• View
• Edit
• History
• Print

Stiff-legged Deadlift

STIFF-LEGGED DEADLIFT

Taken from Dave Draper's book, Brother Iron, Sister Steel

A lighter variation of the bent-leg deadlift or powerlifter’s deadlift, stiff-legged deads are practiced using relatively milder weight with the aim on deeper repetitions for hamstring stretch and flexibility and the resulting health, strength and performance enhancement. Standing upright with the bar in hands, palms toward the body, lower the weight to the floor as previously described; yet the action is performed with only a slight bend in the knees. Look straight ahead as you focus on the descent, keeping the resistance safely close to the body along the shins to a near-ankle pause and steadily pull up, shoulders back, arms extended and in control.

In the case of both bent and stiff-legged deads, at the moment of descent the glutes jut backward as the lowering weight is kept close to the body (the center of gravity) in obedience to the laws of physics. Expect this logical compensation and you’ll find the movement more appealing and achievable.

Repeat for eight to ten or fifteen reps for the number of sets defined by your purpose and drive. These bombers — like pieces to a puzzle — fit where they belong.

Whereas the bent leg deadlift is an over-all body movement and often considered a power movement, the stiff-legged deadlift is a developmental movement that targets the hamstrings, gluteus and erectors...in just about that order.

Here's my take on the movement:

Feet are comfortably spaced...shoulder width or less, usually. It's easier to learn this movement from the top, taking the weight from holders or stands and stepping back. If this is not available to you...do a conventional bent leg deadlift to the top position to start the movement.

What is meant by a flat, straight or arched back is this: you are maintaining or slightly accentuating your normal lumbar curve. This means the back is slightly concave when view from the side.

Hands are just shoulder width apart on the bar, with a pronated (knuckles up) grip.

Inhale and lift the chest. Now, while looking forward, begin to pivot from the hips (so as to maintain the normal lumbar curve) and bend forward. Quite naturally, your hips will want to move slightly back (to the rear) as you do this. Don't fight this movement. You should feel a tension in the erectors and especially the glutes and hamstrings throughout the movement.

While you are doing this, the legs are slightly bent and held rigidly in that slightly bent position. This movement should be more accurately called a rigid legged-deadlift, rather than a stiff-legged deadlift, since stiff connotes "straight" to most people and it is emphatically NOT a straight-legged position.

The movement that you are trying to emulate is the movement of one of those "drinking bird" toys...get the picture?

Descend only as far as you can go before you begin to round the back (losing the lumbar curve) or you increase the knee bend. It is not necessary to touch the floor, nor is it recommended, since you tend to relax your form when you contact the floor. Exhale slowly about half way up on the return trip.

During the entire movement, keep your eyes forward. Let your head follow the spine throughout the movement, neither looking up or down. Looking down has a tendency to encourage rounding the back and should be avoided.

Some "authorities" recommend standing on a bench and doing this movement, so that you can drop below the level of the feet. This is bad advice. First off, balance is difficult in this position. Second, unless unusually supple, most people can't stretch that far without rounding the lower back.

If you want increased stretch, do one or both of these things: Use smaller plates on the bar and/or stand on the edge of the lifting platform or a well constructed platform that is stable enough to support you during the movement. It needn't be more than 2-4 inches high to significantly increase the stretch in the movement, especially when combined with the use of smaller plates. Wicked Willie

Dr. Ken's article on stifflegged deadlifts has been archived here at Power and Bulk.

Joel's description in an IOL post:

Stiff legged dead lift is NOT for lower back and if done correctly you really shouldn't feel it there. It's for the hamstrings. (bending at the knees makes it a lower back exercise). You lock your knees, keep your back flat as a table (no bending), feet at about shoulder width, toes pointed slightly inward, use light weight (not like dead lifts for the lower back) and you can even stand on a platform (one of those plastic step class things works well) to get a longer stretch to the floor. You lower the weight to the floor, knees locked, and touch the weight to the ground (if you have the flexibility in your hams to do this) and then you rise to vertical (NOT to the hyper extended position, a bit past vertical while flexing of the lats, that's what you'd do if it was regular dead lifts). It's REALLY important to keep the weight light on stiff legged dead lifts. Think of it as a weighted toe-touch stretch. You should feel it only in your hamstrings and the very top of where your calf ties in behind your knee as you stretch downwards during the movement.