Jefferson Deadlift

Jump to: Form > Additional Info > Related Exercises > Standards

The Jefferson Deadlift is a more back friendly deadlift variation. Similar to using a trap bar, straddling the barbell allows for a more upright pulling position which reduces the shear forces on your back.

While it's a bit of an awkward lift, this awkwardness is great for building core stability and smoothing out asymmetries between your legs.

The Basics

The jefferson deadlift is primarily used as a strength exercise. It is classified as a hinge movement. It is more generally classified as a lower pull movement. Since it involves significant activation of multiple muscle groups, it is considered a compound exercise.

Form

Set Up

• Stand in a staggered stance, with one foot in front of the bar and the other behind it
• Your front foot should be about perpendicular to the bar
• Your back foot should be turned out 45-90 degrees and close to the bar
• Your feet should be about shoulder width apart
• Bend down and grasp the bar outside of your front foot with an overhand grip and inside of your back foot with an underhand grip
• Pull up on the bar with enough force to get yourself set
• Brace your core, being sure to maintain a neutral spine
• Keep your arms straight and shoulder blades held back
• Your hips should be at comfortable height for you

Execution

• Keep your core braced and neutral throughout the entire movement
• Push the floor away and pull the bar up
• Keep the bar centered under your body
• Keep your torso facing in generally the same direction as your front foot
• Stand up straight at the top
• Lower the bar back down under control
• Be sure to alternate your front and back foot between sets to stay balanced

Common Mistakes

Rounding Your Back

To put it lightly, rounding your back is not recommended. It greatly increases your risk of injury. Your entire core should be braced and held neutral throughout the whole lift.

Letting the Bar Rotate

Since your feet are staggered, your torso will want to turn to face between your feet. Be sure to keep your chest facing forward and generally the same direction as your front foot.

Back Foot Too Far Back

Although the Jefferson deadlift has a staggered stance, your feet should be relatively in line. This ensures that each leg is loaded fairly symmetrically. Having the back leg too far back not only limits how much it can contribute, but also introduces too much rotation to safely lift with.

Pulling with Your Arms

The Jefferson deadlift works best with a mixed grip, one underhand and one overhand. As with any underhand gripping on any style of deadlift, be sure to keep your arms straight. Trying to curl that kind of weight can lead to bicep tears.

Additional Info

Why Jefferson Deadlift

The Jefferson deadlift is an uncommon and somewhat awkward lift. However, compared to the conventional deadlift it offers a few key benefits. The first is that it puts less stress on the lower back by allowing a more upright torso position. While this shifts the emphasis a bit more towards the quads, it is still very much a hinge movement and may be safer for those with back problems.

The second is that it builds core strength in ways that are not usually covered by the standard lifts. Rather than just requiring front to back stabilization, the Jefferson trains lateral and rotational stability. This can translate much better to real life functionality, as you rarely get to lift perfectly balanced weights with a perfectly symmetrical stance.

The third is that it can help balance out differences in leg strength due to its asymmetric stance. It's even anecdotally helped many people with SI joint issues.

Jefferson Deadlift vs Jefferson Squat

While the Jefferson deadlift and the Jefferson squat are similar, they have enough differences to be distinct exercises. Jefferson squats are done with a wider, more open stance that allows for an even more upright torso and quad emphasis. They are usually done with lighter weight and the bar doesn't necessarily need to touch the ground between each rep.

Related Exercises

Reviews

Performance Standard Ranks

The ranks assume that you are generally healthy, with no underlying health conditions or injuries and have the mobility to perform the exercise correctly. You can determine your rank by comparing your numbers to the tables below. Your rank is also tracked automatically when using our Workout Log feature.

Strength Standards

The tables show the one rep max* in pounds needed to reach each rank at different body weights (also in lbs). The 1RMs on the table are based on world records, balanced ratios, and the average time needed to attain each rank. To see personalized strength standards for every exercise, check out the Strength Standards page. You can also find your Strength Score to see how you rank as part of our Fitness Score System.

*Added weight if positive, assistance if negative. The planche and levers are also notable exceptions as they show the moment at the shoulder, not weight. For more info, check out the Moment Calculator page.