What Is the Stiff Leg Deadlift

If you're aiming to elevate your aesthetic workout and achieve a well-defined posterior chain, the stiff leg deadlift is an essential exercise to incorporate into your workout routine. This move is all about honing in on your hamstrings, glutes, and lower back, making it a staple for anyone serious about enhancing their leg definition and overall physique. Whether you're new to weightlifting or an experienced lifter, mastering the stiff leg deadlift can bring you closer to those sculpted legs and a stronger core.

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How-to Do Stiff Leg Deadlift

Hold a barbell with shoulder-width grip while standing at hip-width.
Bend your knees slightly, brace your core, then hinge at the hips until a contraction in the hamstrings is felt. Keep your back straight and your head aligned with your body. Briefly hold.
Return to the starting position by flexing your glutes and hamstrings, driving the hips forward.

Muscle Worked

Primary Muscle Groups

Glutes

The glutes help you extend your thighs from the hips and drive you forward.

Hamstrings

The hamstrings flex your knees and extend and rotate your hips

Lower Back

The low back helps stabilize your spinal column and connects your upper body to your pelvis.

Secondary Muscle Groups

Adductors

The adductors are the muscles on the insides of your thighs that move your legs toward the midline of your body

Quads

"Quads" refers to your quadriceps femoris muscles which flex your leg from the hip joint and extend your leg from the knee joint.

Forearms

The forearms help you grip objects and move your hands, wrists and fingers

Abs

"Abs" refers to your abdominal muscles, which sit at the front of your trunk between your ribcage and pelvis

Calves

The calves are the muscles at the back of the lower part of your legs

Traps

Lie on the floor and place a foam roller below your traps and above your shoulder blades.

Lats

Your latissimus dorsi, also called the "lats," help you to move your arms and keep your shoulders stable.

Upper Back

Lie on the floor and place a foam roller below your traps and above your shoulder blades.

Pro Tips

Hip Hinge Focus: The movement should primarily come from your hips, not your lower back. Think of it as a hinge rather than a squat.
Barbell Proximity: Keep the barbell close to your legs throughout the movement to reduce strain on your lower back.
Core Engagement: A tight core helps stabilize your spine and maintain proper posture during the lift.

Equipments

Barbell

A barbell is a long metal bar with space for weight plates on each end used for weightlifting

Benefits of Stiff Leg Deadlift

Posterior Chain Targeting: This exercise is excellent for isolating the hamstrings and glutes, crucial for leg aesthetics and strength.
Flexibility Enhancement: Regular practice can improve flexibility in your hamstrings and hips, contributing to better movement patterns and reduced injury risk.
Core Stability Boost: By engaging your core, you enhance overall stability and posture, which is beneficial for other lifts and daily activities.
Injury Prevention: Strengthening your posterior chain can help balance muscle groups and reduce the risk of injury in the lower back and legs.

What Is the Stiff Leg Deadlift

How-to Do Stiff Leg Deadlift