Stiff-leg deadlift: how to do it, what it works, and how it differs from an RDL

How to do the stiff-leg deadlift

Locking in a near-straight knee puts your hamstrings under a long stretch with a heavy load, which is one of the most effective ways to grow them. It needs only a barbell and plates, and it slots in after squats on leg day or as the main hinge on a hamstring-focused day.

Swap for: Romanian Deadlift, Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift, Good Morning

Muscles the stiff-leg deadlift works

The stiff-leg deadlift works your hamstrings hardest, especially at the bottom, where they are stretched. Your glutes help straighten your hips, and the muscles along your spine hold your back flat under the load. Your grip and upper back hold the bar.

Sets, reps and reps in reserve for the stiff-leg deadlift

Stiff-leg deadlift variations

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  Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift

  Hold dumbbells and keep your knees nearly straight when you have no barbell; the dumbbells can travel along your legs more freely.

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  Single-Leg RDL

  Hinge on one leg when you want each hamstring to work alone and don't have heavy weights.

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  Landmine RDL

  Hold the end of a landmine bar when you want a hinge where the bar path is guided and easier to keep close.

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Stiff-leg deadlift alternatives

Other barbell hinges

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  Romanian Deadlift

  Bend your knees a little more when you want more glutes and more load than the stiff-leg version allows.

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  Barbell Deadlift

  Pull from the floor with bent knees when you want the heaviest hinge for overall strength.

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Easier on the lower back

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  Cable Pull-Through

  Use a cable between your legs when your lower back tires before your hamstrings do.

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  Dumbbell Good Morning

  Hold one dumbbell at your chest when you want the same hinge with much less weight.

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Hamstrings without the hinge

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  Lying Leg Curl

  Curl on a machine when you want hamstring work that doesn't load your back at all.

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  Seated Leg Curl

  Use the seated curl when you want the hamstrings stretched at the hip and loaded at the knee.

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Stiff-leg deadlift vs Romanian deadlift

The difference is the knee. In a Romanian deadlift your knees bend a bit more as your hips go back, so your glutes share more of the load and you can usually lift more. In a stiff-leg deadlift your knees stay almost straight, so the hamstrings take more of the stretch and the weight is lower.

Pick the stiff-leg version when your hamstrings are the target and the Romanian deadlift when you want glutes and hamstrings together or plan to go heavier. Either is enough on its own; you don't need both in the same session.

How low should you go?

Go down until you feel a strong stretch in your hamstrings or your back is about to round, whichever comes first. For most people that is between the knees and mid-shin; touching the floor isn't the goal. Your depth will grow as your hamstrings adapt, so keep it consistent and let it come on its own.