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2007/05/12, 10:12 PM
so, i had a really hard time doing the straight leg dead lift.. felt very awkward.. i had trouble keeping my back straight and felt i was straining my back more than my legs.. for this reason i didn't finish my sets for fear of injury.. does anyone have any advice for me about this exercise? thanks
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2007/05/13, 01:22 AM
Here is it explained as best as possible by REV8BALL in a previous post a couple of years back...hope this helps you out. :)
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Here are some pointers: The deadlift is actually quite a simple exercise: Bend over and pick up something from the floor. But there is a method to the madness. This time, we start from the bottom. For a traditional lift, stand with your feet about shoulder width apart, with your shins touching the bar. Squat down and grasp the bar about 4-6 inches out from your footing; most people prefer the over/under positioning of the hands. Make sure that you keep your shins as close to 90 degrees to the floor as possible, thereby preventing you from leaning forward and adding stress to the lower back. Keeping your back straight/arched and tight, and your head always level, begin the big pull. It?s a little easier to understand the lift if you look at it this way: your upper body is pulling the weight off the floor, while your lower body is pushing your upper body to stand up. Focus on the correct firing order, like mentioned above, and the bar will move correctly. Always keep the bar as close to the body as possible (scraped up shins and thighs are part of heavy deadlifts). Also, upon the ascent, never let your butt rise first or above your shoulders. If you do this, you are basically turning this into a Good Morning lift, and putting waaaaaaaay too much strain on your lower back. Do not use your biceps to pull the weight; they are much smaller muscles that your back, etc., and you will easily tear them trying to turn this heavy lift into a curl. Finally, keep your abs tight, and never relax your chest and shoulder girdle. When you get to the top, there are three big no-nos that people who don?t know what they are doing always perform: do not lock out your knees; do not lean back once the lift is completed; and do not roll your shoulders back. All that these movements will do will be to knock you out of balance and place unnecessary stress (and possibly damage) smaller and more vulnerable muscle groups. Now, lower the weight in the reverse of what you just did, making sure to keep tight form and control, and not the letting the weight drop.
Hope that helps......
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Michael
Trample the weak; hurdle the dead!
Chaos, Panic, Disorder.... Yes, my work here is done!
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Bettia
"Minds are like parachutes; they work best when open." - Lord Thomas Dewar
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2007/05/13, 11:51 AM
Also, do a search for Keystone deadlifts. They take the strain off the lower back and work your glutes and hams.
:dumbbell:
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--JBennett
"I've up-ed my intensity.... now up yours!"
"Pain is only weakness leaving the body."
"Never think of how weak you are; think of how strong you're going to be."
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2007/05/13, 02:25 PM
Here's a link that details the stiff leg deadlift (below the squat description).
http://www.intense-workout.com/leg_exercises.html
You absolutely must focus on keeping your back straight, even slightly arched. If you find your back wanting to round, go with a lighter weight that will allow you to keep your back straight. Go down until you feel a nice stretch in your hamstrings...you don't need to go too far, which can also cause your back to want to round.
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2007/05/14, 02:43 PM
SL deads do target your legs, but if you have a weak lower back then that is where you will struggle. Work on building up your lower back, do hyper extensions and regular deadlifts.
Also drop the weight for the SL deads and concentrate more on a good stretch at the bottom. This will be more beneficial.
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