Hinge
Deadlift
The heaviest thing most people will lift, and the one that trains the whole back of the body at once. Low reps because the fatigue per set is high and quality falls off fast.
One thing: Stop the set when the back stops holding position, not when the reps run out.
It is in 5 of the six splits, which is as good a signal as any that it earns its place. See which one matches your week.
Swap it for
Not lesser versions. What to do when the rack is busy, the gym has no cable station, or a joint objects to the first one.
- Trap-bar deadliftGlutes, Hamstrings, Quads
- Kettlebell swingGlutes, Hamstrings, Spinal erectors
Everything else that trains this pattern
- Back extensionSpinal erectors, Glutes, Hamstrings
- Dumbbell Romanian deadliftHamstrings, Glutes, Spinal erectors
- Glute bridgeGlutes, Hamstrings
- Hip extensionGlutes, Hamstrings
- Hip thrustGlutes, Hamstrings
- Rack pullGlutes, Spinal erectors, Lats
- Romanian deadliftHamstrings, Glutes, Spinal erectors
Training is the easy half
You will not build anything on the wrong number of calories, and most people are eating a long way under the protein they think they are. Get your daily number, then have the week built to it — every recipe on the site is costed from gram weights, so the figures are checkable rather than rounded up to sound better.
This is not a form tutorial. There is no technique walkthrough here and no claim about the one correct way to move — a page cannot watch you lift. What it gives you is what the movement trains, how much of it to do, and what to do instead when the equipment is taken. If a movement is new to you, get someone qualified to watch your first few sessions. If you are under 18, pregnant, or managing an injury or medical condition, talk to someone qualified rather than a website.