Deadlifts......

John L · 08-05-2006, 01:30 PM

I have been doing stiff legged Deadlifts for about a month now, and they never really tire out my back, and my back is never sore from them, not even a little. Do you think I am doing them wrong? I make sure to keep my back as straight as I can, and read what to do on bb.com's exercise database.

Mondofrog · 08-05-2006, 01:42 PM

Stiff legged deadlifts are mainly used to target hamstrings, you should try to keep your legs as straight as possible without locking them, bending at the knee only a little.

Regular deads are better for targetting your back, as long as you get the form right (ie - straight back and bar close to your legs) you should feel it a lot more. Although it can require quite a bit of practise

RippedGuitarist · 08-05-2006, 02:01 PM

Most people use them as a hamstring exercise as mentioned above. I don't feel much in the lower back either. Deadlifts! Nothing compares...

kieltyka34 · 08-05-2006, 02:23 PM

mmm.. back pumps

edit: i didnt use to do straight legged deadlifts correctly (curved my back when i went down as opposed to keeping it straight, and never felt anything working in my back) but once i did i start feeling it more, but def. not as much as regular deadlifts

John L · 08-05-2006, 09:45 PM

Regular Deadlifts also works out the legs, right? So do you guys think I should save them for leg day, or keep them on back day?

BBing_Addict · 08-05-2006, 09:52 PM

i like to keep [conventional] deads on back day, becuase i got squats on leg day... and i think heavy squats followed by heavy deads = hell.

John L · 08-05-2006, 10:07 PM

It's just that my legs always stay sore for a few days, and I feel that if i do deadlifts on back day, my legs will still be kinda sore when its leg day. I'll probably have to switch around my days a bit.

BBing_Addict · 08-05-2006, 10:45 PM

my legs dont realy get sore from deads... and the slight soreness i may have from leg day, doesnt affect my deads much, if at all.

gymratluke · 08-06-2006, 02:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John L

It's just that my legs always stay sore for a few days, and I feel that if i do deadlifts on back day, my legs will still be kinda sore when its leg day. I'll probably have to switch around my days a bit.

Deads shouldnt make your legs sore at all. When i squat with 400lbs my legs get sore as hell, but when i do deads with 500+ lbs i never feel a thing. I personally feel my back does 80% of the work.

r~iddick · 08-06-2006, 03:02 AM

I missed leg day/squats for a couple of weeks because I was playing football. Boy do they hurt after my last workout!

alkemyst · 08-06-2006, 11:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gymratluke

Deads shouldnt make your legs sore at all. When i squat with 400lbs my legs get sore as hell, but when i do deads with 500+ lbs i never feel a thing. I personally feel my back does 80% of the work.

hmmm I disagree. Any of the muscles a deadlift works have potential to be sore. Everyone is different. Legs get a helluva workout doing deadlifts if you are doing them right.

I have always seen many try to sort of do more of the SLDL movement when doing DL's.

gymratluke · 08-06-2006, 11:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alkemyst

I have always seen many try to sort of do more of the SLDL movement when doing DL's.

If you look at all the vids of the guys that actually lift really heavy weight, thats pretty much what they do. The bar wont even clear their knees by the time their legs are locked. And yeah, thats pretty much the way I do it too, so maybe I'm "doing them wrong" But I dont get hurt, I use heavy weight, and I am growing like crazy from them, so thats the way I while continue to do them

alkemyst · 08-06-2006, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gymratluke

If you look at all the vids of the guys that actually lift really heavy weight, thats pretty much what they do. The bar wont even clear their knees by the time their legs are locked. And yeah, thats pretty much the way I do it too, so maybe I'm "doing them wrong" But I dont get hurt, I use heavy weight, and I am growing like crazy from them, so thats the way I while continue to do them

I don't see much of that except bad form. The bar should clear your legs the same no matter how much weight you are using though...so I don't get that part of the comment.

tjoe · 08-06-2006, 01:40 PM

http://video.google.com/videosearch?...r+joe+deadlift

The more reps I do, the more they become sldl... or my spine just compresses and my arms stretch so it's a shorter distance to the floor!!

Anyway, conventional deads should make your back pretty sore. I've trained a few of my clients with only deads for an entire session and the next FEW days they feel low back, traps and even lats... from just deads!

Sumo is more in the hip and glute area. Better for moving more weight but not as good for growth.

SLDL fantastic for hammies and glutes, bad idea to go real heavy on these.

Side Note: If you get into heavy doubles and singles you may not be as sore as if you do reps in the 8-12 range. Even though the weight is heavier, the actual work done is less (that's why I do reps and singles).

Good luck and glad to see people pulling weight!!

**_Dominik_** · 08-06-2006, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gymratluke

If you look at all the vids of the guys that actually lift really heavy weight, thats pretty much what they do. The bar wont even clear their knees by the time their legs are locked. And yeah, thats pretty much the way I do it too, so maybe I'm "doing them wrong" But I dont get hurt, I use heavy weight, and I am growing like crazy from them, so thats the way I while continue to do them

The problem with that approach is you can't take advantage of one of the most powerful muscles in the body, your glutes. If the knees and hips are locked out with the bar at knee level, you've got to lift 100% of the weight with your lower back from a stiff-leg position. The stress it places on the L4-L5-S1 vertebrae is so ridiculous you don't even want to think about it.

Those monsters you see lifting that way already have proven themselves through a process of elimination to have a genetic advantage since they've reached a level beyond where most people lifting that way have long since blown out their backs and dropped out of the race.

I know personally that taking advantage of some leg drive at the start to assist the lower back and then letting the glutes kick in once the bar passes the knees is not only the safest way, but the most effective way. After all, you're supposed to conventionally lift more than you can stiff-leg. Why not take advantage of the glutes? I'll always agree that the deadlift should be more of a pull than a "squat," but it doesn't have to be taken to the extreme. There's too much at risk (i.e. a lifetime of crippling back pain).