described in the guide above.
3. It will activate your quads more than the conventional barbell Reeves variation.

Farmer’s Walks

Farmer’s walks are an excellent core and forearm exercise that can also promote strength and muscle gains and improve posture.

Steps:

1. Stand upright while holding a kettlebell in each hand.
2. Walk forward slowly for the preset distance and return to complete one working set.
3. Avoid rotating, twisting, or bending your trunk during the exercise.

Trap Bar Deadlifts

Trap bar deadlifts
are one of my favorite whole-body exercises for one simple reason: They are athletic and a hybrid of regular deadlifts and squats.

Steps:

1. Place the hex bar on the floor and load it with appropriate weight.
2. Enter the hex bar and assume a hip-width stance.
3. Bend over and grab the handles.
4. Ensure your back is flat, core activated, and your eyes are looking straight ahead.
5. Lift the hex bar off the floor by extending your ankles, knees, and hips simultaneously.
6. Hold the top position for one second and reverse the movement to return the hex bar to the floor.

FAQs

Does the Reeves deadlift give you broader shoulders?

The Reeves deadlift can help you develop broader shoulders, but only to a certain extent. Instead, use overhead presses, shoulder abductions with dumbbells, and machine overhead presses to develop broader shoulders.

How many reps did Steve Reeves do for each exercise?

Reeves typically stuck to doing eight to 12 reps for most exercises. He also did full-body workouts, doing three sets of each exercise.

Can the Reeves deadlift improve performance in other lifts?

Reeves deadlifts positively impact every lift that requires a substantial posterior chain, grip strength, and upper body isometric strength.

Wrapping Up

Reeves deadlifts are a great alternative to regular deadlifts. Besides strengthening the posterior chain muscles, including your hamstrings, back, glutes, traps, and calves, they can boost your upper body strength and forearm endurance.

I would advise doing Reeves deadlifts at least once in two weeks. In the comments below, let me know your thoughts on Reeves deadlifts and how often you do them in your workout sessions.

References:

1. Bohannon RW. Grip Strength: An Indispensable Biomarker For Older Adults. Clin Interv Aging. 2019;14:1681-1691. Published 2019 Oct 1. doi:10.2147/CIA.S194543
2. Park SI, Choi YK, Lee JH, Kim YM. Effects of shoulder stabilization exercise on pain and functional recovery of shoulder impingement syndrome patients. J Phys Ther Sci. 2013;25(11):1359-1362. doi:10.1589/jpts.25.1359

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