Romanian Deadlift form check

[xuerebx]

So, I'm having trouble targeting my hamstrings using RDLs, but I'd really like to learn to do them correctly. I understand the concept of "push your hips back" (I think) but I just can't seem to be able to physically push them far back enough to feel a stretch in my hamstrings. I mean I technically am hitting my hamstrings because I get some DOMS, but during the movement the stretch is very light.

On the left it's just 60kg warmup to see how far I can go without really holding any significant weight, and on the right it's 122kg (final 3rd set).



Are there any internal/external cues I can keep in mind? Stance width, feet pointing etc?

Thanks!

[rjharris]

i'm hit or miss with rdls, but one cue i got from here (i think) that seems to help me feel the stretch more during the movement is the combination of (1) narrow stance (2) lifting your toes up (3) feet forward

[Renascent]

Are you wearing wedges? If so, I'd ditch those for RDLs.

[DCR]

I cue hips back and up - like diagonal toward the ceiling behind me.

[xuerebx]

Thanks guys for your suggestions!

i'm hit or miss with rdls, but one cue i got from here (i think) that seems to help me feel the stretch more during the movement is the combination of (1) narrow stance (2) lifting your toes up (3) feet forward

Thanks - I noticed I'm using a sumo-ish stance so I'll work on that especially. (2) makes sense, I'll also try it out. By feet forward I assume you mean pointing directly forward right?

Are you wearing wedges? If so, I'd ditch those for RDLs.

Ah shoot, yes I usually am.

I cue hips back and up - like diagonal toward the ceiling behind me.

I'll try this as well (one at a time of course, otherwise I'll end up doing nothing right).

[DCR]

Thanks guys for your suggestions!

i'm hit or miss with rdls, but one cue i got from here (i think) that seems to help me feel the stretch more during the movement is the combination of (1) narrow stance (2) lifting your toes up (3) feet forward

Thanks - I noticed I'm using a sumo-ish stance so I'll work on that especially. (2) makes sense, I'll also try it out. By feet forward I assume you mean pointing directly forward right?

Are you wearing wedges? If so, I'd ditch those for RDLs.

Ah shoot, yes I usually am.

I cue hips back and up - like diagonal toward the ceiling behind me.

I'll try this as well (one at a time of course, otherwise I'll end up doing nothing right).

I should have said this in the first place but the point of my cue is to avoid the hips dropping, because when they do, the knees bend, and there goes your hamstring tension. I can see this happening a bit in your heavier set above.

Anyway, I think you can do all of this at once. Totally agree regarding ditching the shoes, narrow stance, and feet forward works fine. The only thing with which I respectfully disagree is lifting your toes. I believe the weight should remain over midfoot and, if you lift your toes, you’re gonna end up on your heels whether you intend to or not.

One other thing, for discussion: Rippetoe and others teach that one must do these with lower back in extension, and I’ll admit that doing so results in a shorter range of motion in which it’s much easier to feel the hamstrings. That said, I take issue with the “must.” Due to lower back problems, I do these with a neutral back and yeah, you really have concentrate on hips back and up or you can lose the hams, but it’s doable.

[xuerebx]

Thanks man - it's an interesting cue (hips up) but it definitely makes sense so that I don't lose tension on the hams. The shoes is low hanging fruit, I totally forgot I was wearing those.

Unless it's a dumbbell row, I try to keep my lower back always straight because it just feels safer to me (I'm sure someone from the BBM community would beg to differ but I digress).

[rjharris]

Thanks - I noticed I'm using a sumo-ish stance so I'll work on that especially. (2) makes sense, I'll also try it out. By feet forward I assume you mean pointing directly forward right?

i think usually my feet are not directly forward, but maybe like 10 degrees. they're almost directly forward

[xuerebx]

Thanks - I noticed I'm using a sumo-ish stance so I'll work on that especially. (2) makes sense, I'll also try it out. By feet forward I assume you mean pointing directly forward right?

i think usually my feet are not directly forward, but maybe like 10 degrees. they're almost directly forward

Noted, I'll try a couple of angles and see which one feels best.

