Thought Deadlifts Couldn't Get Any Harder? Try These Full-Body Variations That Prove Otherwise

Published on 6/4/2019 at 7:10 AM

Squats, lunges, curls, presses: as satisfying as it is to burn out one muscle group at a time, going one by one can also make for a looong workout. Short on time? Make it a compound movement by pulling a couple of upper-body moves together in combination with a deadlift, one of the best fat-burning, muscle-building exercises around.

"Any upper-body move paired with a deadlift is a good total-body move," Karena Dawn of Tone It Up told POPSUGAR, suggesting deadlifts with a press or curl. The combination move fires up your glutes and hamstrings, then your arms and shoulders, as you engage and strengthen your core to stabilize.

We've gathered four effective compound deadlift exercises so you can grab two dumbbells (here's a guide on choosing the right weight) and hop right in. Choose a move or two, and add two to three sets to any workout that just doesn't feel challenging enough; after a few reps, you'll be panting too hard to complain!

And don't miss your chance to work out with Tone It Up's Karena Dawn and Katrina Scott at POPSUGAR Play/Ground in June — tickets are on sale now!

Dumbbell Deadlift, Curl, and Press

Stand with your feet directly under your hips, holding a dumbbell in each hand.
Push your butt back as you bend your knees, squatting down just enough to tap the front end of the dumbbell to the floor. Keep your back straight, not curved or arched. Your chest should be parallel with the floor.
Push through your heels to return to standing while bringing the weights to your shoulders, performing a bicep curl.
Stabilize your torso and keep your arms moving upward, performing an overhead press with the palms facing out.
Lower your arms back to your side to complete one rep.
Do 10 to 15 reps.

Deadlift With Back Row

Stand upright holding your dumbbells in each hand, with your palms facing in and your knees slightly bent.
Keeping your arms straight and knees slightly bent, slowly hinge forward, bending at your hips (not your waist), lowering the weights to your shins without rounding your back.
Keeping your back almost parallel to the floor and abs pulled in to your spine, bend your elbows toward the ceiling, squeezing your shoulder blades together and performing a back row.
Maintain the position of your torso as you lower the weights back to your shins.
Squeeze your glutes to return to standing, keeping your back straight.
Do 10 to 15 reps to complete one set.

Deadlift With Upright Row

Stand upright holding your dumbbells in each hand, arms at your sides, with your knees slightly bent.
Keeping your arms straight and knees slightly bent, slowly hinge forward, bending at your hips (not your waist), lowering the weights as far as possible without rounding your back, which should remain straight.
Squeeze your glutes to return to standing, keeping your back straight. Once you're standing, pull the weights up the front of your body, bringing them to your chin with elbows going wide. Lower the weights to complete one rep.
Do 10 to 15 reps to complete one set.

Single-Leg Deadlift With Row

Stand up straight, and hold two dumbbells with palms facing each other.
Lift your left foot up a bit, and balance on your right leg. Keeping your back neutral, lean your entire torso forward while raising your left leg, which should stay in line with your body.
Holding this position, perform a row by bending your elbows back so that the dumbbells meet the sides of your chest while squeezing your shoulder blades together. Lower weights back toward the floor.
With your back straight, return upright, coming to your starting position to complete one rep.
Do 10 to 12 reps on each side to complete a set.