The deficit deadlift is a deadlift standing on a low platform: the bar travels further and the start off the floor gets the hardest.
1Starting positionStart2End positionFinish
Setup
Stand on a platform or plates 2–5 cm high with the bar over mid-foot. Hinge, grip just outside your legs, back flat. Take the slack out of the bar and stand up like a regular deadlift.
Execution
Stand on a 2–4 inch platform, feet shoulder-width apart, and grip the bar just outside your legs.
Exhale and stand up, dragging the bar along your legs with a flat back.
Inhale and lower the bar back down under control.
Common mistakes
Too high a platform — 2–5 cm is enough; higher and you can't keep your back flat.
Your back rounding at the start — if you can't hold it, the deficit isn't for you yet.
Using your regular deadlift weight — drop it 10–20% for the deficit.
Jerking the bar off the floor — pull the slack out first, then push the floor away.
