Zercher Deadlift (Barbell)
Hold a barbell in the crooks of the elbows and lift it from the floor to standing with the hips and back.
- Pattern
- Hip hinge
- Equipment
- Barbell
- Works
- Glutes, quads, lower back
- Loads
- Hips, knees, lower back
If something hurts
Not medical advice. Sharp pain, numbness or swelling needs someone qualified to look at it.
Each swap below spares one joint.
Lower back Hip Thrust (Barbell)
Hip extension only; the knee and back stay out of it.
Knee Hip Thrust (Barbell)
Hip extension only; the knee and back stay out of it.
When it stalls, these usually help
Direct work for your quads, which this lift also depends on.
Direct work for your lower back, which this lift also depends on.
How Swolver coaches it
This lift is read from your own sessions. When it goes flat for four weeks, Swolver names the likely cause in plain words, such as weekly sets that dropped, and the one change to make. The rules are all on the method page.