Stiff Legged Deadlifts

[maldorf]

No, I dont think so. My butt is pushed back at the bottom of the move - no shoulder roll. I definitely have a bend in the knees, feel a lot of tension in the hams and use a hip hindge to come to the top of the movement. That said,even with only 135lbs on the bar my lower back seems to get a pretty big pump/sore.

Im wondering maybe if your lower back just isn't in a perpetual state of being overtrained. I used to get that problem. How often are you doing heavy squats and bent over barbell rows? I used to do stiff legs no more than once a week, and I trained each bodypart 2x per week. If I tried doing them 2x per week then I would get my low back overtrained. So I only did 3 sets per week of stiff legs.

Is your lower back all pumped and burn like hell when you are squatting? Does the pain feel like an injury or is it what we call a "back pump", where it gets all pumped up and so painful that you cant hardly move? The back pump issue I got too and was always when I was doing a lot of anabolics.

 

[Landmonster]

There's no way to take your lower back out of this movement.


Bend the knees just slightly. Go down as far as you can before your back begins to round, and come back up.

It will make your hams, glutes, hips and lower back sore if you do it heavy enough. I've done 405 x 9 for my best, which left me beat up for days.

 

[juggy38]

I find I feel DBs more in the hams than B.B. BB I feel it a little everywhere. Low back, hams,lower lats

 

[Brickshthouse79]

Im wondering maybe if your lower back just isn't in a perpetual state of being overtrained. I used to get that problem. How often are you doing heavy squats and bent over barbell rows? I used to do stiff legs no more than once a week, and I trained each bodypart 2x per week. If I tried doing them 2x per week then I would get my low back overtrained. So I only did 3 sets per week of stiff legs.

Is your lower back all pumped and burn like hell when you are squatting? Does the pain feel like an injury or is it what we call a "back pump", where it gets all pumped up and so painful that you cant hardly move? The back pump issue I got too and was always when I was doing a lot of anabolics.

Right now heavy squats 1x a week, and the same with barbell rows and deadlifts. My back feels good while squatting. So, I dont think my lower back is in a perpetual state of overtraining, but its possible. Im actually starting to think my lower back is a weak link in my posterior chain. May add in hyperextensions which i dont do or good mornings (light weight).

 

[maldorf]

Right now heavy squats 1x a week, and the same with barbell rows and deadlifts. My back feels good while squatting. So, I dont think my lower back is in a perpetual state of overtraining, but its possible. Im actually starting to think my lower back is a weak link in my posterior chain. May add in hyperextensions which i dont do or good mornings (light weight).

Yeah, when my low back was overtrained it would get really sore when I squatted. I had been doing deadlifts every week at the time, heavy. I switched to once every other week and I was fine then. Bentover rows it would get so sore that I couldn't do those either.

Id say stick with the stiff leg deads but cut back on the volume some. Do less sets or fewer times a week. You could do some direct low back work. I think if you can find one of those machines that does the back extension, that would be the best thing. The machines tend to be easier on the back but still build strength. I use one once a week now, and I have pains in my back. Ive been seeing a chiro. the machine doesn't hurt it at all.

I also do belt squats now to take my low back out of squatting. Still do light stiff leg deads without any trouble. Before my heart attack I was up to doing sets of about 10 with 405 and had no trouble.

 

[OutToLunch]

Feels good on a hammer strength smith machine

 

[bonacris]

Excellent idea. The OP says he has low back pain with this exercise and you recommend to crank up the resistance. :headbang:

i didnt quote the OP. Please try to pay attention

 

[LK3]

idk if enjoy is really the right word but stif leg dls are a great exercise!

usually done before leg curls.
wide grip, big bar, about as wide as can be.
super slow, down long pause/strech back up bar dragging against you the entire time.

using too much weight and or lower rep sort of ideas i think opens you up to more injury potential especially as form is often a lil off.

using straps helps a lot too.
pivot at hips.
back arched entire time.
fun fun

 

[alfresco]

switch to a trap bar

Im having an issue when doing SLDL. My lower back always gets sore afterwards. Im sure my form is off. Does anyone have any pointers on how I can better work my hams and limit lower back involvement?

Personally . . . I will never do, you could not pay me
to do, another set SLDL’s with a straight bar.

Some can do them better than others. I am not one
of them.

Better to do them with a ‘trap’ bar. Far far better
biomechanics, much safer, better isolation. I can
really concentrate on the hams.

