Do Deadlifts Work Abs? Find Out How They Impact Your Core 2025

Ask most gym goers, and they’ll tell you deadlifts are a key part of their leg day workout. Deadlifts are a compound movement often used for the growth of the major lower limb muscles, glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps. However, the deadlift is a functional movement that simultaneously works multiple upper and lower body muscle groups.

Do deadlifts work abs? This article will answer this question and more. We will provide tips for those new to deadlifting and anyone wanting to learn more about it. If you want to understand the benefits of deadlifts and learn some alternatives and variations, keep reading.

Do Deadlifts Work Abs?

The primary muscles used in deadlifting are the hamstrings and gluteus maximus, with significant activation of the quadriceps and erector spinae. While deadlifts do not primarily target the abs, these muscles are important in performing the exercise safely.

The ab muscles are a key part of the core and support the spine to maintain the correct form during a deadlift. This is important for an efficient workout while protecting the lower back. Any rounding of the back during the movement reduces the neutral spine position, increasing the risk of injury.

The great thing about deadlifting is that it is a functional exercise. It mimics real-life movements and strengthens muscles important for everyday activities such as walking, running, and lifting items. You get a full-body workout, which is supported by the abs. The abs stabilize the core, allowing the upper and lower body to work together to lift weights.

If your aim is a six-pack, then completing ab workouts at home and isolating the abs would be beneficial. There are also other compound ab exercises that will also support you in reaching this goal. However, deadlifts engage and build your core and (along with a healthy diet) can improve the aesthetic of your abs.

So, the answer to the question is yes, deadlifts do work the abs.

Tips For Using Deadlifts To Work The Abs 

• Engage your core by pulling your navel inwards to brace your core, ready for lifting the weight.
• Use slow and controlled movements while lifting the weight to increase the muscles’ time under tension. This will reduce the use of momentum and increase the amount of time muscles are activated, improving workout effectiveness.
• Focus on using the proper form and technique throughout the movement, reducing your risk of injury.
• Focus on your breathing. Doing forced exhale breaths while exerting effort (lifting the weight) engages the abs and increases the intra-abdominal pressure.
• Experiment with different variations of deadlifts to challenge different ab muscles and increase engagement. For example, deadlifting with a less stable base (on a single leg) will require more stabilization from the core muscles.

Other Benefits Of Deadlifts

• Deadlifts are a compound movement that simultaneously works multiple muscles in the upper and lower bodies.
• Deadlifts are functional movements that strengthen and improve our ability to complete everyday activities.
• Deadlifts help build strength and power, especially in the lower body. This can lead to improvements in sporting activities and athletic endeavors.
• Exercise programs that involve deadlifts have been shown to reduce pain in the lower back and improve function.
• Deadlifts benefit multiple systems from a health perspective, including increasing muscular and cardiovascular endurance.
• Variations allow you to target different muscles, including reducing the strain on your lower back. You can also change equipment; for instance, you may find the dumbbell deadlift more beginner-friendly than the barbell deadlift.

Variations And Alternatives

There are many variations and alternatives to the traditional deadlift. Many use them to get a more rounded workout or use a variation to bias specific muscles. Here are a few examples:

Barbell Romanian Deadlift

The barbell Romanian deadlift is a variation of the traditional deadlift that better targets the glutes, hamstrings, and lower back. The main movement is like the traditional deadlift but also differs in many ways.

• The barbell Romanian deadlift focuses on the hip hinge with less knee bend. This makes your hamstrings work harder over your hip joint. The glutes are also heavily engaged in this exercise.
• The barbell does not touch the floor between reps. This leads to more time under tension for the posterior chain muscles, keeping them engaged throughout the set.
• The movement starts holding the barbell weight, focusing on eccentric (lowering) control of the posterior chain muscles. This differs from the traditional deadlift, where each rep explores the full range of motion between standing and the floor.

Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift

The dumbbell Romanian deadlift differs from using the barbell. Like the barbell deadlift, it targets the glutes, hamstrings, and lower back but also activates more of the core.

• The dumbbell Romanian deadlift is more accessible to beginners. Dumbbells are easier to grip than barbells, allowing you to stand in a more natural posture. A beginner may find learning the technique simpler.
• Holding two dumbbells requires more core stabilization to maintain balance and posture. Although this sounds more complex, the weights are often lighter, and you can use a more natural grip with dumbbells.
• Using dumbbells also engages more stabilizing muscles in the shoulders. You will have more flexibility throughout your movement than when gripping a single barbell. The dumbbells move more freely, rather than a more fixed path for a barbell.

Barbell Sumo Deadlift

The barbell sumo deadlift is another variation that can help you bias and target certain muscles. The stance is wide, as suggested by the name sumo, and the grip on the barbell is between the legs. This stance has many benefits.

• It increases the upright posture of the trunk, making the legs take more load than the lower back. If you have issues with your lower back, this could be a suitable variation for you.
• It recruits more muscle groups in the legs. Not only are your glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps working harder, but your adductor (inner thigh) muscles are also engaged. Due to the sumo stance, these muscles are also more engaged than in a traditional deadlift.
• It is also kinder to the knees and hips, as there is less range to move through with the barbell weight. The knees do not have to move forward over the toes while loaded with weight, which can be uncomfortable.

Conclusion

Hopefully, you’ve learned that deadlifting is a great full-body exercise and not just for leg day. Deadlifts rely on your core to protect your lower back while working both the upper and lower body. This means your abs get a workout whenever you do deadlifts.

Building abs takes more work than just exercising, as your diet will impact your results. We have also explored ways to target your abs specifically if you want to isolate them and make gains.

Compound exercises are effective and contribute to keeping us fit and healthy, so you can’t go wrong either way.

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