When it comes to building strength, there are 2 huge, controllable factors that determine strength. They are, in order of importance, neuromuscular coordination and muscle size. Neuromuscular coordination is the ability of your brain, nerves, and muscles to work together efficiently to produce a movement pattern. In everyday language we might refer to this as one’s technique or skill. The second key part is muscle size, otherwise known as the cross sectional area of the muscle. Think of muscles as the engine in a car; muscles are what makes the body go. Neuromuscular coordination is like the driver of the car.
Listed below is a table of the muscles that are involved in the conventional deadlift. They are ranked on a scale of 1-5, with 5 being the most involved and a 1 being the barely involved at all. It should be logical to have a strong conventional deadlift you must make the muscles that are going to move that weight stronger.
| Muscle | Contribution |
| Erectors and Multifidus | 5 |
| Glute Maximus | 4 |
| Glute Med/Min(Abductors) | 2 |
| Quads | 3.5 |
| Hamstrings | 4 |
| Adductors (Magnus) | 3 |
| Trapezius | 4 |
| Rhomboids | 3 |
| Lats | 2 |
| Posterior Deltoids | 2 |
| Biceps | 2 |
| Forearm Flexors (Grip) | 4 |
| Core (Abs, Obliques) | 2 |
| Gastroc | 1 |
| Hip Flexors | 1 |
Note: It is possible that individual variation, biomechanics, and form might make a muscle work either a little bit more or a little bit less involved based on how the lift is perform.
If you believe that increasing the size of your muscles will help improve the deadlift, then focus on training the muscles that received a 3 or more on the above scale. Give it 3, 6, even 12 months of hard training. Track your progress and try to establish your own personal correlation between your muscle size and your performance on the platform. It is worth noting that because the deadlift requires force to cross the most stable major joint in powerlifting (the spine/hip) adding size doesn’t tend to have the same impact to the lift as it might other lifts (particularly the bench). This is why this lift is the typically the least affected by any change in bodyweight. However bigger and stronger engines (traps, glutes, erectors, hamstrings, forearms) that help move and control the conventional deadlift can still significantly improve performance.
Is this muscle recruitment for a deadlift bar or a power bar? Also, what is this data based on?
The Deadlift is to strength gains. As reading is to knowledge. Good article. Great subject.
Very nice article.
I really like the table of muscle involvement ratings, it’s a great idea.
I have actually linked to your post as an extra resource on my deadlift guide article, I hope you don’t mind me doing so.
-Laine
reference?
Hey there,
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Direct Assistant – Dark Iron Fitness
Awesome layout on the article, really like the table on the muscles. I will make sure to send some people your way when they ask me about deadlifts!
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Hi,
I would like to propose the link exchange deal with your website allaboutpowerlifting.com, for mutual benefit in getting more traffic and improve search engine’s ranking, absolutely no money involve.
We will link to you from our Fashion and Women authority site – https://www.souledamerican.com/, from its homepage’s sidebar. In return you will agree to do the same to link back to one of our client site, from your allaboutpowerlifting.com’s homepage too (sidebar, footer, or anywhere on your homepage), with our brand name Harajuku Fever.
If you are interested, kindly reply to this email.
Thank you,
Charles
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your article is valuable for me and for others. Thanks for sharing your information!
Hi I’m desperately trying to get a pdf of this deadlifting man, showing all the muscles used, as I’d like to make a poster out of it for my pt studio, would you know where I can get one? Thank you