Stiff-leg deadlift: how to perform it.
The stiff-leg deadlift takes hamstring stretch to its extreme: knees nearly straight, bar tracking down the legs, posterior chain loading up like a drawn bowstring. But read the name carefully: "stiff legs" doesn't mean locked knees, and the spine remains the one non-negotiable.
Starting position
- Bar in front of your thighs, grip just outside your legs.
- Knees nearly straight but NOT locked: a hint of bend, fixed and unchanging throughout the movement.
- Neutral spine, shoulder blades stacked over the bar, core braced.
Proper form
- Descend by hinging at the hip: hips travel back, bar slides down in contact with your legs.
- Stop where the hamstrings pull hard but the spine is still neutral: for most, that's just below the knee.
- Pause a beat at the bottom, feeling the stretch.
- Drive back up by pushing the hips forward, glutes and hamstrings bringing the torso back to vertical.
- No hyperextension at the top: stand tall and tight, then the next rep.
When to inhale, when to exhale
Big breath at the top, descend bracing your core solid, exhale on the way up.
Mistakes to avoid
The extra depth you buy with lumbar flexion is the worst trade in the gym. The movement ends where your neutral-spine flexibility ends: that range will improve over time.
Loading a hyperextended knee stresses the joint without adding anything to the hamstrings. "Stiff" means nearly straight and fixed, not jammed.
Every extra inch of distance multiplies the leverage on your lower back. The bar stays in contact with your legs from start to finish.
DAWT tip. Moderate load and a 3-second descent: the stiff-leg deadlift is a loaded stretching exercise, not a numbers game. Save the max-effort pulls for the conventional deadlift; here the payoff is deep hamstring tension.
Variations and alternatives
Quick answers
What's the difference between the stiff-leg deadlift and the Romanian deadlift?
The degree of knee bend: in the Romanian deadlift the knees stay soft (15-20°) and the hips travel far back; in the stiff-leg version the knees are nearly straight and hamstring stretch is maximal. The Romanian deadlift allows more load, the stiff-leg version delivers more stretch tension: two tools, not two rivals.
How deep should I go?
As deep as your spine stays neutral: for some that's mid-shin, for others just below the knee. A side-view mirror (or video) beats any rule of thumb: the moment your lower back starts to round, you've gone an inch too far.
Related exercises
How much should you load on this exercise?
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