10 Best Lever Deadlift Alternatives for Glute Strength

The 10 Best Lever Deadlift Alternatives

10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches the Lever 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.

1. Play demonstration

   1. Smith Deadlift

   99% 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 Lever Deadlift
   • Primary muscle: glutes, the same as the Lever Deadlift
   • Equipment: a machine, the same as the Lever Deadlift
   • Body position: standing, the same as the Lever Deadlift

2. 2. Smith Bent Knee Good Morning

   90% match

   Glutes · Intermediate · Compound

3. Play demonstration

   3. Trap Bar Deadlift

   84% 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 Lever Deadlift
   • Primary muscle: glutes, the same as the Lever Deadlift
   • Equipment: free weights, not a machine
   • Body position: standing, the same as the Lever Deadlift
   • Balance: harder to stay steady on than the Lever Deadlift
4. Play demonstration

   4. Dumbbell Straight Leg Deadlift

   83% 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, holding a dumbbell in each hand with an overhand grip.
   2. Keeping your back straight and your core engaged, hinge at the hips and lower the dumbbells towards the ground, allowing your torso to lean forward.
   3. Continue lowering the dumbbells until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings, keeping your knees slightly bent.
   4. Pause for a moment at the bottom, then engage your glutes and hamstrings to lift your torso 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

   • Primary muscle: glutes, the same as the Lever Deadlift
   • Equipment: free weights, not a machine
   • Body position: standing, the same as the Lever Deadlift
   • Balance: harder to stay steady on than the Lever Deadlift
5. Play demonstration

   5. Cable Deadlift

   83% match

   Glutes · Intermediate · Compound

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

   • Cable

   How to perform it

   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.

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

   Why this matches

   • Movement: deadlift hinge, the same as the Lever Deadlift
   • Primary muscle: glutes, the same as the Lever Deadlift
   • Equipment: a cable, not a machine
   • Body position: standing, the same as the Lever Deadlift
   • Balance: harder to stay steady on than the Lever Deadlift
6. 

   6. Smith Machine Stiff-legged Deadlift

   80% match

   Hamstrings · Intermediate · Compound

   A looser match: it works the hamstrings rather than the glutes.

   • Smith-machine

   How to perform it

   1. To begin, set the bar on the smith machine to a height that is around the middle of your thighs. Once the correct height is chosen and the bar is loaded, grasp the bar using a pronated (palms forward) grip that is shoulder width apart. You may need some wrist wraps if using a significant amount of weight.
   2. Lift the bar up by fully extending your arms while keeping your back straight. Stand with your torso straight and your legs spaced using a shoulder width or narrower stance. The knees should be slightly bent. This is your starting position.
   3. Keeping the knees stationary, lower the barbell to over the top of your feet by bending at the waist while keeping your back straight. Keep moving forward as if you were going to pick something from the floor until you feel a stretch on the hamstrings. Exhale as you perform this movement
   4. Start bringing your torso up straight again as soon as you feel the hamstrings stretch by extending your hips and waist until you are back at the starting position. Inhale as you perform this movement.
   5. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

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

   Why this matches

   • Primary muscle: hamstrings, not glutes
   • Equipment: a machine, the same as the Lever Deadlift
   • Body position: standing, the same as the Lever Deadlift
7. 

   7. Barbell Hip Thrust

   80% match

   Glutes · Intermediate · Compound

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

   • Barbell

   How to perform it

   1. Begin seated on the ground with a bench directly behind you. Have a loaded barbell over your legs. Using a fat bar or having a pad on the bar can greatly reduce the discomfort caused by this exercise.
   2. Roll the bar so that it is directly above your hips, and lean back against the bench so that your shoulder blades are near the top of it.
   3. Begin the movement by driving through your feet, extending your hips vertically through the bar. Your weight should be supported by your shoulder blades and your feet. Extend as far as possible, then reverse the motion to return to the starting position.

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

   Why this matches

   • Primary muscle: glutes, the same as the Lever Deadlift
   • Equipment: free weights, not a machine
   • Body position: lying on your back, not standing
   • Balance: harder to stay steady on than the Lever Deadlift

8. 8. Leverage Deadlift

   79% match

   Quads · Intermediate · Compound

9. 9. Dumbbell Deadlift

   78% match

   Glutes · Intermediate · Compound

10. 10. Lever Seated Good Morning

    77% match

    Glutes · Intermediate · Compound