Introduction
Regardless of the type of strength athlete you are, you have probably performed a deadlift at some point. There’s nothing quite like hefting a big barbell off the ground, love it or hate it. It’s not just about the barbell, though. You can target different muscles and achieve different goals by adjusting your stance, equipment, and body angle.
The dumbbell stiff-leg deadlift is a powerful strength-building exercise that targets your glutes, lower back, and hamstrings. It increases muscle mass, strength, and mobility. Try a dumbbell variant if you usually train with barbells; it will test your grip, stability, and coordination in a different way. And dumbbells are a great way to start lifting if you’ve never done it before.
Learn everything there is to know about the dumbbell stiff leg deadlift including how it differs from the Romanian deadlift its cousin.
The Dumbbell Stiff Leg Deadlift: How to Perform It
Not a gym? Not an issue. Dumbbells and yourself are all you need for the dumbbell stiff leg deadlift. To ensure you get the most of your training time here is a detailed explanation on how to do it correctly.
Step 1: Tentatively stand tall
Getting your weights Place your feet shoulder-width apart and stand up straight.. Lower your shoulders and hold the weights in front of you with an overhand grip. Identify your standing line of tension by keeping your knees slightly bent, your hips tucked and your glutes compressed. Tense your sides and bring your navel to your spine to engage your core.Continue to erect your head back and your shoulders lowered.
Remember that the barbell version of this exercise should start with the barbell on the floor. As demonstrated above you can start the dumbbell variation by standing up.As a result of weight plates frequently being larger than dumbbells, you can reach the floor without overextending your knees by doing this. However start at step four and work your way backward from there if you do have the requisite mobility to start from the floor.
Step 2:Hinge Your Hips
Hinge your hips backwards maintaining a straight leg position and not overextending your knees. Do not move your dumbbells far from your body. Maintain a rigid core. Stretch your hamstrings and sag your hips without allowing your knees to flex too much or flex forward.
Step 3:Lower Your Dumbbells
Maintain your attention on your hamstrings during the hinge as you lower the dumbbells to the floor. To activate your lats squeeze your armpits while holding your weights close to your body. Keep your core rigid to prevent your back from curving. Gaze forward slightly while maintaining a tucked in chin.In between reps try to have the dumbbells come to a stop on the floor.
Step 4 :Stand Up With Power
When you reach the bottom of the lift keep your lats and abs tight. To activate your glutes and hamstrings push into your heels. In order you want to forcefully rise again, push your hips forward. Tighten your glutes at the summit. After a brief respite repeat for the appropriate amount of reps.
Variations on the Dumbbell Stiff Leg Deadlift
You can experiment with other sets of dumbbells, different stances or even a unilateral version of the dumbbell stiff leg deadlift. While the advantages of each variant vary they all nonetheless assist you achieve a strengthening stretch through your hamstrings.
Kettlebell Deadlift with Stiff Legs
Instead of using dumbbells try the stiff leg deadlift with a single kettlebell in front of you. For anyone starting out in weightlifting or at any level kettlebells are an excellent choice. It may be more manageable to hold one weight in each hand as opposed to a dumbbell in each. Your grasp may also face a distinct obstacle when you become heavier.
Just move one weight in one hand at a time while doing the same motion. The kettlebell hand position may cause your shoulders to curve forward so make careful to keep your lats tight and your shoulders back.
Stiff Leg Deadlift Sumo
For your stiff leg deadlift adopt a sumo stance by pointing your toes out and stepping your feet wider than your shoulders. You will feel a stretch in your hamstrings even though this will work your inner thighs and glutes a little bit more.
It can help to engage your underused adductor muscles which are located in your inner thighs here. Before taking a sumo posture and completing stiff leg deadlifts make sure you warm up as usual.
Solitary Leg Hard Leg Deadlift
Turning one exercise into a unilateral one is a terrific way to change it up. Now for deadlift, balance out imbalances in strength, muscle and mobility by working one leg at a time. For runners who may be at risk of overusing the anterior side of their leg, this is an excellent unilateral workout.
Developing control and tension in your foot core, and hips by working each hamstring independently will benefit your other exercises. Refrain from rolling your hips out to the side and try to keep your pelvis toward the floor. To execute this movement plant your working leg and deepen your hinge while allowing your non working leg to fall back behind you.
Alternatives to the Dumbbell Stiff-Leg Deadlift
If you like to attempt something else lets examine a couple dumbbell stiff leg deadlift substitutes. These exercises are appropriate for novice to expert lifters and will still target your posterior chain and hamstrings.
Glute Bridge
A great bodyweight exercise that all beginners should learn is the glute bridge. The suggestion to pinch your glutes might not make much sense if you are new to lifting. A excellent place to start is by lying on the floor, rising your hips and making a conscious effort to squeeze your glutes. At the height of the bridge your hamstrings help to expand your hips.
Because you are using your hamstrings to help extend your hips and squeezing your glutes at the peak of the movement this is comparable to the stiff leg deadlift. When you are prepared to advance you can do a single leg glute bridge to further target your hamstrings by balancing on one leg.
Hamstring Curl with a Stability Ball
Another bodyweight exercise that can help you learn to actively activate your hamstrings is the stability ball hamstring curl. Put your foots on stability ball as you lie on the floor. Squeeze your glutes and raise your hips into a bridge by applying pressure to your heels. Try to maintain the same height in your hips while draging the ball toward your body by bending your knees. It is typical to experience some minor cramping in your hamstrings.
You can utilize sliders and remain on the floor if you find the ball to be too difficult at first. Since you are deliberately bending your knees this may appear very different from the stiff leg deadlift yet it might be a useful option to strengthen your hamstrings prior to applying load.
Romanian Deadlift
Try the Romanian deadlift if you are an experienced lifter searching for a substitute for the stiff leg deadlift. Though your knees can flex a little bit more it’s still similar. If your hamstrings are extremely tight and you have limited mobility this might be a better alternative for you. Unlike barbell stiff leg deadlifts you won’t be touching the barbell to the ground in between each rep. Instead stop when the barbell is near your shins.
It is not necessary to concentrate on reaching as low as possible when performing the Romanian deadlift. You will still be working your hip hinge but in addition to your hamstrings and glutes, you will also engage your hip flexors and quadriceps by bending your knees more. Like you would in a more traditional deadlift routine make sure to maintain your hips back and refrain from bending your knees past your ankles.
Tips for Dumbbell Stiff Leg Deadlifts
You must modify your sets, repetitions, and load if you wish to gain more muscle, strength, or endurance. While lifting dumbbells of large size be attentive how to hold the weight. Try using a lesser weight if you discover that your hands tire out before your legs do.
Make your target for four sets of eight to twelve repetitions for muscle mass. At the conclusion of each set you should be able to perform one or two additional reps even though the weight seems heavy.
For Strength: Use a heavy weight for five sets of four to six repetitions. Make sure you are standing tall and tensed to the fullest.
For Endurance: Use a low enough weight to accomplish your higher rep range with control in three sets of 12 to 15 repetitions.
Advantages of the stiff-leg deadlift with dumbbells
As a seasoned content writer specialized in the fitness and health niche, Arun Bhagat has always wanted to promote wellness. After gaining proper certification as a gym trainer with in-depth knowledge of virtually all the information related to it, he exercised his flair for writing interesting, informative content to advise readers on their healthier lifestyle. His topics range from workout routines, nutrition, and mental health to strategies on how to be more fit in general. His writing is informative but inspiring for people to achieve their wellness goals as well. Arun is committed to equipping those he reaches with the insights and knowledge gained through fitness.