Barbell Jefferson Deadlift
What Is the Barbell Jefferson Deadlift?
Barbell Jefferson Deadlift is a compound exercise that primarily targets the quads and glutes and also engages the adductors, hamstrings, lower back, obliques and upper back. It is an advanced-level movement in which the lifter straddles the barbell, so the bar runs between the legs and is lifted with one hand in front of the body and the other behind it.
The lift is named after the strongman Charles Jefferson and comes from old-time strongman training. Today it is an uncommon deadlift variation, used mostly for variety, for heavy leg work and to train the trunk under an uneven load. Because the bar hangs directly beneath the hips instead of in front of the shins, the torso stays more upright than in a Barbell Deadlift and the lift behaves more like a squat than a hip hinge, which puts more of the work on the quads and glutes. Coaches who favor it point to that centered load as easier on the lower back, although the twisted setup brings demands of its own.
The setup is asymmetrical. One hand and one side of the body lead, so the obliques and the rest of the trunk work hard to stop the torso from turning toward the front of the bar, and the leading side tends to do a little more of the work. That makes it a way to train heavy anti-rotation strength and to compare one side against the other, and it is why lifters alternate the leading side from set to set. It suits strongman competitors, athletes who work from a wide or staggered stance, and lifters looking for a change from conventional pulls.
Stance and hip height decide where the work goes. Sitting lower with a more upright torso adds quad and inner-thigh work, while starting with the hips higher shifts more of the effort to the hamstrings and lower back. Lifters should be comfortable with the Barbell Deadlift and a centered-load pull such as the Trap Bar Deadlift or Kettlebell Sumo Deadlift before loading this lift heavily. Despite the shared name, it has nothing in common with the Barbell Jefferson Curl, a slow, rounded-back drill for spinal flexibility.
Muscles Worked
- Gluteus Maximus
- Primary
- Vastus Lateralis
- Primary
- Vastus Medialis
- Primary
- Adductor Magnus
- High
- Erector Spinae
- High
- Adductor Longus
- Medium
- Biceps Femoris
- Medium
- External Oblique
- Medium
- Upper Trapezius
- Medium
Instructions
- Load a barbell on the floor, stand beside the middle of it and step one foot over so the bar runs between your feet, angled slightly so it lies under your hips with one end ahead of you and the other behind.
- Set your feet wider than shoulder-width with your toes turned out and both feet flat, your weight split evenly between them.
- Squat down by bending your hips and knees, keeping your chest up and turning your shoulders only as far as you need to reach the bar.
- Grip the bar with one hand in front of your body and the other behind it, each roughly under its shoulder, arms straight and palms facing opposite ways.
- Set your hips low and centered over the bar, flatten your back, look ahead and push your knees out over your toes.
- Take a deep breath, brace your core and pull the slack out of the bar.
- Drive through both feet and stand up, extending your hips and knees together and keeping the bar centered under your body.
- Finish standing tall with your hips and knees straight and your chest facing forward, without leaning back or twisting.
- Lower the bar by squatting straight back down along the same path, keeping your back flat, and set it down under control.
- Finish your reps, then switch which hand and side lead for the next set.
Common Mistakes
Hinging like a conventional deadlift
Starting with the hips high and the chest far over the bar turns the lift into an awkward twisted hinge, so sit your hips down and keep your torso more upright.
Bar off center
Setting the bar too far forward or back makes it bump your legs and pulls you off balance, so line it up under your hips before you grip it.
Back heel lifting
Letting one heel come up shifts the load onto the other leg, so adjust that foot until both feet stay flat through the whole rep.
Knees caving in
Letting the knees collapse inward in the wide stance strains the knees and groin, so push them out in line with your toes as you stand.
Twisting or rounding the back
Letting the shoulders turn or the lower back round as the bar leaves the floor puts the spine under a twisting load, so brace hard and keep your chest facing forward.
Always leading with the same side
Keeping the same hand and foot in front every set builds one side more than the other, so alternate the leading side between sets.
Injuries
Barbell Jefferson Deadlift is a medium risk exercise when performed with proper technique. The load sits centered under the body, but the setup is twisted and one-sided, so the lower back, the groin and inner thighs, and the knees take most of the strain. Problems usually come from rounding or twisting the lower back as the bar leaves the floor, letting the knees cave in, or loading it like a regular deadlift before the position feels natural.
Start well below your usual deadlift load and add weight over several sessions as the setup becomes familiar. Keep both feet flat with your weight split evenly, brace before every rep and keep your chest facing forward as you stand, so your trunk resists the twist instead of giving in to it. Line the bar up under your hips so it does not knock against your legs, turn your toes out a little more if your hips or groin feel pinched, and alternate the leading side so one side does not take all the work.
To make it easier, learn a centered pull first with the Kettlebell Sumo Deadlift or Trap Bar Deadlift, or shorten the range by pulling the bar from blocks or low safety pins. To progress, add load gradually, pause briefly just after the bar leaves the floor, or do an extra set with your weaker side leading.
Stop the set if you feel sharp pain in your lower back, groin or knees, or any pain, numbness or tingling running down a leg, and get it checked before loading the lift again. Lifters with a back condition such as scoliosis should check with a clinician first, since the lift loads the trunk unevenly.
Other Names for the Barbell Jefferson Deadlift
The Barbell Jefferson Deadlift is also known as:
- Straddle Deadlift
- Jefferson Lift
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: Is the Jefferson deadlift the same as the Jefferson curl?
No. The Jefferson deadlift is a heavy straddle-stance pull in which the back stays flat, while the Barbell Jefferson Curl is a slow, light drill that rounds the spine one segment at a time. They share a name but train different things.
- Q: Is it more like a squat or a deadlift?
It sits between the two. The bar comes off the floor like a deadlift, but because it hangs under the hips the torso stays upright and the knees bend more, so most lifters feel it more in the quads and glutes than a regular pull. Starting with the hips higher shifts it back toward a hinge.
- Q: Should I switch which side leads?
Yes. Most lifters are stronger with one side leading, so alternate which hand and foot are in front from set to set, or do the same number of sets each way, to keep both sides developing evenly.
- Q: How should I grip the bar?
With the bar running between your legs, one hand grips it in front of your body and the other behind, with the palms facing opposite ways. Keep your hands roughly under your shoulders, and use lifting straps if your grip gives out before your legs and back do.
- Q: How much weight should I use compared to my regular deadlift?
Start well below your usual deadlift load, because the stance and grip take time to learn. Add weight only once the setup feels stable, both feet stay flat and your chest stays facing forward through the whole rep.
- Q: Is it easier on the back than a regular deadlift?
For some lifters it feels that way, because the load sits under the hips instead of in front of the shins and the torso stays more upright. The twisted, one-sided setup still loads the trunk, though, so build up the weight gradually and keep it out of a sore back's program until a clinician clears it.