Anybody ever do the King Deadlifts?

TryingToGetInShape · 05-22-2006, 08:41 AM

It's where you don't use any weights. What muscle does this work because I feel it more in the quads then i do the hamstrings. By the way these are hard as hell to perform.

I can't do any deadlifts where I bend over with weights in my hand because of a hernaited disc in my lower back and will be getting surgery sometime in the near future. I already do lying leg curls along with swiss ball leg curls and looking for another compound movement to do with my hip dominant exercises.

pjb923 · 05-22-2006, 08:58 AM

I agree with you about feeling them in the quads. To me they feel almost like a single leg squat.

I found this about King Deadlifts on T-nation. They don't even mention the quads in the description.

King Deadlifts

Pain Rating: ***

Muscles Used: Adductors, hamstrings, gluteals

King deadlifts (named after the Australian strength coach and T-Nation contributor Ian King) are very similar to the step-down discussed before. The primary difference here is that King deadlifts are performed on the ground, while step-downs are performed standing on a bench.

In the King deadlift you'll have the free leg bent at the knee. Put the weight on the heel and sit back as far as possible; don't worry about having a ton of trunk lean because this will increase the recruitment of the gluteals. Sit back until your free leg's knee and shin are almost touching the ground and then return to the starting position.

Mahler · 05-22-2006, 09:12 AM

Have done them and they are no walk in the park. They are a great exercise to use when you can't get to a gym. I do them when traveling, right in my hotel room.

I. Kay · 05-22-2006, 09:16 AM

I did them in King's "Limping" series. Try leaning forward first, moving your hips back as far as possible (the knee of your planted leg slightly bent). Next, bend down as if you were going to to try and touch your toes. Finally, try to touch your back knee down. And yes, you'll feel it some in the quads, but you should get a damn good hit in the glutes/hams too.

jruck37 · 05-22-2006, 09:24 AM

Furthering Rockhard's description, I like to reach down and pretend to grab an invisible bar (like simulating an actual deadlift). This helps me keep my balance, as I try to stick by butt out as far as I can, in the other direction.

David.W · 05-22-2006, 10:04 AM

I have a similar disc issue though your seems worse. I have seen 2 different physios regarding my chronic problem, and they both tell me the same thing, in my deads/step ups/squats (name it) I am using to much lower back and not enough hip. I use king deadlifts as a warmup to my working sets of deads, but I try so hard to keep all the bend in my hips and my back nice and straight. If I cant get as low as I want then, then I put it down to hip flexibility.

When I keep my back straight and use this hip only approach I do feel it more in my glutes/hams, also I touch the floor with both hands (finger tips) and pretend a bar is present. Im still under the watchful eye of a physio for my back issues at the moment, but mt deads are coming up again and my back is feeling wonderful.

(Just my experience with King deads and lumbar issues)

Kelly Baggett · 05-22-2006, 07:13 PM

There is a skill to doing them but if done correctly they are an EXCELLENT glute exercise. One little little exercise I made up that's kind've a spinoff of that exercise that makes them a bit easier to learn and more intense on the glutes is to rest your off foot on a bench behind you kind've like you were gonna do a bulgarian split squat with a very close stance. From this position bend the lead leg, lean over, reach down and touch the ground in front of you.