The Romanian Deadlift (commonly known as the “RDL”) is an amazing exercise to develop strength and muscle mass in the Glutes, Hamstrings, and Upper Back.
At Metabolic Fitness, we love selecting movements that have a a high “training economy”…meaning they give us a lot of “bang for our buck!” The RDL is EXTREMELY effective at delivering just that, as all of the aforementioned muscle groups receive a tremendous training stimulus. 💴
“Hinging” is the movement pattern associated with the RDL, and since that is a fundamental movement pattern, it is essential that we learn to do it properly. Here are some tips to help you master the RDL so you can have a safe, quality training experience! 👊🏻
✅ FLEX YOUR LATS! This is extremely important, as bracing your lats will essentially create a “bullet proof vest” for your spine. If you have NEVER tried this before this single tip is a total GAME CHANGER. This should be done before you initiate ANY of the movement!
✅With soft knees, PUSH your hips BACK! At first glance, it may SEEM like you only need to bend forward at the waist, and while there is a time and place for this, this is not the time. If this is difficult for you, try placing yourself a foot in front of a wall, and pushing your hips back until it lightly touches the wall.
✅If you have a natural Lordotic Curve to your spine (picture Donald Duck), this may make your butt look great, but can cause some pain during hinging. To remedy that, do NOT focus on retracting your scapula (shoulder blades), but rather flex your abs (squeeze down), and ALLOW your shoulder blades to remain separated WITH FLEXED LATS (this is critical).
✅If you are a bit rounded in the Upper Back, do the OPPOSITE. With FLEXED LATS, puff your chest up, and FOCUS on scapular retraction by squeezing your shoulder blades together. This will allow your spine to stay neutral.
Awesome work from Metabolic Saratoga Head Coach Andrew Holmes as he takes the 120lb DB’s for a ride while demonstrating total control on BOTH the eccentric and concentric! 🔥 💪🏻
#rdl#glutes#hamstrings#trainingeconomy#metabolictraining@andrewholmesfit
