Stiff Legged deadlifts

[GetHuge50]

Hey guys, just started doign stiff legged deadlifts. Its just it feels very umfortable and bad to keep my back stragith AND keep my knees slightly bent when i come down with the barbell. would it be bad if i keep my legs straight as in very little to no bend in my knees when i come down with the barbell? or should i really try to get good at keeping my knees slightly bent with my back straight? i mean its hard as is keeping my back stright when i come down w/ the barbell, just doesnt feel natural

[Budjola]

DL with slightly bent knees and with straight legs are 2 different exercises. Start with lighter weight to get the feeling for exercise, dont try to put on lots of weights on bar. Keep strict form, be compact in your mid section.

[Turboboy]

The ROM on a true SLDL isn't very much. How far are you trying to go down? Romanian deadlifts allow for more knee bend and deeper descent. Which are you trying to do?

[chazzy1864]

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/tra...l-vs-sldl.html

[GetHuge50]

The ROM on a true SLDL isn't very much. How far are you trying to go down? Romanian deadlifts allow for more knee bend and deeper descent. Which are you trying to do?

im not going down too far, im not too flexible. so for a SDL i can keep my legs straight with little to no bend in my knees?

[GetHuge50]

im not going down too far, im not too flexible. so for a SDL i can keep my legs straight with little to no bend in my knees?

like i first saw this..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtevN0SWp-o

and i was doing um like that because that what feels natural to me, but then i see sveryone else says to bend knees slightly and keep back straight

[Turboboy]

like i first saw this..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtevN0SWp-o

and i was doing um like that because that what feels natural to me, but then i see sveryone else says to bend knees slightly and keep back straight

If you use a smaller range of motion, you won't have to bend your knees. Eventually, you'll be able to get deeper with a greater range of motion with locked knees. I do mine with locked knees and short range of motion. If I want to get deeper I do Romanian dead lifts which allow for knee bend and a deeper descent. I would continue doing what you're doing and work on flexibility.

[GetHuge50]

If you use a smaller range of motion, you won't have to bend your knees. Eventually, you'll be able to get deeper with a greater range of motion with locked knees. I do mine with locked knees and short range of motion. If I want to get deeper I do Romanian dead lifts which allow for knee bend and a deeper descent. I would continue doing what you're doing and work on flexibility.

kk, so keep my knees locked and then just keep my back straight for now and i should be alright??

[GetHuge50]

kk, so keep my knees locked and then just keep my back straight for now and i should be alright??

???

[chazzy1864]

???

the link i gave you earlier tells you exactly how to do an SLDL.

[defleaner]

theres risk of putting too much stress on tendons if you don't bend your knees.

If you want to work your legs, bend them a little, squeze your butt, tighten everything, keep back straight and go down.

If you're not that flexible, do light weight and warm up b4 doing this exercise. Stretch your harmstrings too.

edit: just checked out the link posted above, didn't know SLDL should be done with rounded back, looks wrong in so many ways with heavy weight.

RDL FTW, always keep your back straight though

[GetHuge50]

theres risk of putting too much stress on tendons if you don't bend your knees.

If you want to work your legs, bend them a little, squeze your butt, tighten everything, keep back straight and go down.

If you're not that flexible, do light weight and warm up b4 doing this exercise. Stretch your harmstrings too.

edit: just checked out the link posted above, didn't know SLDL should be done with rounded back, looks wrong in so many ways with heavy weight.

RDL FTW, always keep your back straight though

Okay, so after reading that link http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/tra...l-vs-sldl.html I realized I was doing it right the whole time, correct? Stiff Legged Deadlift is with a rounded back and knees locked as mentioned in the article, right??

[chazzy1864]

SLDLs don't have knee flexion. You can have your knees bent, but whatever bend you start with, is what you keep throughout the lift.

[GetHuge50]

SLDLs don't have knee flexion. You can have your knees bent, but whatever bend you start with, is what you keep throughout the lift.

Okay so its cool that they are locked and my back is rounded though if thats how i do it?

[chazzy1864]

Okay so its cool that they are locked and my back is rounded though if thats how i do it?

Yes. just be cognizant of form when rounding your back while its under load.

[GetHuge50]

Yes. just be cognizant of form when rounding your back while its under load.

what do you mean?

and your sure that Lyle is right about rounding the back ?

[chazzy1864]

what do you mean?

and your sure that Lyle is right about rounding the back ?

Same make sure you are focused on what your doing. The back is more easily injured when rounded.

Yes, he is right. When the lower back rounds, it takes msot of the load off the hamstrings & glutes and transfers it to your low back (ever noticed if your low back rounds during squats, your back really starts to get fatigued/pumped/weak?).

[ggecko22]

what do you mean?

and your sure that Lyle is right about rounding the back ?

The purpose of your lower back is to extend your trunk, opposite purpose of your abs (rectus abdominus at least) which is to flex your trunk, so ya, in order to extend your trunk, you need to flex it (round your back). Notice, though (if I remember that article correctly), that he doesnt mention doing SLDLs but hyperextensions instead. What muscles are you looking to target. If lower back, go with hyperextensions and utilize the same principles as the SLDL. If your looking to work hams/glutes, do RDLs (I actually prefer 1 Legged RDLs, not sure how your coordination is though)

[GetHuge50]

Well im not doing it for lower back im doing it for hamstrings, so im better off in that case keeping my knees slighly bent and keeping back straight then? and if i cant do both then atleast lock my knees and keep my back straight?

Same make sure you are focused on what your doing. The back is more easily injured when rounded.

Yes, he is right. When the lower back rounds, it takes msot of the load off the hamstrings & glutes and transfers it to your low back (ever noticed if your low back rounds during squats, your back really starts to get fatigued/pumped/weak?).

[GetHuge50]

Well im not doing it for lower back im doing it for hamstrings, so im better off in that case keeping my knees slighly bent and keeping back straight then? and if i cant do both then atleast lock my knees and keep my back straight?

????

[ggecko22]

????

answer should be obvious at this point considering the thoroughness with which your questions were responded to but, yes, you want to keep your back straight to target the hams/glutes. Slightly bending your knees should actually help you do this but if not, then ya thats fine.

[Tyciol]

Sure, just call it straight-legged instead of stiff.

[chazzy1864]

If you are doing this for your hams/glutes then SLDL is a piss poor exercise choice. Go with an RDL and you'll be much better off, since its focus is the hams/glutes.