11 Aug
Blog

Stiff Leg Deadlift to Obtain Better Muscle Mass

The stiff-legged deadlift is considered a beneficial exercise that helps promote better strength in your hamstrings and glutes. Also known as a straight-leg deadlift with dumbbells, this workout primarily works your hamstrings, glutes, and lifting pole while secondarily working your core, abdominal, and oblique muscles. This isolation exercise has numerous health benefits, making it one of the ideal workouts to add to your exercise routine. It promotes increased activation of the muscle fibers in your thigh and gluteus muscles. It also improves your daily and athletic performance by increasing your performance and explosiveness.
Below is the perfect stiff-legged deadlift guide that will make this exercise easy and smooth.

To efficiently perform the deadlift with stiff legs:

Below is all the information ranging from instructions to the stiff leg deadlift variations you need to improve its performance. All you need for this exercise is a pair of dumbbells.

Directions:

  1. To begin with, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a pair of dumbbells in both hands with your palms facing you. Keeping your chest raised, your core tensed, and your shoulder blades together. This is your starting position.
  2. Now slowly bend towards your waist, knees slightly bent and hips backwards. Try bringing the weights over your feet until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings. Remember to keep your core tense and your back upright during this exercise.
  3. Lastly, squeeze your hamstrings and glutes as you return to the starting position.
    Repeat.

Common mistakes when making deadlifts with stiff legs:

  1. Many people tend to move the dumbbells far away from their body during this exercise. This creates unnecessary pressure on your back and carries your body weight on your toes. It is therefore always advisable to keep the dumbbells close to you.
  2. The most common mistake weight lifters typically make is rounding their backs while doing this workout. Hence, it is necessary to stabilize your body, keep your shoulder blades together, keep your core moving, and keep your back straight during this exercise.
  3. Some strength athletes tend to bend forward too quickly when deadlifting with stiff legs. This can increase the risk of injury or stress. So try to do this exercise slowly and steadily.

Services:

  1. This isolation exercise allows you to focus primarily on building your hamstrings. This helps you lift heavy weights easily and proves to be again in all aspects.
  2. The stiff leg deadlift increases your muscle mass and thus leads to an improvement in performance in both daily and sporting activities.
  3. It also helps in making your muscles more defined and prominent.

Variations:

If you're completely comfortable performing the traditional deadlift with stiff legs, here are some variations you can try:

  • Rigid leg deadlift with ligaments– This exercise is known to be an advanced version of the deadlift with stiff legs. It involves the use of a resistance band. You should tense your arms more, extend your arms forward, and maintain the same shape while doing this exercise.
  • Stiff leg deadlift with kettlebell– This variant of deadlifting with stiff legs involves using a kettlebell instead of dumbbells. It's no different from traditional deadlifts, but you'll need to use a heavier kettlebell instead of two light dumbbells. While performing this variation, maintain the same shape that you used for the deadlift with stiff legs.

Frequently asked Questions:

  1. How many stiff leg deadlifts should I do?
    If you're a beginner, aim for at least 3 to 4 sets of 10 to 12 repetitions of stiff-legged deadlifts with lighter weights. But as you become more comfortable with this exercise, you can do 3 to 4 sets of 6 to 8 repetitions with heavier dumbbells.
  2. How Does the Stiff Leg Deadlift Work the Muscles?
    The stiff leg deadlift primarily works your hamstrings, glutes, core, erectors, obliques, and abs.
  3. Will Stiff Leg Deadlift Help Improve My Athletic Performance?
    Yes, a stiff leg deadlift helps a lot in improving your athletic performance.