Romanian Deadlift form tutorial RDL

[Lehfty]

0:35 - 0:40 the best advice I've heard. Listen to this.

[ra9dlo]

I just started doing this i practiced form with no weight just the bar i feel a little pain in my lower back is this normal or am i doing something wrong

[jhashey]

@ra9dlo more than likely you need to work on intra-abdominal pressure (breathe into your stomach, not your chest, then flex your abs out to stabilize the core). I hope that helps!

[99Macabre]

I need to brush up om my tech but I cant take advice from someone using ah video cassette recorder or however the fu.k its spelled.

[jhashey]

@99Macabre haha great logic. Who cares about quality make it pretty for me!

[McBoner77]

@MetalHead89 I usually do 3 sets of 6 reps.

[laxball535]

whats the difference between these and stiff legged deadlifts

[TiberiusStorm]

is this necessary to add to a routine if I want to increase my DL's and Squats??

[Putboobiein]

are those see through weights?

[MetaIhead89]

how many sets and reps are effective for this exercise?

[swolekat]

@strutzulescu- you copied that verbatim from Lyle McDonald. You're like that douche at the Harvard bar in Good Will Hunting. Lol

[LuchAAA1]

I love this video. I ll watch it every few months when I need a reminder on how to do proper form on RDL's.

[PatrickSmithPhD]

I thought your shoulders were supposed to be behind the bar...

[srbrand04]

dang invisible weights....the future is here!!!!

[MrJByrne3]

Very informative, I like the transparent plates as well. Wisely done, bravo!!!

[Tigerpaws9097826]

Thanks for the clear explanation & demonstration of proper hip movement; I clearly need to work on my form a bit.

[ronydica]

what does this have to do with romania?

[alin1975]

@ronydica

Almost nothing. The exercise is called this because the first time it was seen in the west it was being performed by a Romanian lifter... however its origin is not Romanian (I think its Russian, but dont quote me on that).

[strutzulescu]

the Romanian Olympic Lifter Nicu Vlad (who is credited with doing ~300kg, yes that’s 660 lbs., in the exercise) was seen doing them in the Olympic training hall at some point prior to either winning a medal, setting a world record, or possibly both.

Since he was Romanian, the movement got dubbed the Romanian deadlift. Whether that name is ‘right’ or not is ultimately not of much importance in my opinion, RDL is the name most people know the movement by and that’s what I’ll call it.

[tommyn79]

@ronydica if you're not Romanian.. then don't do it.. because it won't work for you :)

[CassOnCall]

The issue a lot of lifters have is coming to terms with the fact that "form" with many lifts is unique to the individual, based on the length of their limbs and their torso. A lot of comments about how far legs should bend, why muscle X feels sorer, etc etc...get experimenting with different techniques! Think about what the aim of your Deadlift is...hams? lower back? both? There will be a "form" out there for you - just don't round your back forward and don't jerk the bar. The rest is all you!

[ballistic912]

tried RDLs 4 days ago... still hurts like a biatch >.<

[rrg020891]

YOUR CAMERA SUCKS, BUT YOUR VIDEO IS GREAT, I REALLY LEARNED A LOT ABOUT THE EXERCISE, THANKS A LOT

[DasLied9]

Great vid. However, I tried this and felt my lower back quite a bit, even though I was pushing my hips back. Also, how much of a bend in the knees is recommended? Thanks!

[hbonerific]

Would you use less weight doing this than you would a regular deadlift? It looks a little more difficult and like you can potentially hurt yourself easier. Thanks for the great video.

[SFO14]

great tutorials!

[inlove2sons]

Honest question. Not being a smart ass. What is the difference in a Deadlift and a Romanian deadlift.

[Ahasuer]

Hey, this video's gonna help me so much. Thanks.

I have a question concerning the grip though. I have small hands and have used an alternate grip for deadlifts. Should I not use such grip or straps? I recently heard people mention that straps should not be used for deadlifts.

[mistyken]

i have a question

is it ok for me to bend the leg a little bit more and let the weight touch the ground?

[MrAlex2008]

Hey what is the difference between this and stiff leg deadlift?

[Parrochito]

Thank you!

[fordesphysicalfitnes]

Thanks for the tips grate video

[WBVIEW]

Extend w/ hips not by pulling with low back. Great tip!

[powersinsurance1]

Nice video this will definitely help with my form.

[jhashey]

@powersinsurance1 no problem, thanks for checking it out!

[HUGEPENlS]

thanks brah

[chewywater]

It looks to me like what distinguishes the RDL form is that the shinbone stays pretty much stationary and almost vertical throughout the lift, even though the knee is not stiff.

The lack of a rigid leg means it isn't a stiff legged DL, and the stationary shin makes it unique from regular DL.

[kamikazeuk1]

i'm a romanian but i can't understend this deadlifting my mates used to do it back in romania in the gym, here not so much in uk

[secutorclaudius]

@kamikazeuk1 haha, i'm romanian too, living in the us, but to me it still looks like a regular dl for reps! don't get it. sarbatori fericite!

