A good exercise to alternate between with your dumbbell stiff leg deadlift is the smith machine stiff leg deadlift.
This exercise will hit your hamstrings, glutes, as well as your core as it contracts for stabilization.
execution
- 1Stand in front of the smith machine
- 2Rack the smith bar at knee height
- 3Grab the bar at shoulder width
- 4Step with your feet closer than shoulder width
- 5Un-rack the bar and bend knees slightly
- 6Bend over slowly
- 7Stretch the hamstrings
- 8Go back up, hinging the hips and contracting the glutes up top
The nice thing about the stiff machine deadlift is because the bar is running along the tracks, there's no chance of you moving out of proper alignment.
When doing the smith machine stiff leg deadlift, you'll want to focus on squeezing your glutes at the top of every single rep for a few seconds.
This helps improve the mind-muscle connection and increases overall activation.
Note: If you want the movement to be more challenging, sit completely on the bench/box.
