Banded Straight Leg Deadlift
- Primary muscleSpine
- EquipmentResistance Band
- DifficultyBeginner
- TypeCompound · Hip-dominant
- Secondary muscles
- Hamstrings, Glutes
- Body part
- Back
- Position
- Standing
- Laterality
- Bilateral (both sides together)
- Category
- Strength
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Keeping the knees nearly straight against band tension puts the stretch squarely on the hamstrings and asks the spinal erectors to hold position through the whole arc. Resistance climbs as you rise, so the top half works hardest; slow three-second lowers make a light band feel like far more.
How to do the Banded Straight Leg Deadlift
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and place the band around your feet.
- Hold the band with both hands, palms facing your body, and keep your arms straight.
- Engage your core and maintain a slight bend in your knees.
- Slowly hinge forward at your hips, keeping your back straight and chest lifted.
- Lower the band towards the ground while keeping your legs straight.
- Pause for a moment at the bottom, then squeeze your glutes and hamstrings to return to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Tip: Take a big breath, brace the belly against your belt or hands and pull the slack out of the bar before it leaves the floor.
Muscles worked
Primary
Spine · Back
The spinal erectors work isometrically to keep the back flat under load and will be sore the day after a heavy session.
Secondary
- Hamstrings — The hamstrings extend the hip from the bottom and are the main mover on straight leg and Romanian variations, where you should feel a strong stretch on the way down.
- Glutes — The glutes finish the lift by driving the hips forward to lockout and should be squeezed hard at the top of every rep.
Common mistakes
- Rounding off the floor — set the back flat before the pull by pulling the chest up and the hips down, and keep it that way until lockout.
- Hips shooting up first — if the hips rise before the bar leaves the floor, the legs are not driving; think of pushing the floor away rather than pulling the bar.
- Bar drifting forward — the bar should stay in contact with the legs the whole way, so pull it into you with the lats.
- Hyperextending at the top — finish tall by squeezing the glutes, not by leaning back and arching the lower back.
Where it fits in a workout
Deadlifts go first in a pull or lower body session while you are fresh, or after squats if both are on the same day. Pair Romanian deadlifts with a leg press or hip thrust for a hamstring and glute block.
How many sets, how heavy and how hard: see what the ACSM position stands support.
Variations and alternatives
Similar exercises
When to talk to someone
- Chest discomfort, feeling faint or lightheaded, or trouble breathing during or after exercise can be signs of a heart attack. In the US, call 911 right away; elsewhere, call your local emergency number.
- Heart, metabolic or kidney disease, or symptoms like these when you are active: talk to your doctor before you start or step up training.
- Pregnant: ask your obstetric care provider which exercise suits you.
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Sources
- ACSM position stand on exercise quantity and quality (Garber et al., 2011)
- ACSM preparticipation health screening (Riebe et al., 2015)
- ACOG Committee Opinion No. 804 on exercise in pregnancy (2020)
- CDC: About Heart Attack Symptoms, Risk, and Recovery (2024)
Sources checked on October 17, 2026. Full citations are in the exercise library.
Animation and exercise data: ExerciseDB, licensed to SetGrip. General information, not medical or coaching advice.