stiffed-leg deadlifts

[PetrifiedWood]

OUCH!!!!!!!

it was my first time doing these... i followed the directions on the URB website: http://www.theministryoffitness.com/exercises.htm

and maybe i didnt do it right, or maybe its supposed to feel like you pulled your lower back.. but it sure doesnt feel good..
and i dont feel **** in my quads.. more like my lower back and its not a burn, more like a sharp pain..

man, i need to learn how to lift..

[Iron-T]

The stiff-legged deadlift primarly targets your hamstrings and glutes . If you feel pain in your lower back, that is definetly a red flag ! Start out with a light weight and focus on your form. If the weight is too heavy you will compromise form and place stress on you spine and risk injury.
Stand with you feet together and lean slightly back ( stick you butt out when you bent, without bending knees ). When you come up, keep the bar close to your thighs, keep you abs tight and squeeze your glutes.

[aprildawn]

Ouch! Yeah, not a good sign. Was your back completely straight the entire time? Keep back straight. bend from the hips while sticking your rear out, keep looking forward the entire time, keeping my abs in. I also stand with my feet hips width distance apart and keep my legs straight but not locked out.

[PetrifiedWood]

thanks for the help..

i was trying to keep my back straight but i thought you had to go all the way down to the floor, so it didnt stay straight all the way down.. and i think i was probably starting off with too much weight too because it seemed too easy..

i definately strained my back or pulled something, i could hardly walk today..

im gonna chill on the stiff-legged deadlifts for a while..

thanks again for the help though..

[cfwjen]

is it wrong to take the bar all the way to the floor? that's how I have been doing it and it doesn't hurt my back. fyi my upper body is a little longer than my lower body so it isn't hard to touch the floor. just wondering if i was doing this wrong.

[PetrifiedWood]

well, not that i know what im talking about cuz i just hurt myself.. but from what i understand if you can go to the floor without bending your back then your doing it good.. i obviously was bending my back to get the bar all the way to the floor, and thats why im in pain now.. plus i had my feet shoulder width apart which was probably bad too..

just my .02

[cfwjen]

hope you feel better soon!

[acutofcoleman]

Originally posted by PetrifiedWood
OUCH!!!!!!!

it was my first time doing these... i followed the directions on the URB website: http://www.theministryoffitness.com/exercises.htm

and maybe i didnt do it right, or maybe its supposed to feel like you pulled your lower back.. but it sure doesnt feel good..
and i dont feel **** in my quads.. more like my lower back and its not a burn, more like a sharp pain..

man, i need to learn how to lift..

Yeah watch out on that exercise excellent as it is I've injured myself on it, only way to learn properly I spose. I hurt my neck muscle (splenius capitus) could breath, could bench couldn't do **** really. Take it slow an dnot too heavy.

[ctgblue]

One thing I can advise is that, due to the fact that most of you ladies are FAR more flexible than us guys, you tend to take the weight to the floor. I see it all the time and YES most of you round the back.
This places too much stress on the lower back, if you can take it all the way down, you don't have enough weight to start with.
The ideal range of motion is from mid/lower calf to mid thigh.
You need to:
Keep the head up
Keep a tight arch in the lower back, when you start to break the arch, stop
You should be slowing the movement at the bottom using the hamstrings, not the back
At the top of the movement, try to squeeze the glutes and push the hips forward for the finish, you should NOT be totally upright at the finish
Start light, but gradually increase the weight until it starts giving you GOOD resistance at the mid calf level. IE it should become difficult to stop and cause you too really 'tighten up' at the bottom
If you can do more than 15 reps (unless it's a warm up or a single set) it's too light.
This IS a power exercise and it IS meant to push you.
I will generally do this on leg days, either 4-5 sets in a pyramid, or one set of 20 with bodyweight.
Try this approach above.
Please give me some feedback as to how it works out for you. I have trained a few ladies one on one and have had very good results, but it's sometimes difficult to get the "picture" across online.
Good luck

[SweetTange]

Great advise ctgblue!!!

I also had trouble when I first started doing deadlifts. Since it is a power move I always wanted/thought I had ta go heavier and lower each time.

Finally I started focusing more on the movement than the way I looked in the mirror while doing them.

As I would lower the bar I would run everything through my head at the same time....slight arch in the back....keep the bar close to your shins......head up......shoulders back......squeeeeeze.....oh yea, and breath. I did this each rep I would take and sure enough after the first set I felt great.

Usually during my warm-up set I don't go all the way to the floor, just get a good stretch in. Then once my muscles are warmed up I can usually go further. It also depended on rather I was using the bar or DB's.

[ctgblue]

Thanks
I "love to hate" this exercise, I am able to go REAL heavy on it because I know when I get out of form.
On extreme sets, I'll grab someone to 'side spot' me and tell me if I start rounding.
As you go up in the weight, it makes sense to shorten the downstroke, as a heavier weight will start to cause loss of form near the bottom.
As long as you use a weight that is heavy enough to FEEL it in your glutes and hams at mid calf, you are in a weight that will help you build/strengthen/and tone.
Couple that with wide/deep squats and narrow/deep leg presses and you will have some serious strong sexy legs.
Just don't let some bozo get a away with the old "Do You need a spot on that" while you are doing SLD's, that bozo is probably me