My reader's comment that the majority of orthopedic experts
and Chiropractic physicians believe the stifflegged style of
lifting to be dangerous is quite correct. Although this brief
article is too limited in scope to detail the mechanics of the
lifting process, the discs between each vertabra are exposed
to high forces of compression. However, one of the
overlooked factors when lifting with so-called straight legs, is
that the stifflegged deadlift, if done properly, is not actually
done with "stiff" or straight legs.
Pelvic rotation around joints of the hips is an extremely
important phase of any type of bending sequence. If the
knees are kept "locked" while flexing or bending forward at
the waist, the pelvis will not rotate properly, and will in fact,
cause excessive force in the lumbar region. One must bend
the knees slightly and maintain that slightly bent position
throughout the entire performance of a set of stifflegged
deadlifts. This means that the knees do not straighten at all
as one nears the upright position, and that conversely, the
knees do not flex or bend as the weight is lowered. Of the
most common mistakes made during this lift, completely
straightening the knees at the extension phase of the lift, or
in fact, holding them locked throughout the lift or set is one
of the most serious and damaging. Another is the tendency
to bend the knees more than their original amount as the
weight is lowered, which eventually and inevitably leads to a
mispositioning of the weight itself.
As one lifts a heavy object, the forces upon the spine and its
elements increase as the resistance is moved further away
from the center of gravity or point of rotation. One must
keep the barbell as close to the body as possible throughout
the entire lift, and the entire set. We actually drag the bar
up the shins, knees, and thighs, and lower it essentially in
the same way. At no time does the weight "swing" away from
the body. In order to maintain such careful control of the
weight, the movement must be done relatively slowly. This in
turn reduces the shearing and compressive forces, but again,
this takes practice and control.
One of the most important factors relative to lifting heavy
weights, is the ability to set one's mind properly for the task
at hand. This too takes a lot of practice. The stifflegged
deadlift puts the body at certain mechanical disadvantages,
thus, one has to be prepared to exert more force as the
weight leaves the instep, and be able to properly and safely
decelerate as a position of normal lumbar extension is
achieved. Moving too quickly at the top of the motion, or
hyperextending, can damage the facets and/or spinal
ligaments. We stand on top of a sturdy box which allows the
lumbar spine to go through a full range of motion, and the
first repetition is started in a "conventional" deadlifting
manner(and yes, we count that as "one").
Despite the disadvantages, I believe that if one does the
stifflegged deadlift correctly, it can be an effective muscle
and strength building movement. There are many points
which must be emphazied: obtaining a full range of motion,
moving the resistance under careful control, decelerating as
the lumbar spine reaches normal anatomical extension,
keeping the bar close to the body as possible throughout the
entire movement, maintaining the proper degree of knee
flexion, and correctly and accurately setting the mind to
exert force in the proper sequance in each phase of the lift
are all skills that need to be practiced. This exercise can
prove to be benificial to those who do not have a history of
injury, or anatomical limitations which would prevent the
proper and effective performance of the movement.
