10 Best Smith Deadlift Alternatives for Glute Strength
If you can't use the Smith deadlift, choose movements that keep the hip hinge and glute loading. Try trap-bar deadlifts, barbell Romanian deadlifts, hip thrusts, single-leg RDLs, or Bulgarian split squats. Hinge from the hips, keep a neutral spine, and drive through the heels to engage the glutes.
Original Exercise: Smith Deadlift
How to Perform Smith Deadlift
- Set up the smith machine with the bar at hip height.
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointing slightly outward.
- 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.
- Engage your core and lift the bar by extending your hips and knees, keeping the bar close to your body.
- Stand up straight, fully extending your hips and knees.
- Lower the bar back down by bending at the hips and knees, maintaining control and keeping your back straight.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Best Smith Deadlift Alternatives
1. Dumbbell Straight Leg Deadlift
83.1% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand with an overhand grip.
- 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.
- Continue lowering the dumbbells until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings, keeping your knees slightly bent.
- Pause for a moment at the bottom, then engage your glutes and hamstrings to lift your torso back up to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
2. Cable Deadlift
82.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand facing the cable machine with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Bend at the hips and knees, lowering your torso until your back is parallel to the ground.
- Grasp the cable handles with an overhand grip, keeping your arms straight and your shoulders back.
- Engage your glutes and hamstrings to lift the cable handles, extending your hips and standing up straight.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the cable handles back down to the starting position.
3. Barbell Hip Thrust
79.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
4. Dumbbell Deadlift
77.9% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointing forward.
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing your body, arms extended downwards.
- Bend at your hips and knees, lowering the dumbbells towards the ground while keeping your back straight.
- Push through your heels and extend your hips and knees, lifting the dumbbells back up to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
5. Barbell Sumo Deadlift
77.3% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart, toes pointing outwards.
- Place a barbell on the ground in front of you, centered between your feet.
- Bend your knees and lower your hips, keeping your back straight and chest up, to grip the barbell with an overhand grip.
- Engage your core and drive through your heels to lift the barbell off the ground, extending your hips and knees simultaneously.
- As you lift, keep your chest up and back straight, and push your hips forward to fully engage your glutes.
6. Barbell Deadlift
76.8% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and the barbell on the ground in front of you.
- Bend your knees and hinge at the hips to lower your torso and grip the barbell with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Keep your back straight and chest lifted as you drive through your heels to lift the barbell off the ground, extending your hips and knees.
- As you stand up straight, squeeze your glutes and keep your core engaged.
- Lower the barbell back down to the ground by bending at the hips and knees, keeping your back straight.
7. Cable Pull Through (with Rope)
74.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand facing away from the cable machine with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Grab the rope attachment with both hands and step forward, creating tension in the cable.
- Bend at the hips and lower your upper body until it is parallel to the ground, keeping your back straight.
- Engage your glutes and hamstrings to pull your body back up to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
8. Arms Apart Circular Toe Touch (male)
74.1% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and arms extended to the sides.
- Keeping your legs straight, bend forward at the waist and reach down towards your toes with your right hand.
- As you reach down, simultaneously lift your left leg straight up behind you, maintaining balance.
- Return to the starting position and repeat the movement with your left hand reaching towards your toes and your right leg lifting up behind you.
- Continue alternating sides for the desired number of repetitions.
9. Barbell Rack Pull
73.3% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Set up a barbell on a rack at knee height.
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointing slightly outwards.
- Bend at the hips and knees to lower yourself down and grip the barbell with an overhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart.
- Engage your core and lift the barbell by extending your hips and knees, pulling your shoulders back and squeezing your glutes at the top.
- Lower the barbell back down to the starting position by bending at the hips and knees.
10. Dumbbell Single Leg Deadlift With Stepbox Support
73.2% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in your right hand.
- Place your left foot on a stepbox or elevated surface behind you.
- Keeping your back straight and core engaged, hinge forward at the hips, lowering the dumbbell towards the ground.
- As you lower the dumbbell, simultaneously lift your left leg behind you, maintaining a straight line from head to heel.
- Lower the dumbbell until you feel a stretch in your right hamstring, then return to the starting position.
Why You Might Need a Smith Deadlift Alternative
People swap the Smith deadlift for several reasons: equipment limits, low back or knee pain, and the Smith machine’s fixed bar path that alters natural hip and knee travel. The machine reduces stabilizer recruitment and can shift load anteriorly, increasing quad bias compared with free-weight hinges. Choose alternatives to restore the hip-hinge, increase posterior-chain activation, or train unilaterally. For example, a barbell Romanian deadlift preserves eccentric hamstring lengthening and glute stretch—hinge at the hips, keep a slight knee bend, and feel tension down the hamstrings. A trap-bar deadlift shortens the moment arm for the lumbar spine and lets you load heavier while maintaining a neutral spine. These swaps protect joints while improving glute and hamstring recruitment.
How to Choose the Right Substitute
Select a substitute based on load, range of motion, stability demands, and your goal. If you want maximal glute contraction and peak hip extension, use hip thrusts and cue a full squeeze at lockout while keeping the scapula braced. For heavy two-leg strength with safer lumbar mechanics, pick the trap-bar deadlift—stand tall, push the hips back, and extend through the heels. To target eccentric hamstring length and posterior chain stiffness, program barbell Romanian deadlifts with a controlled 2–3 second descent. Use single-leg RDLs or Bulgarian split squats to correct imbalances; keep hips level and drive the rear leg into the floor to maximize glute activation. Prioritize movements that let you progressively overload while maintaining a neutral spine.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles does Smith Deadlift work?
The Smith deadlift primarily targets the glutes, hamstrings, and erector spinae, with accessory involvement from the quads and core. Because the Smith-machine enforces a vertical bar path, stabilizer activation is reduced and the movement can bias the quads depending on foot placement; hinge from the hips to emphasize the posterior chain.
What is the best bodyweight alternative to Smith Deadlift?
Single-leg hip thrusts (single-leg glute bridges) are the best bodyweight alternative for glute overload. Lie with your upper back on a bench, drive one heel into the floor, and press the hip upward until full extension while squeezing the glute to create unilateral hip-extension strength and stability.
Can I build muscle without doing Smith Deadlift?
Yes. You can build glute and upper-leg muscle using trap-bar deadlifts, Romanian deadlifts, hip thrusts, and unilateral work while applying progressive overload and adequate volume. Focus on full hip extension, controlled eccentrics, and consistent loading to maximize mechanical tension and hypertrophy.
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