Wide-Stance Stiff-Legged Deadlift
Trains the Hamstrings.
- Equipment
- A barbell
- Mechanic
- Compound
- Force
- Pull
- Level
- Intermediate
How to do it
- Stand holding a barbell in front of the thighs with an overhand grip, feet well wider than shoulder width and toes turned slightly out.
- Set the back flat, chest up, and straighten the knees almost fully.
- Push the hips back and lower the bar down the front of the legs, keeping it close to the body.
- Keep the legs nearly straight and go down until the hamstrings and inner thighs stop the movement with the back still flat.
- Drive the hips forward to stand back up, finishing tall.
- Repeat without letting the back round at the bottom.
Common mistakes
- Rounding the back to reach lower. The range ends where the back would round; a wide stance shortens the range for many people, and that is fine.
- Bending the knees to get depth. The knees stay nearly straight; bending them turns it into a wide-stance deadlift.
- Letting the bar drift away from the legs. It brushes the thighs on the way down and up; a bar out in front loads the lower back.
- Letting the knees fall in. With the feet wide the knees point the same way as the toes for the whole movement.