Dumbbell Stiff Leg Deadlift

Directions:

Preperation/body position

1. Find dumbbells that are of a suitable weight for you to execute the exercise.
2. Stand erect, slight bend in knees, holding dumbbells just in front of thighs.

Excution/Movement

1. Whilst keeping good body posture, and a fixed bend in the knees, lower dumbbells towards your feet by bending at the hip.
2. Once sufficient depth is reached, return back to starting position by extending at the hip.
3. Repeat for desired amount of repetitions.

Comments

The stiff leg deadlift is an effective exercise to stress the hamstring muscles. The stiff leg version of the deadlift will place more emphasis on the hamstring compared to that of the normal deadlifts. This is because the hamstring recruitment is limited with deadlifts, as the knees are bent greatly during hip extension, thus causing them to be in a mechanically weak position. The stiff leg variation of the deadlift places the body in a greater position for the hamstrings to be in mechanical advantageous situation.

The dumbbell variation is sometimes favoured as it allows for a bit more freedom compared to that of the barbell, where the hands are relatively fixed in position.

Due to the nature of the exercise, care should be taken to perform the exercise under perfect form. Knees should remain fixed in a slightly bent position, good body posture maintained, and no bouncing at the bottom or top of the movement, which can be injurious.

For hypertrophy 6-12 reps will likely yield the best results, providing optimal time under tension. This will provide adequate stimulation for sarcoplasmic hypertrophy, and acute response to anabolic hormone concentrations, compared to that of lower rep ranges.
For strength and power 1-5 reps is optimal for stimulating the type iiB fibres and neural adaptations of the nervous system.