[gricius]

Is it the same movement as Stiff leged deadlift except you have to bent your knees?

[Claymore2408]

This should be renamed "The Hamstring Killer"

[dnj23]

why does the third world, dirty, flea bitten Romania get credit for this lift?

[DjSAVRO]

@dnj23 because american lifters saw a World Champion weightlifter from Romania performing this exercise back in the ‘50’s and dubbed it the "Romanian Deadlift" you douchebag.

[Alphonse1930]

cei care sunteti romani dati un Vote Up aici ! :D

[infernalmaj]

@dnj23

because you're to stupid to post in YT

[STRLOL]

I don't really see the difference between this and the SLD, could someone explain to me what the difference is? Or are they the same, and it's just different names.

[nigelpinchely]

What kind of weights are those? they're like clear or something

[goedgo]

The "clear plates" are for demo purposes, so you can see joint angles, etc. They are probably made of garden variety plexiglass.

[serwwer]

what's the difference btw normal dealift and this?

[jhashey]

RDL have a similar stance to convo DLs, however RDL's emphasize the posterior chain more (primarily glutes and hamstrings) because it is performed with the legs more extended. - Joe

[blahmeblahblahblah]

@jhashey Does that mean a "convo DL" involves the quads more? Sort of like a DL mixed with a squat?

[yuppyguitar1]

@jhashey Would you say this exercise lies somewhere between the range of normal deadlift and stiff leg deadlift?

[westonlg24]

the conventional dead you lower your ass much lower to the ground, hamstring become about parallel.

[Az260790UK]

@serwwer the romanian dead lift works the hamstrings more

[tomp2400]

Is it ok to use an over under grip on the RD?

im new to this exercise and am working up to a challenging weight and grip is becoming an issue. i do train grip strength but a double over grip is still a limiting factor when it comes to max weight.

Would a hook grip be better than over under?

Any advice would be appreciated

[jhashey]

Great question. I would go hook grip on the RDL before alternating. I would go as far to say use straps on the last few sets if your grip is falling (and try to work off of them as time goes on).

Hope that helps - Joe

[tomp2400]

Cheers Joe

I will try out the hook grip first and use straps on the heaviest sets if neccessary. will also work on double overhand thick bar deadlifts to strengthen my grip

thanks, Tom

[sniperboy102]

what do you mean by "extending your hips" ?

[PardonMySanity]

Thrust them forwards and contract your glutes

[sniperboy102]

ooooh ok thank you

[margielovescrossfit]

It's great to see someone demonstrate the RDL properly, thankyou!

[abe4367]

Question: Are there possible benefits/consequences by lowering the bar, say, 1 inch from the floor?

[jhashey]

@abe4367 Good question. Benefits - a greater stretch on the glute and hamstrings with the larger range of motion. Consequences - Flexibility, not strength, could be a limiting factor. Bracing the core and sitting back at the hips are extra important.

If the person is flexible, and is experienced, then I have seen people go lower with success. I hope that helps! - Joe

[abe4367]

Much appreciated. I asked because I was taught to go through a full range of motion. I'm naturally flexible, so this came easy to me. But, I never really questioned the benefits/consequences of going lower or not.

[dm325]

@abe4367 how would you lower the bar one inch from the floor if you have plates on it?

[ScottKearsing]

@dm325 You would need to be up on a box (box jump box), platform or bench.

[davegamer1990]

thanks man this helps. im about to start a program, that has the RDL and i was a little nervous to do it, but your advice helped.

[iluvfatchx]

whats the difference from the RDL and the straight leg deadlift, they look the same?n they both have the knees bent slightly and use the hips.

[N3groD0mus77]

its because Romanian People are the best in the world?

[drionshk]

my right foot pronates more htan my left foot.. thus when I try doing RDL's, my right foot is held pointed outward an extra 15 degrees and back (relative to the left foot) by an inch or two. This feels PERFECTLY natural for me, although it shouldnt.

THe problem is when I RDL like this there is unequal push from both hip extensors. HOWEVER when I do RDLs with my feet even, there is a MUCH bigger stretch in my right hamstring, even though its already more flexible than the left. how can i fix it?

[KimmurelOblodora]

this is the best way to perform a very good romanian deadlift.Good man!

[freejumptraining]

Awesome stuff Joe, thanks for sharing.

[nawfside56]

deadlifting is fo fags =]

[celconicuzn]

retarded comments is fo fags =]

[fataslin]

So this works lower back and hams?

thx

[marxistsoldier]

the lower back should just be a stabiliser

[aus1121]

what hits the gluts and hams more, this or stiff leg?

[reptile308]

the hamstrings don't really act independently of the glutes. Anyways, the romanain deadlift is basically a stiff leg deadlift.

[m1kasd]

this hits the pchain more

[samuraiwarrior1988]

is this technique romanian?