You can do SLDL’s with bd’s also.

 

[Brickshthouse79]

Did them again yesterday and they felt good. It looks like my issue was: 1) being too far from the bar (not dragging against my legs), 2) attempting to go too low - since my flexibility is that of a 90 yr old, only going a couple inches below my knees helpa a lot.

In addition, i tossed in some hyperextensions to strengthen the lower back.

Thanks everyone for your input.

 

[AGGRO]

Did them again yesterday and they felt good. It looks like my issue was: 1) being too far from the bar (not dragging against my legs), 2) attempting to go too low - since my flexibility is that of a 90 yr old, only going a couple inches below my knees helpa a lot.

In addition, i tossed in some hyperextensions to strengthen the lower back.

Thanks everyone for your input.

Just read most of the thread and this is good to read. I was going to add I prefer to keep the bar touching my legs the entire time. Do you ever try db's? I prefer using db's but nothing beats some heavy barbell SLDL's!

 

[Brickshthouse79]

Just read most of the thread and this is good to read. I was going to add I prefer to keep the bar touching my legs the entire time. Do you ever try db's? I prefer using db's but nothing beats some heavy barbell SLDL's!

It hasnt been a standard part of my routine, but it will be now. Ill rotate bb to db for a little variety.

 

[maldorf]

Good form going heavy in this video

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSQkOLWZ0fM"]Todd Jewell - 495 lb. stiff-leg dead lift 11-12-09 - YouTube[/ame]

This guy is doing it right in this video.

 

[Brickshthouse79]

Yeah, when my low back was overtrained it would get really sore when I squatted. I had been doing deadlifts every week at the time, heavy. I switched to once every other week and I was fine then. Bentover rows it would get so sore that I couldn't do those either.

Id say stick with the stiff leg deads but cut back on the volume some. Do less sets or fewer times a week. You could do some direct low back work. I think if you can find one of those machines that does the back extension, that would be the best thing. The machines tend to be easier on the back but still build strength. I use one once a week now, and I have pains in my back. Ive been seeing a chiro. the machine doesn't hurt it at all.

I also do belt squats now to take my low back out of squatting. Still do light stiff leg deads without any trouble. Before my heart attack I was up to doing sets of about 10 with 405 and had no trouble.

My volume is low but frequency is somewhat high - trying to hit each bodypart 2x a week - similar to DC but I need to work on the stretching element.

Update: I did sldl today and they felt really good. Went to 225 and didnt have any back soreness. Im going to continue the back hyperextensions on upper body days and slsl on lower body days.

 

[Fa Seeshus]

Stretch your hams. The tighter your hams the more your spine will flex. And the more your spine flexes the more pressure on your disc that will produce a herniation and wear the ligaments that protect from this.

Straight leg deads are a double edge sword. If your spine flexes forward at all when doing them them you went to far down and/or your hams are not flexible enough to do them without negative effect.

Some of the hamstring tightness could be via tight hip flexors pulling his pelvis into an abnormal tilt.

 

[maldorf]

My volume is low but frequency is somewhat high - trying to hit each bodypart 2x a week - similar to DC but I need to work on the stretching element.

Update: I did sldl today and they felt really good. Went to 225 and didnt have any back soreness. Im going to continue the back hyperextensions on upper body days and slsl on lower body days.

Ok. I would do 2x per week each bodypart too and did best doing stiff leg deads just once a week. On the other training day I would just do leg curls instead, nothing for low back. If you are doing barbell bentover rows and squats 2x per week too like I was, I would just do stiff legs 1x per week.

 

[Brickshthouse79]

Ok. I would do 2x per week each bodypart too and did best doing stiff leg deads just once a week. On the other training day I would just do leg curls instead, nothing for low back. If you are doing barbell bentover rows and squats 2x per week too like I was, I would just do stiff legs 1x per week.

Thanks, thats exactly what ive been doing. Each bodypart 2x a week, but rotating exercises on A and B days, so only 1 sldl per week.

 

[maldorf]

Thanks, thats exactly what ive been doing. Each bodypart 2x a week, but rotating exercises on A and B days, so only 1 sldl per week.

That should work well for you. Back when I was doing regular full range deadlifts I got to where I would only do those once every 2 weeks and I was still making progress. In fact I got stronger. When I would do those once a week I was getting my low back over trained.

 

[flairsjobber]

I have a ruptured disc in L3, I'm sticking with leg curls for now.

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