Is it harder for people with long legs to deadlift?

Author: Lexi Goyette PhD  |  Last update: Tuesday, May 6, 2025

Deadlifting With Long Legs And/Or Short Arms If you physically need to bend deeper in the knees to get there — whether because of long legs, short arms, or both — it might be tougher for you to scrape the bar up your shins while pushing the ground away through your heels.

Is deadlift easier with long legs?

Deadlifts are generally easier for taller people as they ``generally'' have longer limbs. Most of the best deadlifters have long arms.

Are deadlifts harder for tall people?

How tall are you? Deadlifts are easier with longer limbs (more typical for taller people), while squats are easier the shorter you are. So if you're particularly short, your deadlift might seem light in comparison to your squat.

Is squatting harder for people with long legs?

Long legs plus poor ankle mobility makes squatting deep very challenging. To overcome this limitation, focus on improving ankle dorsiflexion – the ability to flex your foot upward towards your shin.

Are longer legs harder to build muscle?

Long Legs

Even with perfect form, you'll have a tougher time adding size and strength. Men with shorter bones can do more reps with heavier weights. The second problem is that your form is probably flawed. Longer bones have more opportunity to make false moves.

Deadlifting With Long Legs / Grip Issues / Hip Position

Does leg length affect squat?

In terms of leg length ratio, a femur to tibia length ratio (FTR) needs to be treated especially important during the squat because the major movement of the squat involves flexion/extension of the hip and knee controlled by the movement of the femur and tibia.

What is the ideal physique for deadlifts?

Generally speaking an excellent build for a Deadlift is having a short torso and long arms. This allows you to have a more upright torso position at the start of the lift, creates a more open angle at the hips and will most likely result in a lower lockout position.

Should I sumo deadlift if I have long legs?

The sumo deadlift will likely be better if you have long legs and a short torso. This is because the sumo stance allows you to get your hips closer to the bar, which reduces the distance that the bar has to travel. Conversely, the conventional deadlift will likely be better if you have a long torso and short legs.

Does being short make deadlifts harder?

No, on the contrary, deadlifts are more difficult for shorter people but the squats are more difficult for taller people. The reason for this is that shorter people typically have short arms and short legs but longer torsos.

Why is squatting harder for tall people?

"And the longer your femurs are, the harder it is to perform the back squat with high quality," he adds. Tall guys struggle to maintain balance between pushing their hips back to settle into the squat and keeping their center of mass over the midfoot.

Can deadlifting heavy stunt growth?

"There's no evidence that weight lifting stunts growth," she said.

Is deadlift difficult for tall people?

A deadlift can be more difficult the taller you are due to having to bend more at your hips. You also have to lift the weight a higher distance against gravity than shorter people.

Are legs important in deadlift?

Leg muscles worked with Conventional Deadlifts

For the conventional deadlift, the movement will stimulate the thigh and hip muscles. In particular, these muscle groups include: The quadriceps muscles. The hamstrings muscles.

Does having longer limbs make lifting harder?

Lifters who have the shortest limbs show higher performance on weightlifting, both in males and females.

Which deadlift is best for long legs?

Best Variation: Trap Bar Deadlift

Using a trap bar for deadlifting can go a long way in fixing the problems for this body type variation, primarily since there is no longer a bar blocking the shins from traveling forward.

Am I built for sumo or conventional?

You definitely need to be honest with yourself. If you have very strong legs and hips, then you may want to pull sumo to take advantage of this. If you have a very strong back, then you may want to consider using a conventional deadlift stance to take advantage of that.

Are deadlifts harder for people with long legs?

Deadlifting With Long Legs And/Or Short Arms

If you physically need to bend deeper in the knees to get there — whether because of long legs, short arms, or both — it might be tougher for you to scrape the bar up your shins while pushing the ground away through your heels.

Is A 225 deadlift heavy?

No matter what comes afterward, 225 in the squat or deadlift is a respectable milestone for any non-powerlifter, amateur athlete, or weekend warrior. A 200-plus deadlift is also a tough but realistic goal for most fit women.

Is 315 lb deadlift impressive?

For a beginner lifter, a 315 lbs deadlift could be extremely impressive. For an experienced lifter, it might be considered moderate. And for a competitive powerlifter, it might be on the lower end. It's important to remember that everyone's strength journey is different.

Is deadlifting 2x bodyweight impressive?

Knowing the standards of the deadlift is pivotal for maximizing our training to get the most benefits possible. The standards we found were that lifting around 2 to 3 times body weight is ideal for being termed as a great deadlifter. The deadlift is not just an exercise. it's a path to a stronger, more capable you.

Is it harder for people with long legs to squat?

People of a certain structure (usually tall and long-legged) may have a more difficult time squatting than those who are shorter and stockier. This is because the squat is all about leverage.

How do I tell if I have long femurs?

This is a relatively simple process. Stand upright and look at the proportions of your body. Do your legs seem like they're really, really long when you compare them to your torso? If your answer is yes – then your femurs are probably long.

Are longer legs more powerful?

On the other hand, if an athlete requires a long powerful stroke, such as in swimming, sprinting, jumping, or rowing, then a longer lever, provided it is accompanied by the muscular power needed to propel it, - has an advantage in these types of sports because of the speed those longer limbs can generate at the end of ...

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