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Strengthening the hamstrings will help in exercises for other sections of the body and ultimately enable lifting more weight.
The Stiff Leg Deadlift is an advanced exercise for the Hamstrings that forces them to work harder. The first thing you should do for the Stiff Leg Deadlift is stretch the lower back and legs to get ready for movement (should have performed exercises to strengthen the lower back before attempting). Fitness Drive recommends starting without weights at first to obtain the proper form (Pick weights that you can comfortably manage). This exercise can be done with dumbbells or a barbell. To start the barbell should be resting on the floor with the preferred weights, adjust feet shoulder width apart in front of the bar and a distance away that will allow you to reach the bar comfortably. Keeping the legs stiff bend at the waist and grab the bar with hands slightly wider than shoulder width. The concept is to take the weights from a bent waist to a straight waist. To gain the most for your effort, Stiff Leg Deadlifts should be done with smooth controlled movements. To perform the Stiff Leg Deadlift raise the body to a standing straight position while concentrating on tension in the hamstrings and inhaling. After maintaining control from a standing position return to the starting position while exhaling (This is 1 rep; For more difficulty with the same weight perform without weights touching the floor). Use the routine below to build this exercise into your workout.
Make sure to use controlled movements.
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Remember that smooth controlled movements is key especially if you are elevating the exercise to include higher weights.
Depending on your goal, 3 different techniques you could follow are listed below. Pick the one that will work the best for you and watch the results start to develop.
The Fitness Drive Fat Burn technique only takes 6 minutes to execute. It consists of fast motions with short rest periods to maintain a high caloric burn rate. This is a timed exercise and should be done using something that would help tell how much time has gone by (i.e. stopwatch, phone, clock…). This will force you to keep pushing yourself even when you are exhausted.
- Fat Burn: (Time = 6 minutes)
3-4 sets of as many as you can in 1 minute with only 30 second rest periods
(5 times per week)
The Fitness Drive Muscle Build technique only takes 8 minutes to execute. It consists of slow reps to stretch and define the muscles with a longer rest periods. This is a weight training technique that forces the muscles to lift your weight for a longer period of time.
- Muscle Build: (Time = 8 minutes)
3-4 sets of 10-12 reps slowly with 1 minute rest periods
(4 times per week which is every other day)
The Fitness Drive Extreme Build/Burn technique only takes 11 minutes to execute. It consists of fast and slow bursts with a mixture of short and long rest periods. It is a technique that incorporates muscle confusion to elevate the heart rate to bring the body into the fat burning zone while utilizing weight training techniques to push muscles to work even harder.
- **Extreme Build/Burn: (Time = 11 minutes)
Total 6 sets
-1 set of as many as you can do in 1 minute
-Rest period 30-60 seconds
-3 sets of 10-12 reps slowly with 1 minute rest periods
-1 set of as many as you can do in 1 minute with only a 30 second rest period
-1 set of as many as you can do until failure
(3-4 times per week)
*Make sure to follow a strict diet and exercise regiment to expedite the results and further propel your goals.
Regardless of how defined you want to be you need to make sure you set a goal, establish a routine and keep following it. Results do not happen overnight and it is hard to see what progress you are making if you are a mirror-junky (staring at yourself in the mirror every chance you get). Do yourself a favor and take a before picture of yourself, save it and do not look at it again until the time is right. Each week take another picture of yourself. The time to analyze is on a month-to-month basis. Compare your before picture against the 4th week then again on the 8th, 12th, 16th, and 24th week picture. This way you can see the transition your body made and determine each month if the routine you are following is making an impact. *Discipline is the key!
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