Stiff-legged deadlift
- Muscle group
- Back
- Equipment
- Barbell
- Primary muscles
- Glutes, Hamstrings
- Secondary muscles
- Forearms, Lower back
- Stand holding a barbell with an overhand grip, feet shoulder-width apart. Keep your legs nearly straight with only a very slight bend.
- Push your hips back to lower the barbell toward the floor, keeping your back straight and the bar close to your shins.
- Lower the bar as far as your flexibility allows (ideally to the floor) while maintaining stiff legs throughout.
- Drive your hips forward to pull and raise yourself back up to the starting position.
Tips
- Initiate the descent by pushing your hips back rather than bending at the waist, so the movement is driven by hip flexion and the bar travels close to your legs throughout.
- Keep a neutral spine from your lower back through your upper back as you hinge, avoiding both rounding and excessive arching.
- Lower the bar only as far as you can while keeping your spine neutral and your legs nearly straight. Stop before your lower back begins to round.
Common mistakes
- Rounding the lower back as the bar descends, which is often caused by lowering the bar beyond your current hamstring flexibility.
- Letting the bar drift away from the legs during the descent instead of keeping it close, causing the torso to tip forward excessively.
- Bending the knees significantly as the bar lowers, which changes the movement away from the intended stiff-legged pattern.
Make Every Set Count.
Plan your workouts, track every session, and see your progress over time.
