The
stiff-legged deadlift is one of the best exercises
you can do for your hamstrings. The only problem
is, it can also be one the hardest exercises to
perform properly.
For
years, I tried to feel my hamstrings working when
I did the stiff-legged deadlift. I knew it was
the best exercise to work the hip extension function
of the hamstrings but I never succeeded in feeling
my hams work until I came up with this simple
technique.
Let
me tell you, the very rep of the very first set
I used this technique on, I could feel my hamstrings
like never before! It was like a revelation. It
was also extraordinarily simple. I guarantee if
you've never had success with stiff-legged deadlifts,
you will definitely have it after applying this
technique.
The
trick? Elevate your toes on weight plates while
you do the exercise. That's it! It's very simple
but very elegant in the way it addresses the kinesiology
and anatomy of the hamstrings. I will explain
exactly how to set it up and the mechanisms of
why it works so incredibly well.
How
To Do It:
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Set two 25-pound
weight plates on the ground butted up against
each other (one for each foot). They should
be right beneath the barbell you will be
using for the exercise and placed side-by-side
so you can set your feet on both of them.
Stand in front
of the barbell with your feet half on the
plates and half off. The front parts of
your feet will be on the plates and your
heels will be on the ground. Use the weight
plates to brace your feet up so that your
toes are up in the air and your feet are
flexed up (known as dorsiflexion).
Bend over
and grasp the bar at about shoulder width
with an overhand grip. Keep your knees locked
but slightly bent while doing this exercise
and keep a tight arch in your lower back.
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Look
directly forward while you are coming up and going
back down. This will help you to keep an arch
in your lower back.
Squeeze
the bar off the ground slowly and deliberately,
coming up only until your upper body is slightly
above parallel. Any higher and you'll start to
lose tension in the hamstrings and throw it on
your lower back. The real value of this exercise
lies in the stretch at the bottom anyways.
Come
down slowly, being absolutely sure to keep the
arch in your lower back. As you near the bottom,
stick your butt out and try to raise your toes
as high up as possible. This dramatically intensifies
the stretch you put on your hamstrings. Hold that
stretch for a moment or two then reverse the direction
without bouncing.
Repeat
this for 5 to 7 reps. At the end of the set, place
the barbell down gently then get ready to grab
onto something for support. If you've done this
technique correctly and intensely, your hamstrings
will probably feel like jelly and you might find
yourself prone to falling down suddenly (this
is not a joke - I can't tell you how many things
I've had grab onto to catch myself on after doing
a hard set of these)!
Why Is This Technique So Effective For Hitting
the Hamstrings?
The
reason this toe-raising technique is so effective
for the stiff-legged deadlift comes straight from
biomechanics and anatomy.
The
stiff-legged deadlift exercise places the most
tension on the hamstrings at the bottom, stretched
position. Therefore, in order to maximize tension
on the hamstrings, we must maximize the stretch
on the hamstrings at that point.
In
the standard stiff-legged deadlift, this is normally
accomplished by simply bending at the hips. But
this is not the greatest anatomical stretch that
can be put on the hamstring muscles.
As
you may or may not know, the muscles of the calves
are tied in with the hamstrings. Therefore, placing
a stretch on the calves also places more stretch
on the hamstrings. This is what the weight plates
accomplish - they raise your toes, putting a stretch
on the calves, which then puts a greater stretch
on your hamstrings.
By
stretching the hamstrings at both the hip joint
and the knee joint (from stretching the calves),
you literally force your hamstrings to activate
strongly during the stiff-legged deadlift movement.
The
difference is quite amazing! Try it for just one
set and I promise you'll never go back to doing
it the standard way ever again!
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