How to do a Stiff-Legged Deadlift
Reviewed by Jim Parker, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology
About Stiff-Legged Deadlift
Workouts with Stiff-Legged Deadlift
Target muscles worked
Instructions for Proper Form
The Stiff-Legged Deadlift is a compound exercise that primarily targets the hamstrings, lower back, and glutes. By keeping the legs relatively straight throughout the movement, it places an increased emphasis on hamstring stretch and engagement, promoting muscle strength and growth in the posterior chain. This variation also aids in improving flexibility and enhancing core stability. It's a valuable exercise for those looking to develop lower body power and posture, as well as for athletes seeking improved performance in activities requiring strong and flexible hamstrings.
- Position your feet roughly shoulder width-apart, or slightly wider, behind the bar.
- Hinge your hips back and lean forward to grasp the bar with both hands such that your palms are facing you. Position the bar against your shins.
- Raise your hips higher than a conventional deadlift such that there is only a slight bend in your knee.
- Engage your back and rear shoulders to “pull the slack out of the bar” and straighten your back. You may need to bend your knees more as your back becomes straight.
- Engage your glutes, hamstrings and lower back to drive you hips forward and raise the bar in a straight line. Keep the bar 1-2 inches away from your shins.
- Keep your core and back engaged to support your lower back, and to keep your spine straight.
- Pause at the top of this movement for a moment.
- Reverse the movement to lower the bar back to the starting position on the ground.
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Alternative Exercises to Stiff-Legged Deadlift
1. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift
97.6 mSCORESWAPPED 394 TIMESThis exercise is a variation on Romanian Deadlifts. Like other Romanian Deadlifts, this is a compound exercise that primarily targets your hamstrings and glutes. The use of dumbbells can help with some limitations in mobility, and is a great starting point for anyone working towards performing Deadlifts or Romanian Deadlifts with a barbell.
- Beginner
- Hamstrings
- Dumbbells
2. Dumbbell Stiff Legged Deadlift
89.2 mSCORESWAPPED 315 TIMESDumbbell Stiff Legged Deadlift is a variation on the more standard Romanian Deadlift. The use of dumbbells allows for a bit less stability than a barbell variation, while also giving you more freedom in your range of motion. This is a great exercise for anyone looking to improve or work towards Romanian Deadlifts.
- Beginner
- Hamstrings
- Dumbbells
3. Seated Leg Curl
98.8 mSCORESWAPPED 312 TIMESSeated Leg Curl is a weighted, isolation exercise that targets the hamstrings. Because a vast majority of lower body exercises tend to be compound movements, this exercise is a great way to isolate the hamstrings for building muscle mass, and developing strength. The use of a machine restricts your range of motion, and adds stability, allowing you to focus on exertion more than stabilizing the movement.
- Beginner
- Hamstrings
- Leg Curl Machine
4. Romanian Deadlift
98.6 mSCORESWAPPED 273 TIMESRomanian Deadlift is a variation on the more standard Deadlift. It’s a compound exercise that primarily targets your glutes, and hamstrings. Unlike the standard Deadlift, this variation focuses mostly on driving your hips forward to raise the weight, and restricts movement in your knees. This is a great exercise for building strength, and can translate well to other exercises that utilize a hip hinge.
- Intermediate
- Hamstrings
- Barbells
5. Deadlift
98.7 mSCORESWAPPED 261 TIMESDeadlift is one of the three powerlifting movements. It’s a compound exercise that primarily targets muscles in the rear chain (backside of the body), and is great for developing strength in these muscles. It’s a staple in most programs, and is often used as a metric for tracking strength.
- Intermediate
- Hamstrings
- Barbells
6. Smith Machine Stiff-Legged Deadlift
84.6 mSCORESWAPPED 258 TIMESSmith Machine Stiff-Legged Deadlift is a variation on the more standard Romanian Deadlift. Like other Romanian Deadlift variations, this is a compound movement that primarily targets the glutes and hamstrings. The use of a Smith Machine restricts your range of motion, and adds stability to the movement. This allows you to focus on exertion, or learning the movement rather than focusing on stability.
- Beginner
- Hamstrings
- Smith Machine
7. Lying Hamstrings Curl
95.8 mSCORESWAPPED 163 TIMESLying Hamstring Curl is a weighted, isolation exercise that targets the hamstrings. There’s a relatively short list of isolation exercises for lower body muscle groups. Because of this, this is a great addition to a lower body workout in order to build strength and muscle mass in the hamstrings specifically. The use of a machine restricts your range of motion, and adds stability to the movement, allowing you to focus on exertion rather than stabilizing the movement.
- Beginner
- Hamstrings
- Leg Curl Machine
8. Kettlebell Sumo Squat
87.3 mSCORESWAPPED 141 TIMESKettlebell Sumo Squat is a squat variation. Like other squat variations, this exercise is a compound movement that targets the hamstrings, glutes and quads. Positioning your feet wider than you would for a standard squat helps to recruit the inner thigh, as well as help individuals with mobility limitations.
- Intermediate
- Hamstrings
- Kettlebells
9. Single Leg Romanian Deadlift
80.8 mSCORESWAPPED 118 TIMESSingle Leg Romanian Deadlift is a variation on the more standard Romanian Deadlift. Like other Romanian Deadlift variations, this is a compound movement that primarily targets the glutes and hamstrings. Performing this exercise on one leg, is a great way to identify, and help address, discrepancies in mobility, strength, and stability between sides. This is a great exercise for anyone looking to improve their ability to perform a large number of other compound lower body movements like Squats, Lunges, or even Olympic lifts.
- Intermediate
- Hamstrings
- Dumbbells
10. Kettlebell Swing
87.3 mSCORESWAPPED 91 TIMESKettlebell Swing is a compound, explosive movement that primarily targets the hamstrings and glutes. This is a great exercise for improving power and explosiveness. It's especially helpful in developing glute drive which can help improve a number of different exercises, and sport performance.
- Intermediate
- Hamstrings
- Kettlebells