The stiff leg deadlift trains your hamstrings from a dead stop on the floor, with your knees staying close to straight for the entire rep. You set up like a conventional deadlift, but instead of driving hard through your hips out of the bottom, you focus on the stretch you feel on the way down. The bar travels from the floor to your hip, and your knee angle barely changes the whole time. That near-locked knee position is what separates it from a regular deadlift, and it’s why the stiff leg deadlift builds so much hamstring size for 3 sets of 6 to 10 reps at a time.
People mix this up with the Romanian deadlift a lot, but they’re not the same lift. A Romanian deadlift starts from the top with the bar already in your hands, and you lower it to about knee height or a little below before you reverse the rep, with a soft bend in your knees the whole way. A stiff leg deadlift starts from a dead stop on the floor every single rep, keeps your knees straighter than an RDL, and gives your hamstrings a deeper stretch at the bottom because of that extra range. That deeper stretch is also what makes the stiff leg deadlift harder on your lower back, since you’re pulling from the floor with almost no knee bend to help share the load.
You might want an alternative for a few reasons. If your lower back tends to round or ache pulling from the floor, that dead-stop start with straight knees is exactly the part that bites you. Not every gym has a bar free, and if you train at home you’re probably working with dumbbells or bands instead. Or your hamstrings have just stopped responding to straight-leg pulls from the floor and you need a new angle to keep growing. I picked the 8 alternatives below for how well they recreate that same floor-to-hip hamstring stretch, how much safer they are on your lower back, and what equipment they need. I’ll tell you when to use each one and exactly how to do it.
Table of Contents
- 1 The 8 Best Stiff Leg Deadlift Alternatives
- 2 Reasons to Choose a Stiff Leg Deadlift Alternative
- 3 Muscles Worked by the Stiff Leg Deadlift
- 4 FAQs
- 4.1 What’s the closest alternative to a stiff leg deadlift?
- 4.2 Is a stiff leg deadlift the same as a Romanian deadlift?
- 4.3 What’s the best stiff leg deadlift alternative for a bad lower back?
- 4.4 What’s the best stiff leg deadlift alternative at home with no equipment?
- 4.5 Why do stiff leg deadlifts hurt my lower back?
- 4.6 How many hamstring exercises should I do per workout?
- 5 Key Takeaways
- 6 Other Alternative Exercises
- 6.1 The 10 Best Front Squat Alternatives
- 6.2 The 9 Best Barbell Row Alternatives
- 6.3 The 10 Best Pallof Press Alternatives
- 6.4 The 10 Best Dumbbell Pullover Alternatives
- 6.5 The 9 Best Pendlay Row Alternatives
- 6.6 The 9 Best Lunge Alternatives
- 6.7 The 9 Best Leg Press Alternatives
- 6.8 The 10 Best Leg Extension Alternatives
- 6.9 The 10 Best Lat Pulldown Alternatives
- 6.10 The 10 Best Plank Alternatives
- 6.11 The 9 Best T-Bar Row Alternatives
- 6.12 The 10 Best Lying Leg Curl Alternatives
- 6.13 The 12 Best Pull-Up Alternatives
- 6.14 The 8 Best Decline Bench Press Alternatives
- 6.15 The 8 Best Tricep Dip Alternatives
The 8 Best Stiff Leg Deadlift Alternatives
- Romanian Deadlift
- Good Morning
- Glute-Ham Raise
- Lying Leg Curl
- Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift
- Cable Pull-Through
- Back Extension
- Nordic Curl
1. Romanian Deadlift
When to Perform the Romanian Deadlift
This is the closest swap for a stiff leg deadlift, and it’s easier on your lower back because you’re not resetting the bar on the floor every rep. You start standing with the bar already in your hands and lower it under control to about knee height, so you get most of the hamstring stretch without the dead-stop-from-the-floor demand on your spine. Use it when your back needs a break from pulling off the floor, or when you just want a hip-hinge pattern you can load heavy and progress for months. I’d program 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps here, either as your main pull for the day or right after your squats.
