STIFF-LEG DEADLIFT
If you are an inexperienced lifter and/or suffer from lower back problems this lift should be avoided. Lifters attempting this exercise should already be familiar with the movement pattern for the Standard Barbell Deadlift.
Deadlift variations such as the Stiff-Leg Deadlift help to develop a crucial movement pattern for anyone who is serious about their training – the Loaded Hip Hinge Pattern. The ability to stabilize your spine and pelvis under tension whilst bending over is a basic requirement for many popular lifts such as Bent Over Rows, Squats, and the regular Deadlift. Furthermore, this movement pattern is a basic functional movement for everyday living which allows you to pick things up off the floor. Nevertheless, mastering the loaded hinge hip movement pattern can be challenging, especially for the novice lifter since it requires the gluteal muscles, erector spinae, and hamstrings to work in unison to allow the torso to drop forward in a strong and controlled fashion.
The Stiff-Leg Deadlift is a more challenging deadlift variant compared to some others, since it involves flexion and extension (rounding and un-rounding) of the spine, and therefore has the potential to place excessive stress on the lower back in particular. This lift is often mistaken for the Romanian Deadlift, and whilst there are similarities between these lifts - particularly in their set-up - there are notable differences in execution and the muscles they target which distinguish each as a lift in their own right. The most notable differences are 1) The Stiff-Leg Deadlift involves flexion and extension of the spine, whilst the Romanian Deadlift requires the back to remain fixed in a neutral position. 2) Unlike the Romanian Deadlift, the Stiff-Leg Deadlift does not require your hips to be pushed back, which means these muscles are worked to a lesser degree in the latter. 3) The Stiff-Leg Deadlift, as the name suggests, requires the legs to remain fixed throughout the lift, but the Romanian Deadlift requires the knees to bend as the bar is lowered towards the floor. 4) The bar is allowed to slightly drift away from the body in the Stiff-Leg Deadlift and is brought down much lower (almost to your feet), whilst in the Romanian Deadlift the bar remains close to the body for the entire lift and is only lowered to just below the knees.
This lift is arguably more effective at strengthening the posterior chain compared to the Romanian Deadlift since it dynamically trains the erector spinae through flexion and extension of your back. However, this comes at a price, namely the aforementioned greater amount of stress that is placed on the spine and lower back muscles. As such this lift should only be attempted by experienced lifters whose posterior chain is already relatively developed. Even with such individuals, a comparatively lighter weight (20%-40% 1RM) should be used with this lift to minimize the risk of injury. Novices, with no prior back issues, may consider the Romanian Deadlift as an alternative to this lift since it holds the back in a static neutral position.
The Stiff-Leg Deadlift can be used as an effective accessory lift to help improve your Squat and regular Deadlift lockout if performed after either one of these main lifts. However, since a comparatively heavy weight can be used, it is also an effective lift in its own right that develops both your hamstrings and gluteal muscles. This lift can, however, result in significant hamstring soreness, which emphasizes its effectiveness at targeting these muscles.
Skill Level: Intermediate
Training: Strength
Type: Compound
Force: Pull
Equipment: Barbell
1° Muscles: Hamstrings, Gluteal Muscles, Lower Back (Erector Spinae)
SET-UP
- Load a bar with an appropriate weight.
- Stand tall (neutral spine, chest up, chin up) with soft knees (slightly bent) and feet hip-width apart with toes pointing forward.
- Deadlift the bar from the floor with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, using an overhand grip (palms facing down).
- Fully extend your arms allowing the bar to rest against the front of your thighs.
EXECUTION
- Keeping your chest up, shoulders back, and knees fixed (do not bend any further than ‘soft knees’) throughout, inhale as you flex your hips (without pushing them back) to lean forward and lower your torso.
- Continue to lower the bar towards the floor allowing it to slightly drift away from your body so that your outstretched arms remain roughly perpendicular to the floor as the angle of your torso changes.
- Lower the bar to the limit of your hamstring flexibility (just before the mild stretch becomes strong), allowing your back to flex slightly as you descend (the flexion should be slight, not excessive).
- Exhale as you return back to the start position by extending your back to a neutral position and extending your hips to stand upright.
- Repeat for the prescribed number of reps and sets.
- If you have a squat rack with safety pins, set them to just below hip height and load the bar on them. This way, you can take the bar off the rack instead of deadlifting it from the floor.
- Some lifters find it more comfortable to point their toes outward; however, this should be minimized, and no more than 15 degrees.
- Using a wider grip allows for a greater descent, and hence a fuller range of motion.
- Depending on the weight used, wrist wraps may help you to hold the bar for the duration of the entire set.
- Romanian Deadlift
- Straight-Back Stiff-Leg Deadlift
