10 Best Cable Deadlift Alternatives for Gym and Home

The Cable Deadlift is done standing with a cable machine. Ranked closest by our scoring: the Barbell Sumo Deadlift, the Lever Deadlift and the Smith Deadlift.

Cable DeadliftWatch the Cable Deadlift

Each substitute is scored on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. Read how we rank alternatives

How to Do the Cable Deadlift

The steps for the Cable Deadlift itself, so you can judge how close each substitute below really is.

Glutes, with hamstrings, quadriceps, lower back · Cable · Intermediate · Compound

  1. Stand facing the cable machine with your feet shoulder-width apart.
  2. Bend at the hips and knees, lowering your torso until your back is parallel to the ground.
  3. Grasp the cable handles with an overhand grip, keeping your arms straight and your shoulders back.
  4. Engage your glutes and hamstrings to lift the cable handles, extending your hips and standing up straight.
  5. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the cable handles back down to the starting position.
  6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

The 10 Best Cable Deadlift Alternatives

10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches the Cable Deadlift on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. The higher the score, the less you change. Cards with a "How to perform it" link open to show the steps; every card title links to that exercise's own alternatives page.

Each link re-ranks the list below for the kit it names. Pick one to hide the substitutes you cannot set up.

  1. Barbell Sumo DeadliftPlay demonstration

    1. Barbell Sumo Deadlift

    85% match

    Glutes · Advanced · Compound

    A good swap when you have a barbell to work with, and it still works the glutes.

    • Barbell
    How to perform it
    1. Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart, toes pointing outwards.
    2. Place a barbell on the ground in front of you, centered between your feet.
    3. Bend your knees and lower your hips, keeping your back straight and chest up, to grip the barbell with an overhand grip.
    4. Engage your core and drive through your heels to lift the barbell off the ground, extending your hips and knees simultaneously.
    5. As you lift, keep your chest up and back straight, and push your hips forward to fully engage your glutes.
    6. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the barbell back down to the starting position, maintaining control throughout the movement.
    7. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 to 5 sets of 5 to 8 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: deadlift hinge, the same as the Cable Deadlift
    • Primary muscle: glutes, the same as the Cable Deadlift
    • Equipment: free weights, not a cable
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Cable Deadlift
  2. Lever DeadliftPlay demonstration

    2. Lever Deadlift

    83% match

    Glutes · Intermediate · Compound

    A good swap when you have a lever machine to work with, and it still works the glutes.

    • Lever
    How to perform it
    1. Adjust the seat height and foot platform to your desired position.
    2. Sit on the machine with your back against the pad and your feet flat on the foot platform.
    3. Grasp the handles or the sides of the seat for stability.
    4. Engage your glutes and hamstrings, and push through your heels to lift the weight up.
    5. Keep your back straight and avoid rounding your shoulders.
    6. Extend your hips fully at the top of the movement, squeezing your glutes.
    7. Lower the weight back down in a controlled manner, keeping tension on your glutes and hamstrings.
    8. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: deadlift hinge, the same as the Cable Deadlift
    • Primary muscle: glutes, the same as the Cable Deadlift
    • Equipment: a machine, not a cable
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Cable Deadlift
    • Balance: easier to stay steady on than the Cable Deadlift
  3. Smith DeadliftPlay demonstration

    3. Smith Deadlift

    83% match

    Glutes · Intermediate · Compound

    A good swap when you have a Smith machine to work with, and it still works the glutes.

    • Smith-machine
    How to perform it
    1. Set up the smith machine with the bar at hip height.
    2. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointing slightly outward.
    3. Bend at the hips and knees, keeping your back straight and chest up, and grip the bar with an overhand grip slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
    4. Engage your core and lift the bar by extending your hips and knees, keeping the bar close to your body.
    5. Stand up straight, fully extending your hips and knees.
    6. Lower the bar back down by bending at the hips and knees, maintaining control and keeping your back straight.
    7. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: deadlift hinge, the same as the Cable Deadlift
    • Primary muscle: glutes, the same as the Cable Deadlift
    • Equipment: a machine, not a cable
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Cable Deadlift
    • Balance: easier to stay steady on than the Cable Deadlift
  4. Dumbbell DeadliftPlay demonstration

    4. Dumbbell Deadlift

    81% match

    Glutes · Intermediate · Compound

    A good swap when you have dumbbells to work with, and it still works the glutes.

    • Dumbbell
    How to perform it
    1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointing forward.
    2. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing your body, arms extended downwards.
    3. Bend at your hips and knees, lowering the dumbbells towards the ground while keeping your back straight.
    4. Push through your heels and extend your hips and knees, lifting the dumbbells back up to the starting position.
    5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: deadlift hinge, the same as the Cable Deadlift
    • Primary muscle: glutes, the same as the Cable Deadlift
    • Equipment: free weights, not a cable
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Cable Deadlift
  5. Trap Bar DeadliftPlay demonstration

    5. Trap Bar Deadlift

    81% match

    Glutes · Intermediate · Compound

    A good swap when you have a trap bar to work with, and it still works the glutes.

    • Trap-bar
    How to perform it
    1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and the trap bar on the ground in front of you.
    2. Bend at the hips and knees to lower yourself down and grip the handles of the trap bar with an overhand grip.
    3. Keep your back straight and chest up as you begin to lift the trap bar off the ground by extending your hips and knees.
    4. As you lift, focus on driving through your heels and squeezing your glutes at the top of the movement.
    5. Lower the trap bar back down to the ground by bending at the hips and knees, keeping your back straight throughout the movement.
    6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: deadlift hinge, the same as the Cable Deadlift
    • Primary muscle: glutes, the same as the Cable Deadlift
    • Equipment: free weights, not a cable
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Cable Deadlift
  6. Pull Through

    6. Pull Through

    81% match

    Glutes · Intermediate · Compound

    Pick this when you want an easier version that still works the glutes.

    • Cable
    How to perform it
    1. Begin standing a few feet in front of a low pulley with a rope or handle attached. Face away from the machine, straddling the cable, with your feet set wide apart.
    2. Begin the movement by reaching through your legs as far as possible, bending at the hips. Keep your knees slightly bent. Keeping your arms straight, extend through the hip to stand straight up. Avoid pulling upward through the shoulders; all of the motion should originate through the hips.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: glutes, the same as the Cable Deadlift
    • Equipment: a cable, the same as the Cable Deadlift
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Cable Deadlift

Cable Deadlift FAQ

What muscles does Cable Deadlift work?

The cable deadlift targets the glutes and hamstrings as the prime movers via hip extension, with secondary loading of the erector spinae, adductors, and core for stabilization. The knee extensors contribute less, so the movement emphasizes posterior-chain eccentric control and concentric hip drive.

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