Thread: Romanian deadlift

Originally Posted by fufu

You can go heavy with low reps, I see no fundamental reason why not to as long as you maintain good form.

From a specific programming aspect, I can see keeping the weight lighter and the reps higher to balance out intensity from standard deadlifts. If you trash your body during deadlifts, you may not want to do the same with RDL's in the same week. They are often used more as an assistance exercise, and for this reason I understand the higher reps/lighter weight.

I see what you mean, i did 'heavy' deadlifts, romanian deadlifts and good mornings all in the same workout yesterday and today i feel like i need to be carried around on a spinal board my backs that sore lol.

perhaps if those videos are full correct form posted by built, i am doing my rdls wrong. i keep my legs straight and i go all the way down where the 45lbs wheels actually make small contact with the floor before i go back up.

should i stop half way down then proceed up?

Originally Posted by nova1970sb

perhaps if those videos are full correct form posted by built, i am doing my rdls wrong. i keep my legs straight and i go all the way down where the 45lbs wheels actually make small contact with the floor before i go back up.

should i stop half way down then proceed up?

It all depends on your body's proportions really. Some people have short legs and long arms and the weight will touch the floor. The key is that you have your legs only slightly bent and that you really focus on pushing your hips back. The focus of an RDL should be not so much on bending down the torso but on pushing back the hips.

^ That. The barbell should be in contact with your body the whole way down and the whole way up. And you should not lose the arch in your back - you should stop right before it begins to change concavity from up to down.

Originally Posted by Built

^ That. The barbell should be in contact with your body the whole way down and the whole way up. And you should not lose the arch in your back - you should stop right before it begins to change concavity from up to down.

Concavity. Cool word. I agree completely with the description. Another very cool thread. I could read about about deadlifting and its' various forms all day. Always was one of my favorite lifts.

Originally Posted by gtbmed

It all depends on your body's proportions really. Some people have short legs and long arms and the weight will touch the floor. The key is that you have your legs only slightly bent and that you really focus on pushing your hips back. The focus of an RDL should be not so much on bending down the torso but on pushing back the hips.

Yeah, exactly. Push the hips back, load the tension on the hamstrings and let'er'rip.

I can only go to my knees with my legs straight (I do RDLs with legs slightly bent though, my inflexible hamstrings will not let me go further. good thing or bad thing? I also tried going heavy weight with RDL's before and it feels like the back of my legs wants to pop and such (the muscles in the back of your knee where I can feel strain if I go too heavy), so I am afraid to do heavy weight with it.

Flexibility is a big issue with a lot of people, especially in the hamstrings. Keep stretching them out but continuing to perform RDLs will help.

That said your legs aren't supposed to be locked anyway, there's supposed to be a very slight knee bend. The point, though, is to hip-hinge.