Exercise Profile
- Target Muscle Group
- Exercise TypeStrength
- Equipment RequiredDumbbell
- MechanicsCompound
- Force TypePull
- Experience LevelBeginner
- Secondary Muscles
Glutes, Lower Back
Target Muscle Group
Hamstrings
Dumbbell Stiff Leg Deadlift Overview
The dumbbell stiff leg deadlift is an effective exercise that targets the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back. This exercise enhances posterior chain strength, flexibility, and mobility by focusing on hip hinge movement.
Benefits include improved hamstring development, core stability, better posture, and increased athletic performance.
Include this exercise in your next lower body day if you want to build lower body strength, improve flexibility, and enhance overall performance.
Dumbbell Stiff Leg Deadlift Instructions
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand with palms facing your body.
- Engage your core, keep your chest up, and your shoulders back. This is the starting position.
- Push your hips back, not down, while slightly bending your knees. Lower the dumbbells along the front of your legs.
- Continue hinging until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings (usually when the dumbbells reach mid-shin or slightly below.)
- Reverse the motion by driving your hips forward, bringing your torso back up while maintaining a straight back. This is one rep.
- Perform the desired reps, focusing on controlled movements and proper form.
Dumbbell Stiff Leg Deadlift Tips
- Maintain a straight back throughout the movement—avoid rounding your lower back.
- Hinge at the hips. Push your hips back, not down, while lowering the dumbbells.
- Keep the dumbbells close to your legs as you lower them.
80 Comments
With this exercise and a lot of others, I find that I struggle at keeping my core engaged, so my pelvic tilt is off and makes my lower back more tired. I also have my lower couple vertebrae fused and 2 rods and seveveral screws in.
I see the issue there, Tyler, You may have to find machine versions that you can do so your back is not compromised. I also advise speaking to your physician about this so you can be confident in what you're doing.
The move shown in the video looks more like an RDL. Tooich bend in the lnee for a stiff/straight-legged DL.
When I do the dumbbell stiff leg deadlift, I feel a tight pull in my calves well before I start to feel any pull in my hamstrings. Does this suggest my form is wrong?
Hey Jay, it may suggest tightness in the calves. I would recommend taking some extra time to loosen them up with light reps and stretching.
You can also put a slight bend in the knee to get more emphasis on the hamstrings and glutes. That may help relieve pressure on the calves.
If my lower back feels sort of stiff and sore while performing the exercise does that mean I’m doing it wrong?
Hi Jackson, not necessarily, but I do believe you could benefit form a few extra minutes of warming up the lower back before you go into doing this exercise.
Hi, I'm new to this kind of exercise. When I follow the video and instructions I can't feel anything stretch unless I let the dumbbells go all the way to the floor but at that point I can feel my calves stretching. Is this a form issue? Are my weights not heavy enough? Thanks!
Hi Mia, it could be a combination of things. So, please keep in mind I am making these suggestions without being able to watch you.
First, you can have a slight bend in the knee, and this will actually help you feel the hamstrings more. Just don't go into a partial squat. Small bend will be enough.
Second, let the dumbbells go more towards your toes if you're not already. This has helped some people feel it more. They also think about pushing their glutes back as if they are trying to touch the wall behind them.
Third, it could be you need more weight and a greater range of motion. Stand on a step so you have more distance to lower the weight. You may have awesome flexibility and this will help provide the stimulus you need.
Hope all of this helps!
My grip gives out before I ever feel my hamstrings get close to failure. I feel like my form is fine. Any tips?
Hi Jesse, this is not a form issue. It is simply a grip strength issue. Use lifting straps or chalk to support your grip, and you should be fine.
What's a good weight to use?
Depends on your strength level, but you should be able to complete all the reps with good form before reaching failure. That will be different for each person.
I worry that I’m hurting my back doing these. How do I keep my back straight? I have to round my shoulders to go back up.
Hi Gary, try this. Focus on sticking your butt back to a wall instead of bending over. Your hips should hinge and you will go lower. When you go to come back up, flex your glutes and look forward as you come up. I hope this helps.
What exercise(s) could I switch this out for?, I just can't get the form right and endup messing up my back..
Training in a gym or at home, Alex? If at home, what equipment you got? I want to make the best alternatives possible for ya.
Hi Roger,
I'm training at home, I have dumbbells, Kettlebells, Barbell and a dip bar as well as resistance bands.
