Every avid fitness enthusiast should include stiff deadlift in their workout routine.
This deadlift variation is more challenging than a standard deadlift that every gym-goer often does.
Also known as the straight-leg deadlift, it is a strength exercise engaging an array of muscles. The difference in this one is the movement has shorter ranges of motion than a regular deadlift.
Therefore, this article discusses to length everything you should know about the stiff deadlift.
STIFF DEADLIFT CORRECT FORM
Let’s start by learning the correct form.
- Using an overhand grip, grasp the barbell.
- Stand tall with your feet around the hip or shoulder-width apart,
- Slightly bend the knees and let your hips level up with your shoulders.
- Maintain a neutral head and neck position.
- Let the barbell weight be evenly distributed across the entire foot.
- Create a sturdy foot position by firmly grabbing the floor with your toes.
- Maintaining lengthy arms with a small bend in the elbows.
- Inhale and exhale while tightening your shoulders, core and hip.
- Allow the bar to progressively slide away from your body as you slowly hinge your hips.
- Your knees should be straight as you lower the barbell, passing over your toes and away from your legs.
- The bar should be above your mid-shin.
- Ending your downward movement by keeping your shins erect.
- Keep your body in a neutral position and lower the barbell towards the floor while maintaining an upright posture.
- Squeeze your glutes and allow your hips to move forward as a result of your forward push.
- Keep your arms long and your spine in a neutral position while your hips surge forward.
WHAT MUSCLES DO STIFF DEADLIFT WORK
Since the stiff deadlift is a compound exercise, expect the following muscle to activate.
CALVES
The calf muscles holds your weight and allow downward or upward movement of your foot.
LATS
They keep your back in place while allowing you to raise your arms above your head.
GLUTES
Gluteal muscles help with external rotation and abduction of the thigh.
HAMSTRINGS
These muscles facilitate flexion of the knee joint and hip extension.
BACK MUSCLES
Your back muscles perform several functions during a stiff deadlift as follows.
- Support by your back torso.
- Facilitate the movement of the neck, head, shoulder, arms and legs.
- Facilitate bending, twisting, turning your head and stretching your back.
STIFF DEADLIFT BENEFITS
The challenging nature is for a worthy cause. These are the benefits.
MORE MUSCULAR STRENGTH
As an isolated exercise, the stiff deadlift is an excellent pick for all athletes to improve muscular strength.
In addition, they get more hypertrophy and neuromuscular control of the muscles involved in forceful and explosive movements.
ENHANCES MOVEMENT AND BALANCE
Most of the target muscles in this deadlift aid movement and general body balance.
IMPROVES ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE
To build muscle strength, the stiff deadlift is an ideal choice for athletes of all levels. Why? Because neuromuscular and hypertrophy muscle control for powerful, explosive actions improves.
ALTERNATIVES TO STIFF DEADLIFT
Deadlifts are the most effective weightlifting exercise. They activate your traps, core, glutes, rhomboids and hamstrings.
If you want to spice things up, try the following still deadlifts.
SINGLE-LEG ROMANIAN DEADLIFT
Exercises such as the single-leg deadlift target the posterior chain, a group of muscles in the back of the body. Gluteus maximus, hamstring, and adductor magnus are all examples of hip extensor muscles.
How to do it:
- In each hand, hold a dumbbell.
- Put your weight on your right leg while keeping your back straight and your gaze straight ahead.
- Keep your right knee supple as you begin to bend from the waist.
- Step forward with your left foot up and your body in a straight line from the top to the bottom as you hinge.
- At all times during the action, keep your hips and chest upright and square to the ground.
- It’s best to have the dumbbells in front of you, hanging down.
- Repeat the process, starting at the beginning.
TRAP BAR DEADLIFT
Strengthening the lower body with the trap bar deadlift is beneficial for both rookie lifters and professional athletes.
How to do it:
- In the middle of the bar, place your feet hip-width apart and stand.
- After grabbing the bar’s handles, sit back, and elevate your chest and shoulders.
- Raise your gaze and face forward.
- Straighten your hips and knees to raise the bar to about mid-thigh height while keeping your back flat.
- At the height of the exercise, squeeze your glutes and then slowly lower the bar back down.
BACK HYPEREXTENSION
The back hyperextension machine duplicates every benefit of the still deadlift. You work the glutes, lower back and hamstrings.
How to do it:
- Settle into a hyperextension position on the machine with your front side towards the floor.
- Lower your upper body till it is parallel to the ground while keeping your hands behind your head.
- Raise your upper body using your lower back and quadriceps, and stop when your body forms a straight line; if you come up higher, you risk injuring your lower back.
- Take a breather, then slowly descend once more.
CABLE PULL THROUGH
A cable pull through is an excellent way to work on your hip hinge because you put less strain on your back.
How to do it:
- Make adjustments so that the rope pull attachment touches the ground.
- Position yourself so that your back is toward the machine.
- Grab the rope between your legs and then straighten up.
- Take a few steps away from the rack to remove the weight.
- Bend your knees and hips then push back into the machine.
- Maintain a neutral spine and a bowed chest.
- Take a breather and return to the starting position by squeezing your glutes.
STIFF DEADLIFT MISTAKES TO AVOID
Avoid the following mistakes when doing the stiff deadlift.
- Wrong feet positioning
- Elongated back
- Bad barbell grip
- Positioning the hip wrongly
- Tensing the shoulders
- Lowering the bar too far
- Keeping weights too far from your legs
CONCLUSION
Every athlete can benefit from performing a stiff deadlift to build muscle mass, strength, and a healthy range of motion in their hamstring joints. Subsequently, it is an excellent strength training workout.
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