How to Perform the Romanian Deadlift
- Stand holding a barbell at hip height with an overhand or mixed grip just outside your legs.
- Push your hips back while keeping a soft bend in your knees, letting the bar slide down your thighs.
- Keep your back flat and lower the bar until you feel a deep stretch in your hamstrings, usually around knee height.
- Drive your hips forward to stand back up, squeezing your glutes at the top.
Equipment: barbell (dumbbells work too if you don’t have a bar free).
This video from ScottHermanFitness shows how to perform the barbell Romanian deadlift.
Tips for the Romanian Deadlift
- Stop the descent once your back starts to round, not once the bar hits the floor. Range of motion should follow your hamstring flexibility, not the other way around.
- Keep the bar close to your legs the whole rep. A bar that drifts forward turns this into a lower back exercise fast.
- Drive your hips forward to finish the rep, don’t just lean your torso back upright.
- Start lighter than your stiff leg deadlift weight. The stretch alone makes this feel harder than the load suggests.
For a full breakdown of how these two lifts actually differ, see our deadlift vs Romanian deadlift comparison, and our guide to the Romanian deadlift’s benefits and muscles worked if you want the deeper anatomy breakdown.
2. Good Morning
When to Perform the Good Morning
This is the heaviest loading option on the list, so use it when you want to build real posterior chain strength instead of just chasing a stretch. The bar sits on your back like a squat instead of in your hands, which lets your spinal erectors and glutes pitch in more than they do on a stiff leg deadlift. It’s a solid main lift on a lower body day, and the strength it builds carries over directly to your squat and deadlift lockout. I’d program 3 sets of 6 to 8 reps if you’re newer to the lift, since the technique takes time to groove before you load it heavy.
How to Perform the Good Morning
- Set a barbell on your upper back like a squat, resting it on your traps rather than your neck.
- Unrack the bar and stand with your feet about hip width apart, knees slightly bent.
- Push your hips back and hinge your torso forward, keeping your back flat and the bar over your mid-foot.
- Lower until your torso is close to parallel with the floor, then drive your hips forward to stand back up.
Equipment: barbell and a rack.
This video from PureGym shows how to perform the standing barbell good morning.
Tips for the Good Morning
- Start with just the bar for a few sessions. This lift punishes bad technique more than almost anything else on this list.
- Keep a slight, fixed bend in your knees. Locking them out shifts too much stress onto your lower back.
- Brace your core hard before you unrack the bar and hold that brace through the whole set.
- Only lower as far as you can keep your back flat. A rounded back under a loaded bar is how people get hurt on this lift.
3. Glute-Ham Raise
When to Perform the Glute-Ham Raise
Reach for this if your gym has a GHD or glute-ham bench and you want a lift that trains your hamstrings through both jobs they do: bending your knee and extending your hip. Most exercises only ask your hamstrings to do one of those at a time, but a glute-ham raise asks for both in the same rep, which is a big part of why it’s so brutal the first few times you try it. Use it as a main hamstring lift on a lower body or posterior chain day, for 3 sets of 6 to 12 reps depending on your strength level.
How to Perform the Glute-Ham Raise
- Set up in a GHD or glute-ham bench with your ankles secured and your knees resting on the pad.
- Start with your body in a straight line, angled slightly forward from your knees.
- Lower your torso toward the floor by extending at your knees, keeping your hips extended the whole way down.
- Pull yourself back up using your hamstrings, driving your heels down into the footplate.
Equipment: GHD machine or glute-ham bench.
This video from Live Lean TV Daily Exercises shows how to perform the glute-ham raise.
Tips for the Glute-Ham Raise
- If a full rep is too hard at first, only lower partway and pull back up. Full range comes with practice.
- Keep your hips extended and locked in a straight line, don’t let them pike as you lower.
- Use your hands to assist on the hardest reps rather than grinding out bad form.
- Adjust the knee pad and footplate to fit your leg length before you start, since a bad setup makes the whole exercise harder than it needs to be.
