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Stiff-Leg Deadlift on a Box

Increase hamstring flexibility further

mcleslie
mcleslie g Leslie Lamberto Lazzarino
20 Post(s)
20 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Bodybuilding Date Joined: August 8, 2014
Posted

Hi. I'm training for splits, between other things, and stiff-leg deadlifts have helped me a bunch. But now when i do them I reach the ground with the plates (and I even use just 10 1/4 in diameter plates). I remember a while ago, in a gym where I trained at that time, watching a girl doing a stiff-leg deadlift on a 12-18 in tall box, in order to go lower with the barbell.

Has anyone of you tryed it? Do you know of any serious injury risk due to this variation of the exercise?

PhD student in laser & particle accelerator Physics. Ju Jitsu black belt. Back to training seriously since 1 year. Goal: become like Jean-Claude Van Damme in his prime.
Whisper
Whisper p+ Kostas Kroustaloudis
687 Post(s)
687 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Train for a sport Date Joined: September 9, 2011
Posted
Posted By: mcleslie

Hi. I'm training for splits, between other things, and stiff-leg deadlifts have helped me a bunch. But now when i do them I reach the ground with the plates (and I even use just 10 1/4 in diameter plates). I remember a while ago, in a gym where I trained at that time, watching a girl doing a stiff-leg deadlift on a 12-18 in tall box, in order to go lower with the barbell.

Has anyone of you tryed it? Do you know of any serious injury risk due to this variation of the exercise?

Well, girls have greater flexibility than most guys, so its pretty safe for them to do almost anything.
What you re talking about is doing deadlifts from a deficit, which is a good idea, if you want a deeper stretch reflex at the bottom which you are not getting with normal deadlifts. If your flexibility allows it, you should definitely try it. By no means should you sacrifice your spine and hips positioning though. If you have the flexibility required, it will help establish further flexibility and mobility throughout your posterior chain, especially hamstrings and calves.

Another option if normal deadlifts arent doing it for you, and you find that you dont have flexibility to do deficit deadlifts, why dont you just increase the weight of your normal deadlifts to make it more challenging?

Kostas

Muscular Strength Athlete and Content Manager 6 Years Lifting Experience Bachelors in Molecular Chemistry/Biochemistry, Working towards Masters Lifting Style & Philosophy : Aikido, Energy, Balance, Flexibility, Posture
mcleslie
mcleslie g Leslie Lamberto Lazzarino
20 Post(s)
20 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Bodybuilding Date Joined: August 8, 2014
Posted
Posted By: Whisper

Well, girls have greater flexibility than most guys, so its pretty safe for them to do almost anything.
What you re talking about is doing deadlifts from a deficit, which is a good idea, if you want a deeper stretch reflex at the bottom which you are not getting with normal deadlifts. If your flexibility allows it, you should definitely try it. By no means should you sacrifice your spine and hips positioning though. If you have the flexibility required, it will help establish further flexibility and mobility throughout your posterior chain, especially hamstrings and calves.

Another option if normal deadlifts arent doing it for you, and you find that you dont have flexibility to do deficit deadlifts, why dont you just increase the weight of your normal deadlifts to make it more challenging?

Kostas

I do both "normal" deadlifts and straight-leg deadlifts. I keep them both challenging, but I'm really interested in flexibility (I'm pretty flexible, but I need more to do JCVD splits ;) ).

PhD student in laser & particle accelerator Physics. Ju Jitsu black belt. Back to training seriously since 1 year. Goal: become like Jean-Claude Van Damme in his prime.
Whisper
Whisper p+ Kostas Kroustaloudis
687 Post(s)
687 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Train for a sport Date Joined: September 9, 2011
Posted
Posted By: mcleslie

I do both "normal" deadlifts and straight-leg deadlifts. I keep them both challenging, but I'm really interested in flexibility (I'm pretty flexible, but I need more to do JCVD splits ;) ).

I m just talking about this particular exercise, the stiff legged deadlift. A stiff legged deadlift is completely different than a romanian deadlift and it has nothing to do with the knees. A stiff legged deadlift is mainly a back exercise ( spinal extensors) and a romanian deadlift is a hamstring exercise. I think you are doing romanian deadlifts and of course "normal" deadlifts. So my answer was for what you call "straight leg deadlifts", although its probably a romanian deadlift.

Taking any deadlift and doing it from a deficit will definitely help you. You should try it. Other than that dont expect much flexibility gains from exercises. Static stretching is required to improve your flexibility, as well as trigger point releasing.

Muscular Strength Athlete and Content Manager 6 Years Lifting Experience Bachelors in Molecular Chemistry/Biochemistry, Working towards Masters Lifting Style & Philosophy : Aikido, Energy, Balance, Flexibility, Posture
mcleslie
mcleslie g Leslie Lamberto Lazzarino
20 Post(s)
20 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Bodybuilding Date Joined: August 8, 2014
Posted

I'm really sorry, I misunderstood your sentence. :)

I'm doing straight leg, not romanian (I've just checked Scott's video to be sure). It uses a lot the hamstrings too, and uses them in a really stretched position. My split training is based on static stretches and other stretching exercises, just as you say, but I have to admit that since I stated with straight-leg deadlifts, untill I reached the ground, my improvement in static stretches have been really fast. Then they have become really slow, even with the barbell weight going from 60kg to 80kg. That's the whole story of why I want to try the box. Thank you for your advice, now I feel more confident about the box variation being safe. :)

PhD student in laser & particle accelerator Physics. Ju Jitsu black belt. Back to training seriously since 1 year. Goal: become like Jean-Claude Van Damme in his prime.
muscular strength
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