Rickshaw Deadlift
The rickshaw deadlift has you stand inside a loaded frame and lift it by gripping handles at your sides, similar in feel to a trap bar deadlift but usually loaded and walked as a strongman event rather than performed for straight reps off the floor. Because the handles sit level with your hips rather than out in front of your shins, the lift favors a more upright torso and a bigger role for the quads than a conventional barbell deadlift. It suits lifters who already deadlift confidently and want a variation with more available equipment options and a slightly different loading pattern.
Why it works
Where a barbell sits in front of your shins and pulls your torso forward as you set up, the rickshaw frame surrounds you, with handles positioned right at your sides near hip height. That position lets you keep a more upright torso through the lift, which shifts more of the workload onto the quads and reduces how far your hips need to travel compared to a conventional deadlift. Because the frame swings freely on some equipment, your grip and stabilizing muscles also have to control any side-to-side sway, adding a balance and bracing demand on top of the raw pulling strength the lift already requires. The neutral, hammer-style grip the handles allow is also easier on the wrists and biceps than pulling a straight bar, which is part of why some lifters use it as a heavier-loading alternative on weeks when a conventional deadlift feels rough on the joints.
Set up
- Load the rickshaw frame evenly on both sides before stepping in.
- Stand inside the frame with feet roughly hip-width apart, gripping a handle firmly in each hand.
- Bend your knees and hips to lower into position, lifting your chest and holding a flat spine.
- Take a full breath and brace your core before initiating the lift.
How to do it
- Drive through your legs to lift the frame off the ground, keeping your torso upright.
- Extend your hips and knees together until you're standing fully tall, with the frame hanging at your sides.
- Pause briefly at the top without leaning back or hyperextending your lower back.
- Lower the frame back down under control by bending your hips and knees together.
- Reset your grip and your brace before starting the next rep.
Form cues
- Chest up, torso stays tall through the lift.
- Drive through the legs, not just the back.
- Full lockout at the top, no lean-back.
- Lower with the same control you used to lift.
Breathing: Take a full breath and brace before each rep, exhaling once you reach the top of the lift.
Common mistakes
Rounding the lower back to get the frame moving off the ground.
Fix: Set your hips and chest position before the pull starts, and keep a flat back from setup through lockout.
Leaning back or hyperextending the spine at the top of the lift.
Fix: Stop the movement once your hips are fully extended and you're standing tall; there's no need to lean past that point.
Letting the frame swing side to side during the lift.
Fix: Brace your core and keep even pressure on both handles to keep the frame moving in a straight vertical line.
Loading the frame unevenly, causing the lift to feel lopsided.
Fix: Double-check that both sides carry equal weight before you begin the set.
How to program it
- This is a genuinely loaded compound pull, so treat it like a main lower body lift and keep it to once a week if it's your primary deadlift-pattern movement that week.
- Three to five sets of 3 to 6 reps builds strength well for this pattern, since the neutral grip and upright torso let most lifters handle heavier loads than a conventional deadlift.
- Place it early in a lower body session while your bracing and grip are fresh, since both fatigue quickly under this loading pattern.
- If your gym has both a rickshaw frame and a trap bar, alternate between them across training blocks rather than doing both in the same week.
Safety notes
- Keep the lower back flat throughout the lift; the more upright torso here doesn't remove the need for solid spinal bracing.
- Start with a conservative load until you're comfortable with how the frame balances and swings under weight.
Exercise profile
- Force
- Pull
- Mechanics
- Compound
- Category
- strongman
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between a rickshaw deadlift and a trap bar deadlift?
They share a similar neutral-grip, straddled stance, but the rickshaw frame is typically strongman equipment used for heavier loads and event-style training, while the trap bar is a more common gym tool. The movement pattern and muscles worked are very similar.
How many sets and reps of rickshaw deadlifts should I do?
Three to five sets of 3 to 6 reps is a solid range for building strength, treating it like a main compound lift rather than a light accessory movement.
What muscles does the rickshaw deadlift work?
The quads take on a bigger share of the work than in a conventional deadlift, thanks to the more upright torso position, with the glutes, hamstrings, lower back, traps, and forearms all contributing as well.
Can I do a rickshaw deadlift without a rickshaw frame?
A trap bar deadlift trains a nearly identical neutral-grip, straddled-stance pattern and is available at most gyms that don't carry strongman equipment.