4. Lying Leg Curl
When to Perform the Lying Leg Curl
This is the option to reach for when your lower back needs a complete break, since a machine holds your torso still and your hamstrings do all the work at the knee. It’s pure isolation, no hip hinge and no spinal loading at all, which makes it my pick for anyone training around a cranky lower back or just coming off one. I usually run 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps at the end of a leg day, after the heavier hip-hinge work is done.
How to Perform the Lying Leg Curl
- Lie face down on the leg curl machine with the pad resting just above your ankles.
- Grip the handles and keep your hips pressed flat against the bench.
- Curl your heels toward your glutes by bending your knees.
- Lower the weight back down under control until your legs are straight again.
Equipment: lying leg curl machine.
This video from FIT.nl shows how to perform the lying leg curl.
Tips for the Lying Leg Curl
- Keep your hips pinned to the bench. Letting them rise off the pad turns this into a glute exercise.
- Curl all the way through to a full contraction instead of stopping partway.
- Point your toes slightly to load your hamstrings more, or flex them to bring your calves in more.
- Lower the weight slowly. Fighting gravity on the way down builds just as much hamstring size as the curl itself.
For more single-joint options like this one, see our isolation hamstring exercises guide.
5. Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift
When to Perform the Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift
Use this when you’ve noticed one leg is stronger than the other, or when your balance and hip stability need as much work as your hamstrings do. Training one leg at a time forces each side to work independently, so a strong leg can’t quietly cover for a weak one the way it can on a barbell lift. It’s also a great option if you’re limited to a single dumbbell or kettlebell at home. I’d run 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps per leg, going lighter than you’d think until your balance catches up to your strength.
How to Perform the Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift
- Hold a dumbbell in the hand opposite your working leg, or one in each hand.
- Stand on one leg with a soft bend in your knee.
- Hinge forward at your hips while your free leg extends straight back behind you, keeping your back flat.
- Lower until your torso and back leg are roughly parallel to the floor, then reverse the motion to stand back up.
Equipment: one or two dumbbells (bodyweight works too while you’re learning the balance).
This video from Squat University shows how to perform the single-leg Romanian deadlift.
Tips for the Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift
- Keep your hips square to the floor. Letting them rotate open is the most common breakdown on this lift.
- Use a wall or the back of a chair for light support if your balance isn’t there yet.
- Drop the weight before you drop the range of motion. A lighter dumbbell with a full stretch beats a heavy one with a half rep.
- Keep your standing knee soft and stable rather than locking it out.
Want more single-leg and low-equipment options? Our Romanian deadlift alternatives roundup covers a few more.
6. Cable Pull-Through
When to Perform the Cable Pull-Through
This is one of the best ways to learn a clean hip hinge without a bar in your hands at all, since the cable keeps constant tension on your hamstrings and glutes through the whole range. It’s a favorite of mine for beginners who round their back on barbell pulls, because the cable path practically forces you into the right position. I’ll run this for 3 to 4 sets of 12 to 15 reps, either as a warm-up primer before heavier deadlift work or as a finisher on its own.
How to Perform the Cable Pull-Through
- Attach a rope to a low pulley and face away from the machine, straddling the cable between your feet.
- Grab the rope with both hands and walk forward until there’s tension, standing with your feet shoulder width apart.
- Hinge at your hips and push them back, letting the rope pull through between your legs while your knees stay slightly bent.
- Drive your hips forward to stand up, squeezing your glutes at the top of the rep.
Equipment: cable machine, low pulley, rope attachment.
This video from Live Lean TV Daily Exercises shows how to perform the low cable pull-through.
Tips for the Cable Pull-Through
- Push your hips back first, don’t just bend forward from your waist.
- Keep your arms relaxed. They’re just a connection point to the cable, not something you should be pulling with.
- Squeeze your glutes hard at the top instead of just standing back up to finish the rep.
- Set the pulley as low as it goes so the cable path matches a real hip hinge.
