Exercise movement reviewed by:Cody Lockling, MS, CSCS

How Iridium Programs This

Iridium identifies this as a high-load glute developer and tracks your performance to update your estimated 1RM without equating the systemic fatigue to a full deadlift. If your erector spinae recovery scores are low from previous sessions, the AI prioritizes this floor-based hinge to maintain training intensity while sparing your lower back. Additionally, Iridium monitors RPE trends to ensure you are achieving progressive overload despite the exercise's naturally shorter range of motion.

Form Cues

Place the barbell directly over your hips with a pad for comfort
Drive your heels firmly into the floor to initiate the lift
Squeeze your glutes hard at the very top of the movement
Keep your chin tucked and ribs pulled down towards your pelvis
Control the weight on the descent without crashing to the floor

Don't

Don't hyperextend your lower back at the top
Don't let your knees cave inward
Don't push through your toes or lift your heels
Don't use momentum to bounce the weight off the floor
Don't place your feet too far forward or too close to your glutes

Common Mistakes

Arching the lumbar spine
Improper foot placement
Insufficient hip extension
Neck hyperextension
Rolling the bar too high up the stomach

Muscles Worked

This exercise primarily targets the gluteus maximus, allowing for a peak contraction where the muscle is shortest. It also recruits the hamstrings for hip extension and the erector spinae for stability, though the bent-knee position reduces hamstring involvement compared to straight-leg variations.