Heavier Stiff-Legged Deadlift?

[CriZPer]

Hi guys, i've a doubt. Are you supposed to lift heavier weights in the SLDL than in a conventional deadlift?
I find it easier to lock my knees, arch my back, and use a wide stance. (its kind of a good-morning i guess) So, basically i never bend my knees. Is that bad? Am I cheating?
Any help would be appreciated, thanks!

:good:
:dl:

 

[Jstrong20]

Its odd that you can lift more SL deadlift than regular. You say your using a wide stance for the SL. Did you ever try doing a regular deadlift with a sumo stance?

 

[Basso]

Well I'm not sure exactly what your asking but if you can SLDL more then you DL then you've got some areas that need work! Namely Legs, and Hips...if you can't get the bar off the gnd it's typically caused by lack of leg power (do you squat deep?). I would back off the SLDL and concentrate on speed off the floor and leg work. jmho

 

[CriZPer]

Its odd that you can lift more SL deadlift than regular. You say your using a wide stance for the SL. Did you ever try doing a regular deadlift with a sumo stance?

Well I'm not sure exactly what your asking but if you can SLDL more then you DL then you've got some areas that need work! Namely Legs, and Hips...if you can't get the bar off the gnd it's typically caused by lack of leg power (do you squat deep?). I would back off the SLDL and concentrate on speed off the floor and leg work. jmho

thanks guys,
i've always tried to do regular dls, the thing is i just realized that i was actually doing SLDLs. :blink: i automatically do this. ill try the regular dl tomorrow, but with about 80% max.

I squat deep, but neither my squat or my dl #s are good. (345 DL, 295 SQ to parallel) I used to do a lot of leg press, and my quads got pretty big in comparison to the rest of my body.
I thought that since my quads were taking most of the workload I needed to focus more on the hamstrings, that's why it made sense to keep doing SLDLs...

Another thing is, when I squat I dont know how to use my hams. Im fixing this, but a few months ago, I was actually doing good-morning squats.... :frustrate

I guess that whenever im down there with my knees bent, the first thing my body wants to do is use my quads to straighten up my legs....

I really think I need help here... how do I fix this?? more ham work maybe?

 

[BOHICA]

thanks guys,
i've always tried to do regular dls, the thing is i just realized that i was actually doing SLDLs. :blink: i automatically do this. ill try the regular dl tomorrow, but with about 80% max.

I squat deep, but neither my squat or my dl #s are good. (345 DL, 295 SQ to parallel) I used to do a lot of leg press, and my quads got pretty big in comparison to the rest of my body.
I thought that since my quads were taking most of the workload I needed to focus more on the hamstrings, that's why it made sense to keep doing SLDLs...

Another thing is, when I squat I dont know how to use my hams. Im fixing this, but a few months ago, I was actually doing good-morning squats.... :frustrate

I guess that whenever im down there with my knees bent, the first thing my body wants to do is use my quads to straighten up my legs....

I really think I need help here... how do I fix this?? more ham work maybe?

What you said makes no sense, since your quads and glutes are the main muscles that will power your squats back up. Not your hamstrings. Hamstring work comes from straight legged deadlifts, good mornings, even lying or sitting leg curls.

 

[CriZPer]

What you said makes no sense, since your quads and glutes are the main muscles that will power your squats back up. Not your hamstrings. Hamstring work comes from straight legged deadlifts, good mornings, even lying or sitting leg curls.

I understand that the squatting muscles are the hamstrings and the glutes. That's why not all powerlifters have big quads, but all of them have big hams...

 

[Basso]

The glutes and hams are going to be major players in the hole (below parallel). If you want your squats to be more compound (involve hips, hams, glutes, quads etc) you can widen your stance and take em deeeeeep. Deep box squats would be a great help (help you with form also) other wise GMs GHRs SLDLs and Pull throughs

 

[CriZPer]

The glutes and hams are going to be major players in the hole (below parallel). If you want your squats to be more compound (involve hips, hams, glutes, quads etc) you can widen your stance and take em deeeeeep. Deep box squats would be a great help (help you with form also) other wise GMs GHRs SLDLs and Pull throughs

Thanks Basso
:goodpost:

 

[guyfromkop2]

it's a form issue, put 135 on the bar and video tape youself, knees and hips should be locking out at the same time. dont go to 80% and think yu can work on form. you need like 30%. read articles and watch videos of other guys lifting. EliteFTS - Superior Products and Knowledge for Lifters, Athletes, Coaches, and Trainers is a great place to start

 

[CriZPer]

it's a form issue, put 135 on the bar and video tape youself, knees and hips should be locking out at the same time. dont go to 80% and think yu can work on form. you need like 30%. read articles and watch videos of other guys lifting. EliteFTS - Superior Products and Knowledge for Lifters, Athletes, Coaches, and Trainers is a great place to start

Thanks! I'll do that.

 

[Viperspit]

Do not lock your knees, keep the very slightly bent, it will take the strain off your lower back and put it more on your hamstrings. Also, this is not a power movement, it doesn't take a lot of weight to "feel" this exercise. concentrate on form as the others have mentioned.

I find it easier to lock my knees,

 

[Jstrong20]

I understand that the squatting muscles are the hamstrings and the glutes. That's why not all powerlifters have big quads, but all of them have big hams...