7. Back Extension
When to Perform the Back Extension
Use a 45-degree back extension when you want to strengthen your hamstrings, glutes, and lower back together without any of the axial loading a barbell puts on your spine. Your torso does the moving instead of a loaded bar, so it’s a lot more forgiving on days your back just isn’t feeling 100%. Bodyweight for 12 to 15 reps is a good starting point, and once that’s easy you can hold a plate against your chest and drop back down to 8 to 10 reps.
How to Perform the Back Extension
- Set up in a 45-degree hyperextension bench with your hips resting on the pad and your ankles secured.
- Cross your arms over your chest or hold a plate against your chest for added resistance.
- Lower your torso toward the floor by hinging at your hips, keeping your back flat.
- Extend your hips to raise your torso back up until your body forms a straight line.
Equipment: 45-degree hyperextension bench (a weight plate is optional once bodyweight gets easy).
This video from MuscleWiki shows how to perform the 45-degree back extension.
Tips for the Back Extension
- Stop at parallel or a little above it. Going past a flat back position just piles stress on your lower spine for no added hamstring benefit.
- Squeeze your glutes at the top rather than hyperextending your lower back to finish the rep.
- Keep your neck neutral, looking at the floor instead of craning up.
- Adjust the hip pad so it sits right at your hip crease, not higher up on your stomach.
If your hamstrings are lagging behind the rest of your legs, our guide to growing underdeveloped hamstrings has more on where an exercise like this fits into a full plan.
8. Nordic Curl
When to Perform the Nordic Curl
This is the hardest bodyweight hamstring exercise there is, and it’s the one I reach for when I want to build hamstring strength in exactly the position they get injured in: lengthening under load. It trains the eccentric, lowering portion of a knee curl almost exclusively, which is why it shows up so often in hamstring injury prevention research. Save it for once you’ve built a strength base elsewhere on this list, and keep it to 2 or 3 sets of 3 to 6 reps. Quality matters far more than quantity here.
How to Perform the Nordic Curl
- Kneel on a pad with your ankles secured under a bar, a partner’s hands, or a nordic curl bench.
- Keep your hips extended and your body in a straight line from your knees to your head.
- Lower your torso toward the floor as slowly as you can, resisting with your hamstrings the whole way.
- Catch yourself with your hands near the bottom, then push back up or reset and start the next rep.
Equipment: something to anchor your ankles (a nordic curl bench, a lat pulldown pad, or a partner holding your feet).
This video from Peak Strength shows how to perform the nordic hamstring curl.
Tips for the Nordic Curl
- Start with a partner holding your ankles instead of a rigid anchor. It’s easier to bail out of a rep safely.
- Fight the lowering phase as long as you can before you catch yourself. That’s where almost all the benefit comes from.
- Keep your hips extended the entire rep. Piking at the hips turns this into an ab exercise instead of a hamstring one.
- If a full rep is out of reach, use a resistance band looped around a rack for assistance instead of skipping the exercise entirely.
Reasons to Choose a Stiff Leg Deadlift Alternative
There are a few good reasons to swap the stiff leg deadlift for one of the options above. None of them are a downgrade, and a couple of them build hamstring strength the stiff leg deadlift can’t touch on its own. For a broader look at swaps for the full deadlift pattern, not just the stiff leg variation, see our deadlift alternatives guide.
- Your lower back can’t handle pulling from a dead stop. The Romanian deadlift, lying leg curl, and back extension all avoid that floor-to-hip start, which is where most of the spinal stress comes from.
- You have one leg working harder than the other. The single-leg Romanian deadlift forces each side to pull its own weight instead of letting a strong leg cover for a weak one.
- You don’t have a barbell. Dumbbells, cables, machines, and bodyweight all cover the same hamstring stretch without ever touching a bar.
- You want more strength, not just a stretch. The good morning loads heavier than a stiff leg deadlift ever will, since the bar sits on your back instead of hanging from your hands.
- Your hamstrings have stalled. A fresh stimulus like the nordic curl or glute-ham raise trains the eccentric portion of a knee curl in a way a straight-leg hip hinge never does.