Ok. As long as you don't have back issues, you can do them with a barbell with a shorter range of motion. Just stop once you feel the stretch in the hamstrings or the barbell reach the shins. You could also connect the band to a solid object and place the other and around your ankles and do lying leg curls. Dumbbell leg curls and lunges are also options.
I am absolutely feeling this in hamstrings. However this move just gives me the heebeejeebees. Is there any other free weight motion that can be used in substitution?
Outside of a dumbbell leg curl, hard to recommend anything without knowing what concerns you about it.
Is it possible to gain muscle mass without deadlifts. I have been using your workouts for five months , I have history of lower back disc issues and its gone again.I have to stop working out and its a two week wait until I feel OK to start again but deadlifts might be a problem for me. I can do squats as long as I reduce the weight.
It is possible, Anthony. No one exercise is the end-all, be-all. As long as you train the posterior chain with other movements, you will be fine. Thanks for reading M&S!
Thanks for that, I wasn't sure if the deadlifts were a must do exercise.I will stick to squats and work my weights up again.
Is it weird i cant even reach my feet in this position? I get the technique but i got no way to get my back straight lool
It just means you need to work on your flexibility. With reps and commitment to stretching, you'll get better and eventually reach the feet.
It just means you need to work on your flexibility. With reps and commitment to stretching, you'll get better and eventually reach the feet.
Hello. I am really struggling to do this correctly. I do not really like the exercise either. If I swapped it for the reverse hyper would that be sufficient or not? If so should I do more sets as the reverse hyper is probably less demanding? Thanks
I am always in favor of reverse hyper, but that is going to do more for the lower back than the hamstrings. A Good morning would do more for the hamstrings. Have you tried doing these single leg?
Hi. I do not like the Good Morning exercises either sorry. I will have to think of something else. I am training at home and limited to what I can use. Hopefully there is a simple exercise using dumbbells that I can replace it with.
Check out Exercises section at the top of the page and click the links to the muscle groups you need to find alternative exercises for. We have plenty to choose from.
Is it normal to feel this only when going down and stretching my hamstrings and not feel anything at all when coming up with the weights?
You should feel some contraction when going back up. Go up slow and stop short of standing completely tall. This may help.
You should feel the hamstring stretch on the way down and actually contract on the way up.On the way going down I usually stop about mid front shiner a little farther.Charles
Is it normal to feel a stretching pain rather than the usual lifting / pushing pain? It feels very different than other muscle workouts but maybe that's how the hamstring is.
You should feel a stretch that is intense and even uncomfortable, but it shouldn't be extremely painful. If it is, stop doing the exercise.
It is really recommended to raise your head as you said. Don't you think keeping the head neutral so the back gets parallel to prevent tension in the neck muscle is better?
I personally agree with you on that one, Nuseli. I try to keep my head neutral, but some people feel more comfortable looking forward while the body is in motion. It may be a matter of preference on this one.
Any dumbbell only movement to replace this? This is not exercising my hamstrings and leaves me with a terrible lower back pain every time I do it ><
If you're feeling that kind of pain, you should see a doctor. Hard to make a recommendation without knowing if your lower back bothers you in other movements as well. If that is the only time your back bothers you, you could try the dumbbell leg curl with the dumbbell between your feet.
Hi when I do this exercise, I feel it in my lower calfs rather than my armstring
Turn your feet slightly out, and place small plates under your heels. Also, make sure your feet are appropriate distance apart. If they are too close, the calves will be more involved.
Really wish you guys would update these video workouts. I get that this was made in 2012 but the video quality leaves a lot to be desired in 2022.
this is a guaranteed back injury if you don't get the form correct. not even the person in the video has the proper form, it seems.
what would be a better, safer alternative? this doesn't seem to be beginner friendly whatsoever.
Agreed. The guy in this video rounds his back when he lowers the weight. I would compare this to the video of the Romanian deadlift. In that video, he starts the exercise with bent knees and deadlifts it into position. Then each rep is taken down to about knee level before lifting again. He keeps his spine neutral throughout the workout. If you just imagine dumbbells instead of a barbell, that would seem like the best technique/form of the exercise.
Will 5 reps x 3 sets with a heavy weight build more muscle than 10 reos x 3 sets of a lighter weight?
Hey Steve - it also depends on the other exercises you're doing and what you do outside of the gym. Check out this article: https://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/creating-effective-muscle-bui...
RIP my lower back.
same LMAO
good that I'm not the only one