How Iridium Programs This

Due to the mechanical disadvantage of the wide grip, Iridium maintains a separate 1RM estimate for this movement to ensure progressive overload targets remain realistic. The system accounts for the high systemic fatigue and spinal loading this lift generates when calculating your recovery score and Maximum Recoverable Volume. If your 7-day history shows your lower back is nearing its limit, Iridium will reduce volume or swap this for a less taxing hinge variation.

Form Cues

Position feet hip-width apart with shins touching the bar
Grasp the bar with a wide grip, hands well outside knees
Drop hips lower than a conventional deadlift to flatten the back
Drive legs through the floor to initiate the lift
Keep the bar in contact with your thighs throughout the pull

Don't

Don't let your hips shoot up before your shoulders
Don't allow your upper back to round or shoulders to roll forward
Don't jerk the bar off the floor
Don't let the bar drift away from your body

Common Mistakes

Hips rising faster than shoulders
Rounding the lumbar spine
Grip width too narrow
Bouncing the bar off the floor
Pulling with bent arms

Muscles Worked

This exercise is a powerhouse for the entire posterior chain, placing extra emphasis on the glutes and hamstrings due to the deeper starting position and longer range of motion. The wide grip forces the upper back, specifically the latissimus dorsi and trapezius, to work harder to maintain a neutral spine, while the quadriceps are heavily recruited during the initial drive from the floor.