Thanks again!

[Renascent]

One other thing you might want to consider ...

Similar to what rjharris suggested, I think the idea behind having the toes up is that it may allow the calves to contribute more to knee flexion, since they're not contracting at the ankle if your toes are elevated. Supposedly gastrocnemius only contributes to the first 15 to 20 degress of knee flexion (and hamstrings take over beyond that point), but placing your heels on the ground (or elevating your toes) might free up more hamstring tissue to allow for a better hinge at the hips if they're allowed to contribute less to bending the knees.

With that said, based on your technique, you might want to give straight/stiff-legged deadlifts a shot. More knee flexion in the RDL means the glutes take over more of the load; removing as much active knee flexion as possible allows your hamstrings to change their length and achieve a greater stretch.

Conversely, any movement that involves minimal hip extension and maximal knee flexion (ex: leg curls with flexed hips) could achieve the same effect -- albeit for different portions of the hamstrings.

[xuerebx]

Cheers man, I think I understand what you mean. I've taken notes from the above posts and I'll see what I can do. Hopefully I can report positive results in a couple of weeks

[Hardartery]

So, I'm having trouble targeting my hamstrings using RDLs, but I'd really like to learn to do them correctly. I understand the concept of "push your hips back" (I think) but I just can't seem to be able to physically push them far back enough to feel a stretch in my hamstrings. I mean I technically am hitting my hamstrings because I get some DOMS, but during the movement the stretch is very light.

On the left it's just 60kg warmup to see how far I can go without really holding any significant weight, and on the right it's 122kg (final 3rd set).



Are there any internal/external cues I can keep in mind? Stance width, feet pointing etc?

Thanks!

Your hips/ass are not going far enough back, you aren't going low enough, and your shoulders are coming forward towards the end of the lift in the video. You should tap or almost tap the floor and you need to stick the backside WAY back. The bar should stay in contact/almost in contact with your body the whole time. It will be extremely unnatural feeling at first. And lower the weight SLOWLY. Speed is your enemy on the way down, great way to tweak a hammy just by going too fast, speed is only on the way up. To come back up the movement is effected by driving the hips, not lifting the bar. Push the hips forward, the fact that the bar rises is extraneous. Shoulders back, hips forward on the way up. Shoulders over the heels/midfoot ass WAAAYYYY back on the way down. Touch the floor just don't rest the weight there.

Alright, seriously, that's it, back to my vacation.

[xuerebx]

Update post:



- ditched the wedge shoes
- feet closer together, pointing nearly straight forward (just a slight tilt actually)
- mental note of ass back and up
- tried to go down more

The warmups felt really good on the hamstrings, definitely felt the stretch. On the heavier sets I felt the stretch less, but I think the execution was done in the same way. Although this happens to me on heavy sets of whatever compound exercise (e.g. squats) where I don't feel the target muscles but obviously they have to be workings.

Your hips/ass are not going far enough back, you aren't going low enough, and your shoulders are coming forward towards the end of the lift in the video. You should tap or almost tap the floor and you need to stick the backside WAY back. The bar should stay in contact/almost in contact with your body the whole time. It will be extremely unnatural feeling at first. And lower the weight SLOWLY. Speed is your enemy on the way down, great way to tweak a hammy just by going too fast, speed is only on the way up. To come back up the movement is effected by driving the hips, not lifting the bar. Push the hips forward, the fact that the bar rises is extraneous. Shoulders back, hips forward on the way up. Shoulders over the heels/midfoot ass WAAAYYYY back on the way down. Touch the floor just don't rest the weight there.

Alright, seriously, that's it, back to my vacation.

First, thanks so much for the detailed response. I tried going lower today (I was ending the set when my lower back took over), but the hip/ass going backwards I can't seem to go any further back even in the warmup sets (heck, tried doing the movement without a bar too).

I will also try to keep bar closer to me and won't let my shoulders come forward - good tips, thank you, will add them to my notes. I notice I drop the bar sometimes too, need to work on that as well.