By performing bent-knee deadlifts from a deficit (a slightly elevated position) and with your hands spaced out wide on the bar, it forces you to pull from a deeper starting position, which increases knee flexion and thus range of motion (ROM) of the lift. Stand on a 4-inch box or step or 3 stacked weight plates, and use a wide grip (often referred to as a snatch grip). To determine how wide the grip should be, raise your arms out to the side and measure the distance from elbow to elbow.

If your goal is muscle size, the greater the ROM you train in, the more muscle fiber you stimulate and thus the greater the potential for hypertrophy. The bent-knee wide-grip deficit deadlift is an exercise that stimulates a lot of muscle! Make it a regular in your training.