This is true if your wearing a squat suite. If not then quads are important. Take a look at some of the old school powerlifters prior to suites and you will see they have well developed quads. I forget who it was exactley but one of the west side guys wrote an article on squat training if you don't use a suite and he recommended more quad work. I don't remeber if I saw it in powerlifting usa or on a website. I see if I can find it tommorow.

 

[guyfromkop2]

This is true if your wearing a squat suite. If not then quads are important. Take a look at some of the old school powerlifters prior to suites and you will see they have well developed quads. I forget who it was exactley but one of the west side guys wrote an article on squat training if you don't use a suite and he recommended more quad work. I don't remeber if I saw it in powerlifting usa or on a website. I see if I can find it tommorow.

you need your quads more if you are using a squat suit. squat suits help you down in the hole where your hammies and glutes take over, quads help you up top where the suit stops working for you

 

[Basso]

you need your quads more if you are using a squat suit. squat suits help you down in the hole where your hammies and glutes take over, quads help you up top where the suit stops working for you

Thanks, I was to lazy to fight that one! But that's exactly right.

 

[Old Guy]

Hi guys, i've a doubt. Are you supposed to lift heavier weights in the SLDL than in a conventional deadlift?
I find it easier to lock my knees, arch my back, and use a wide stance. (its kind of a good-morning i guess) So, basically i never bend my knees. Is that bad? Am I cheating?
Any help would be appreciated, thanks!

:good:
:dl:

If you've only been doing SLDL you might be using more weight for it, but no, you should be able to do considerably more in the conventional DL.

 

[Jstrong20]

I did find the article it was by Jim Wendler and it was in powerlifting USA. These guys are probably right and It seems I might of put my foot in my mouth.lol What he actually was saying was to not forget the quads as he feels the focus is so much on hamstrings and posterior chain now that some people don't focus on quads enough. He did say it is more important to train core muscles and back muscles since you don't have a suite to keep you tight. I myself never used a suite but use my quads to a higher degree than most probably due to the fact I don't use a super wide stance. I don't go any wider than I have to too break parllel.

 

[CriZPer]

I did find the article it was by Jim Wendler and it was in powerlifting USA. These guys are probably right and It seems I might of put my foot in my mouth.lol What he actually was saying was to not forget the quads as he feels the focus is so much on hamstrings and posterior chain now that some people don't focus on quads enough. He did say it is more important to train core muscles and back muscles since you don't have a suite to keep you tight. I myself never used a suite but use my quads to a higher degree than most probably due to the fact I don't use a super wide stance. I don't go any wider than I have to too break parllel.

Thanks. That's what I thought. I noticed that when I squat wide and deep and dont feel that my hamstrings are working, is this supposed to happen?

I used to squat with a close stance to hit my quads more, but I just recently started using a wide stance to get to parallel easier since I always tend to fall forwards. Besides I can use more weight.

 

[hardknock]

Thanks. That's what I thought. I noticed that when I squat wide and deep and dont feel that my hamstrings are working, is this supposed to happen?

I used to squat with a close stance to hit my quads more, but I just recently started using a wide stance to get to parallel easier since I always tend to fall forwards. Besides I can use more weight.

That's odd, because when i squat wide and deep, it seems that only my quads and hams are screaming...yet when i use a narrow stance, im talking a little less than shoulder width, i can feel it deep in my quads...however the weight seems easier to power up.....

 

[Basso]

That's odd, because when i squat wide and deep, it seems that only my quads and hams are screaming...yet when i use a narrow stance, im talking a little less than shoulder width, i can feel it deep in my quads...however the weight seems easier to power up.....

The wider the stance the more hips, back, glutes etc basically the more core you involve. If your not used to squating wide it can be akward and feel heavier at first. If your core is lagging then it will make it difficult also. PLers use a wide stance to incorporate more muscle groups which in turn means more available power to lift more weight. Narrow stance will isolate quads more, close stance front squat is very quad specific! Going below parallel should be much easier with a narrow stance however, if your falling forward then your form needs work, this is where box squats are a big help! Wider stance will prevent you from going as deep unless your unusually elastic!

 

[CriZPer]

The wider the stance the more hips, back, glutes etc basically the more core you involve. If your not used to squating wide it can be akward and feel heavier at first. If your core is lagging then it will make it difficult also. PLers use a wide stance to incorporate more muscle groups which in turn means more available power to lift more weight. Narrow stance will isolate quads more, close stance front squat is very quad specific! Going below parallel should be much easier with a narrow stance however, if your falling forward then your form needs work, this is where box squats are a big help! Wider stance will prevent you from going as deep unless your unusually elastic!

I see. I used to do a lot of close stance front squats.
Ive been doing box squats for a couple of weeks now and they helped me a lot. How exactly do they work? do they hit the posterior chain more???
I just decided to start videotaping myself. I need work on both my squat and conv. DL form...

 

[Basso]

Box squats are great for form if you do them properly, you have to sit back on to the box and basically do a dead lift squat from the box. They teach you to sit back into the squat, and work on powering out of the hole. So yeh more posterior chain!

 

[Basso]

Thanks. That's what I thought. I noticed that when I squat wide and deep and dont feel that my hamstrings are working, is this supposed to happen?

I used to squat with a close stance to hit my quads more, but I just recently started using a wide stance to get to parallel easier since I always tend to fall forwards. Besides I can use more weight.

Some good tips as far as falling forward goes

Falling Forward in the Squat

 

[CriZPer]

Some good tips as far as falling forward goes

Falling Forward in the Squat

:thumbsup: Sweet.