Stiffleggeds for mass or cutting or both?

[deeepsouth_nz]

Well i think I have a pretty good leg routine underway at the mo (squats, legpress, sumo squat, deadlift, lying legcurl, standing legcurl, walking db lunges, butt blaster and leg extension in my two leg days of legs)...BUT Im just wondering peoples thoughts on the value of stiffleggeds (db or bb). They seem to be in alot of the pros routines (if you can believe all you read).

I have used them a few times in the past but never really felt i was seeing that greater results and so just kinda phased them out of the picture. I would like both size and some definition at the back there (as I have that in my quads) BUT I do know my hams come out alot more nearer comp time BUT I think being 7-8% pretty much year round I should be able to see a little more than what I am currently?!

Is there any special way that people have used that has worked for them to make them more effective?! Im guessing higher reps for one as seems to be the way when working the hamstrings in hip exension.....But Alot of the time I feel it more in my lower back despite keeping it flat and not rounding....thoughts?

[Pseudonym]

Try squeezing your knees together, or stick a towel between your knees and squeeze that. Don't ask me how, but it seems to make all the difference. :shrug:

BTW, how do you stay at 7-8% year round? That's where I'd like to be, but I just can't face the year-round cardio that goes with it.

[deeepsouth_nz]

Thanks Pseu,

I will give that a crack.

Ummm its just in my makeup to be lean, can be a curse is well when you only need to look at a piece of cardio equip and you start dropping muscle also.

Cheers

ds

[GHOSTN]

hi

i was watching tommy jeffers natural pro, he was standing on a block for a bigger strech while doing his stiff legged dl..

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/insidethelife0.htm#pro

probably episode 12 or 13

hope that may help

cheers

calvin

[orange]

Using smaller diameter plates will get the bar closer to the ground for a bigger stretch without standing on a block. Eg. using 4 x 10kg plates on each side instead of 2 x 20kg.

[lazyeye]

try "prearching" your hips by poking bum back and chest up before tilting at the waist to lower bar

ala Hatfields 'keystone deadlifts'

lowering the bar to the floor is silly, just stressing the lower back ligaments as the lower back rounds at the bottom

[Varven]

hi

i was watching tommy jeffers natural pro, he was standing on a block for a bigger strech while doing his stiff legged dl..

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/insidethelife0.htm#pro

probably episode 12 or 13

hope that may help

cheers

calvin

I've noticed pro Ivan Sadek doing the same at my gym... on a block for high reps super setted with standing leg curls pre contest.

[Small]

lowering the bar to the floor is silly, just stressing the lower back ligaments as the lower back rounds at the bottom

i agree it feels awkward, so just rub shins below knees then?

[Matrix]

There is a key point here that hasn't been mentioned.

There are 2 types of exercises that are very similar here:

The first, which will help deepsouth with his hammies is actually the Romanian Deadlift, where you start with a very slight bend in your knees, and push your hips back as you slowly lower the bar as close to your thighs as possible, aiming to maintain that same amount of slight bend in your legs throughout. At the same time, you are keeping you chest up and maintaining your backs natural(neutral) curve.

These stress your hammies and glutes predominately and lower back secondarily as it is isometrically bracing to stay straight during the lift. It is a modification of the stiff leg deadlift that is ALOT safer if you have lower back issues.

The second exercise is a Stiff Legged Deadlift, which as the name applies, requires you to lock out your knees throughout. This means that(flexibility dependant) as you lower past say, mid shin, the remaining movement comes from your back rounding foward(flexion) and straightening back(extension) as you come back up. Obviously the extension part really isolates your spinal erectors and lessens hamstring involvement, but at a cost, it is a much higher risk exercise, especially if you go heavy. You can injure your lumbar discs in a similar way to letting your back round on full deadlifts. So the loading is important. I'd recommend if you are using it to isolate your lower back, Lower resistance, higher reps and slow, continious tension on the muscle by using a partial range of motion(as mentioned in another post). Spinal erectors are primarily slow twitch, which means they respond better to this type of loading and time under tension.

Key Point: Romanian Deadlifts for Hammies and lower risk, Stiff Legs for Lower Back and higher risk. Both have their uses. Good Luck

[deeepsouth_nz]

Thanks Matrix...my oversight, I was meaning the Romanian Deadlift with slightly bent knees...

[InZane]

There is a key point here that hasn't been mentioned.

There are 2 types of exercises that are very similar here:

The first, which will help deepsouth with his hammies is actually the Romanian Deadlift, where you start with a very slight bend in your knees, and push your hips back as you slowly lower the bar as close to your thighs as possible, aiming to maintain that same amount of slight bend in your legs throughout. At the same time, you are keeping you chest up and maintaining your backs natural(neutral) curve.

These stress your hammies and glutes predominately and lower back secondarily as it is isometrically bracing to stay straight during the lift. It is a modification of the stiff leg deadlift that is ALOT safer if you have lower back issues.

The second exercise is a Stiff Legged Deadlift, which as the name applies, requires you to lock out your knees throughout. This means that(flexibility dependant) as you lower past say, mid shin, the remaining movement comes from your back rounding foward(flexion) and straightening back(extension) as you come back up. Obviously the extension part really isolates your spinal erectors and lessens hamstring involvement, but at a cost, it is a much higher risk exercise, especially if you go heavy. You can injure your lumbar discs in a similar way to letting your back round on full deadlifts. So the loading is important. I'd recommend if you are using it to isolate your lower back, Lower resistance, higher reps and slow, continious tension on the muscle by using a partial range of motion(as mentioned in another post). Spinal erectors are primarily slow twitch, which means they respond better to this type of loading and time under tension.

Key Point: Romanian Deadlifts for Hammies and lower risk, Stiff Legs for Lower Back and higher risk. Both have their uses. Good Luck

Great explanation.

I have been using stiff legs to help with lower back strength, specifically to assist when doing heavier front squats.

=iZ.

[Matrix]

Too true, the lower back work really helps here, especially to counter act the forward lean at the bottom.

I find the more I work on my lumbar spine, the heavier my lifts get and the higher my confidance gets to increase weight on Squats, Military/over head pressess and deads.