Dumbbell Stiff Leg Deadlift

Muscles worked

Setup

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand in front of your thighs with a neutral or overhand grip.
2. Set your shoulder blades back and down to engage your lats and maintain a neutral spine.
3. Establish a 'soft' knee position with a very slight bend, then lock this knee angle for the duration of the set.

How to do it

1. Inhale and hinge at the hips, pushing your glutes as far back as possible while lowering the dumbbells vertically toward your feet.
2. Lower the weights until you feel a maximum stretch in your hamstrings, typically reaching mid-shin level, while keeping the dumbbells close to your legs.
3. Exhale and drive your hips forward to return to a standing position, focusing on pulling through the hamstrings rather than the lower back.
4. Maintain a controlled tempo, taking 3 seconds to lower the weight and 1 second to return to the start.

Form checklist

• Keep the dumbbells close to your shins throughout the movement to protect the lower back.
• Ensure your spine remains flat; stop descending if your lower back begins to round.
• Maintain the same slight knee bend throughout—do not let the knees bend further into a squat.
• Keep your head in a neutral position, looking at the floor a few feet in front of you during the descent.

Pro tips

• Focus on tilting your tailbone toward the ceiling as you descend to maximize the stretch on the hamstring fibers.
• Imagine you are trying to touch a wall behind you with your glutes to ensure proper hip hinge depth.
• Keep your weight distributed through your heels and mid-foot to maintain balance and posterior engagement.

Make it harder

• Perform the movement standing on a weight plate or low platform (deficit) to increase the range of motion and stretch.
• Add a 2-second pause at the bottom of the movement to increase time under tension in the fully stretched position.

Frequently asked

What muscles does the dumbbell stiff leg deadlift work?

The dumbbell stiff leg deadlift primarily targets the erector spinae, glutes, and hamstrings, and also works the abs, obliques, and quadriceps as secondary muscles.

What equipment do you need for the dumbbell stiff leg deadlift?

The dumbbell stiff leg deadlift uses dumbbell.

Is the dumbbell stiff leg deadlift good for beginners?

The dumbbell stiff leg deadlift is rated intermediate. Build a base with simpler variations first, then progress to it with light load and strict form.

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