Tip: Try the Deadlift Walk

Improve your conditioning and test your mettle with this unique exercise. Here's how to do it.

This is a great exercise for total body conditioning. Here's how to do it.

  1. Go to the power rack and move the hooks or barbell supports to the outside-front of the rack and set them at a level just below your knees. You may also be able to use the safety supports depending on the type of equipment you have.
  2. Load a bar with approximately 65% of your raw deadlift 1RM. Place the bar on the floor directly in front of the power rack about two full steps away from the hooks.
  3. Assume a shoulder-width stance with your grip outside of your legs. Use a symmetrical pronated grip (palms facing you), not the mixed grip.
  4. Deadlift the weight up. Once you reach lockout, take two steps forward, reset your stance, and lower the bar onto the hooks or supports.
  5. As soon as you release muscular tension, re-lift the load, take two steps backward, stop, reset your stance, and lower to the ground. That's the first rep.
  6. Without resting, repeat for the prescribed number of reps.
Deadlift Walk 1
Deadlift Walk 2
Deadlift Walk 3
  • Load: 65% of raw deadlift 1RM
  • Sets: 2-3
  • Reps: 15
  • Rest: 60 seconds

As part of your conditioning plan, do this once per week. As you progress from week to week, keep the load the same but drop 5 seconds from the rest period between sets.

Note: If you don't have access to a power rack you can set the bar on a bench.