Body part: Back · Muscle group: Erectors, posterior chain · Equipment: barbell
Why this exercise
The stiff-legged deadlift uses a roughly 10:1 erector lever arm — enormous internal muscle force per kilogram on the bar — and scores 15/15 on progressive overload potential. It ranks B overall because joint-safety subscores are lower than on cable pulls; the tradeoff is accepted deliberately.
Overload chassis — micro-loadable bar path for long-term progression.
Hamstring and glute co-contraction — shares load with the hinge, not only lats.
Mid-session placement — after cable lats so the upper back is engaged, before arm work that would tax grip for pulling.
Cue: Treat repetitions as hip hinges, not as lowering the bar with a rounded spine chase for length.