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Quarter Deadlifts

Cathe's Form Pointers

The objective of the quarter deadlift is to develop muscular strength/endurance of the hamstrings and lower back.

Starting Position:

With a barbell (or dumbbells) in hand, stand with knees slightly bent and

feet shoulder width apart. Keep toes pointed forward.

Use an overhand grip and place your thumbs just outside of your thighs.

Keep your abs braced, pelvic area in neutral position, and shoulders back and retracted.

Execution:

Keeping knees slightly bent and fixed throughout movement, slowly bend

forward at the hip joint, making sure the shoulders remain back and

retracted. Keep the head in neutral alignment and the barbell very close to

the legs as you lower down about one inch past the knees (if you are more

flexible, go down to the point of where you feel the hamstrings stretch).

Feel the hamstring stretch open before slowly returning to starting

position. As you return to starting position, maintain the exact alignment

as on the way down and keep the bar close to the body.

Safety Tips:

Avoid over stretching the hamstrings and avoid allowing the shoulders to

drop forward as you ascend and descend. Allowing the shoulders to drop

forward places unnecessary stress on the lower back which could result in a

greater risk of low back injury as well as lessen the effectiveness of the

hamstring work. Do not hold your breath while doing the movement. Inhale on the way down

and exhale on the way up. Do not allow muscles to relax before next repetition.

TARGETED MUSCLE GROUPS

Hamstring Muscles

As the name implies, the "biceps femoris" has two heads, or immovable ends, one attached to the ischium (bone in the pelvis) and the other attached to the femur (thigh bone). The muscle passes along the back of the thigh on the lateral side and connects close to the midline ends of the fibula and tibia (bones in the lower leg). The biceps femoris is one of the hamstring muscles, and its tendon (hamstring) can be felt as a ridge behind the knee. This muscle functions to flex and rotate the leg laterally and to extend the thigh. The "semitendinosus" is another of the hamstring muscles. It is a long, bandlike muscle on the back of the thigh toward the inside, connecting the ischium to the proximal end of the tibia. It is so named because it becomes tendinous in the middle of the thigh, continuing to its movable end as a long, cordlike tendon. It functions to flex and rotate the leg medially and to extend the thigh. The "semimembranosus" is the third hamstring muscle and is the most inner-located muscle in the back of the thigh. It connects the ischium to the tibia and functions to flex and rotate the leg medially and to extend the thigh.

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Exercise Variations

Click here to watch a video clip with detailed instructions on how to correctly perform this exercise.

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