Muscles Worked by the Stiff Leg Deadlift
Your hamstrings sit on the back of your thigh and cross two joints, your hip and your knee, which is exactly why a stiff leg deadlift hits them so hard. Straight knees force the stretch to happen almost entirely at the hip, loading the hamstrings harder in that lengthened position than a bent-knee pull ever could. The stiff leg deadlift and its alternatives train these muscles through that same hip-hinge or knee-flexion pattern:
- Biceps femoris, semitendinosus, semimembranosus (hamstrings): the primary target across every exercise on this list, loaded hardest in the lengthened, stretched position of a stiff leg deadlift, Romanian deadlift, or nordic curl.
- Gluteus maximus: works hard on every hip-hinge variation here, and it’s the prime mover on the good morning and back extension once your hips start extending.
- Erector spinae: stabilizes your spine on every barbell and cable variation, and it’s the main target of the back extension once your hamstrings and glutes are done extending your hips.
- Adductor magnus: assists with hip extension on every hinge pattern, especially the single-leg Romanian deadlift where it also helps with balance.
- Forearms and grip: work isometrically to hold onto a barbell or dumbbell on the Romanian deadlift, good morning, and single-leg variations.
For more on training hamstrings that aren’t keeping pace with the rest of your legs, see our guide to growing underdeveloped hamstrings and our isolation hamstring exercises roundup.
FAQs
What’s the closest alternative to a stiff leg deadlift?
The Romanian deadlift. Both are barbell hip hinges that stretch your hamstrings hard at the bottom, and the main difference is that an RDL starts from the top instead of resetting on the floor each rep. If your back needs a break from pulling off the floor but you still want a barbell in your hands, start there.
Is a stiff leg deadlift the same as a Romanian deadlift?
No. A stiff leg deadlift starts from a dead stop on the floor every rep with your knees close to straight, while a Romanian deadlift starts from the top and only lowers to about knee height with a softer knee bend. The stiff leg version gives you a bigger stretch and more lower back demand because of that floor-to-hip range.
What’s the best stiff leg deadlift alternative for a bad lower back?
The lying leg curl is the safest option, since a machine holds your torso still and there’s no spinal loading at all. The back extension is a close second if you still want a hip-hinge pattern, since your own bodyweight moves instead of a loaded bar. Back off the range of motion before you back off the exercise entirely if something starts to bother you.
What’s the best stiff leg deadlift alternative at home with no equipment?
The nordic curl if you have something to anchor your ankles under, like a couch or a partner holding your feet. If you’d rather build up to that, single-leg Romanian deadlifts done with just bodyweight are a solid starting point that still trains the same hip-hinge pattern.
Why do stiff leg deadlifts hurt my lower back?
Usually it’s the combination of a dead stop on the floor and almost no knee bend, which pushes most of the demand onto your hips and lower back instead of spreading it across your whole leg. If you get pain there, try the Romanian deadlift instead, since starting from the top removes the floor reset that tends to be the sore spot, or switch to a machine-based option like the lying leg curl that removes spinal loading entirely.
How many hamstring exercises should I do per workout?
One or two is usually enough on a day where you’re also squatting or deadlifting, since your hamstrings already get worked hard by those lifts before you isolate them. On a dedicated posterior chain day, 2 to 3 exercises covering different patterns, like a hip hinge, a knee curl, and an eccentric-focused lift such as the nordic curl, will cover the muscle group well without piling on junk volume.
Key Takeaways
If your lower back is the reason you’re looking for a swap, start with the lying leg curl or back extension before you try anything that loads your spine from the floor. If you want the closest stretch-for-stretch feel to a stiff leg deadlift with less spinal demand, the Romanian deadlift is the one I’d reach for first. Chasing raw strength, the good morning will let you load heavier than a stiff leg deadlift ever will. And if you’re after the single best long-term investment in hamstring health, the nordic curl builds eccentric strength that nothing else on this list comes close to matching. Pick based on your equipment, your back, and your goal, and progress it the same way you’d progress a stiff leg deadlift: more weight or more reps over time.
Other Alternative Exercises
If you enjoyed this post, check out our other roundups of the best alternatives for other exercises.
