Elevated Platform Deadlift
The Elevated Platform Deadlift, also known as a Deficit Deadlift, is an advanced strength exercise where you stand on a raised surface to increase the range of motion. This variation targets the posterior chain and improves strength off the floor by forcing deeper hip flexion and greater leg drive.
Because this deficit variation places significantly higher mechanical stress on the lower back and central nervous system, the AI analyzes your HRV and sleep data to ensure your recovery status supports this intensity. By tracking your RPE and speed of reps, the app can detect if the increased range of motion is causing fatigue-induced form breakdown, auto-adjusting the load or suggesting a standard deadlift regression to protect your spine while still driving strength gains.
Form Cues
- Stand securely on a stable platform with the bar over your mid-foot
- Drop your hips slightly lower than a standard deadlift to reach the bar
- Engage your lats by imagining you are bending the bar around your shins
- Drive your feet through the platform to initiate the lift
- Keep your chest tall and spine neutral throughout the movement
- Don't let your lower back round as you reach for the bar
- Don't allow your hips to shoot up before your shoulders rise
- Don't jerk the bar off the floor; build tension gradually
- Don't hyperextend your lower back at the top of the movement
Common Mistakes
- Using an unstable platform or box
- Rounding the lumbar spine due to limited mobility
- Letting the bar drift away from the shins
- Hips rising faster than the shoulders
- Bouncing the weight off the floor between reps
Muscles Worked
This exercise primarily targets the posterior chain, including the hamstrings, glutes, and erector spinae, by forcing these muscles to work through a larger range of motion than a standard deadlift. The increased knee flexion required to reach the bar also recruits the quadriceps more heavily to initiate the pull, while the latissimus dorsi and forearms work isometrically to stabilize the spine and hold the weight.
Primary
Secondary
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