[di5n33]

Let's say you want a bigger butt and you're about 103lbs (hehe I know shush!) Anywho what would be a good weight?? What, like half? Or... what? Keep in mind you're not very strong (arm wise). haha this is COMPLETELY hypothetical O_O =P

[hondatek614]

I'd be pretty careful in your case. Start just practicing the form with just a 45lb bar, and in small (10 lb) increments (after a few weeks) find a weight (w/o hurting yourself) that feels like it is really working your muscles. This type of exercise is typically done by ppl who are quite committed to weight lifting and already have solid core strength. To isolate the gluts I'd recommend doing kickbacks, with or without weight. There's much less risk of injury.

[mcfootball92]

i think squats would work better for this hypothetical situation

[stefansk8]

or lunges...

[jota191]

I feel pain in the middel of my back ... is it normal?

[jiggasnap]

means youre letting your back round

[MDavisUSF82]

What about pain in lower back?

[jhashey]

Chances are it is either a rounding issue, too much weight too soon, or the big one, poor breathing. Before the decent, make sure you take a big breath and put it in your belly - flexing your abs out. This stabilizes your core and takes a lot of pressure off the power back

[brazilianspiritzz]

i have hardtime keeping correct angle for the pelvis. I can feel maintaining lowerback arched and peliving dropping forward are two different things. I have strong tendency of pelvis foward tilt, which deactivate glutes. when I squeeze my glutes to keep the pelvis right, I am also worried that my lowerback rounds a little. I can't just find the balanced position. and as I feel, rounding the back can still happen even when the pelvis tilts forwards. my spine looks like a question mark. any tip?

[jhashey]

Google "glute clam series" and try 2 x 20 of those activation exercises to wake the glutes up. Concentrate on intrabdominal pressure and a strong upper back. Anterior pelvice tilt is common, but can be aided through SMR and mobility training.

[brazilianspiritzz]

Thanks, it helped a lot. How long do I need to do these exercises before I re-start RDL. and in RDL, or in Squat, at the lowest point which is when the negative motion stops, my glutes relaxes even for a moment? or do I have to keep my glute tensed upto certain degree all the time? when I tried to squat, to keep the arch on lower back, I find my glutes not flexed at the lowest point which drops the hip forward.

[jhashey]

Its tough to tell without a proper evaluation. I'd add them in for 1-2 weeks, then restart the RDL's lightly and check yourself. At the bottom point of a squat, your glutes will be "less tight" due to the tension, but they still should be activated. Glad that helped!

[WdnUlik2no]

nice vid. very helpful in teaching form.  thx!

[Dessire77]

OK, YEAH

[healingreiki]

NICE TECHNIQUE

[LoopsKiller]

why do they call it romanian deadlift ? it`s from romania the country or what?

[nbatweek]

An american powerlifter (forgot his name) saw during a meet a romanian powerlifter performing this excercise. Hence the name romanian deadlift

[borre12121]

The Romanian`s name vas Nicu Vlad. Don't know the American's name though...

[dummkompf]

wtf is up with youtube goin so damn slow that i can't even stream a video without it pausing to d/l every 5 seconds!?!?!?!? i know it's not my internet connection, it's fine, so wtf is up youtube?

[pr3998]

The movie has some slow-motion effect to allow a better study of the lift.

[tyrant1505]

The neck/head factor is a good point. If you have excited hip flexors and lumbar erectors, the head should be neutral to stop them being PRIME movers (including being taught how to engage the glutes correctly). However, if you've a tendancy ro "round" the lumbar, looking upward/extending the neck will assist in maintaining it's normal curvature (including assessing specific hip mobility and lumbar strength issues).

[jota191]

guys the barbell has to touch the ground¿¿¿??

[JMD0429]

Not on Romanian deads.

[starchildbt]

I think the form here looks pretty good. The only thing I have to add is that when your lifting heavy you do not have to lower the bar much lower than the knee.

Any lower than the knee may reinforce improper technique and put more stress on the lumbar spine

[MikeDunn]

Does anyone know if you're supposed to pause (briefly) in the bottom postion?

[fafeifa]

you pause but you keep a rhythm 1/2 to 1 sec don't just drop it and let the weights bounce like most people do at teh gym.

[RusselPfan45]

You should not feel it in the biceps. Your arms do not bend at all.

[KCrenshaw09]

it's important to point out that you need to look upwards while doing this because if you dont it's incredibly hard to arc your back

[tbear1]

Although it may be easier, I would think looking up would strain the neck...I think one could maintain the arch in the back without looking up and perhaps saving the neck.

[knjazvovk]

Thanks I was under the impression that it was required, but most people probably couldn't do it right anyway.

[knjazvovk]

Do you need to touch the ground?

[jhashey]

I'm not a fan of touching the ground, it usually causes one of these form issues: rounding of the back or bounching the weights. Also, you don't want to over stretch the hamstring to the point where they lose power.

[motepelao]

whats the difference between a romanian deadlift and a typical deadlift?

[nvcn86]

hip/hamstring vs back/hip/hams

[CleverDjembe]

Yeah, but I'm not sure how you can eliminate the back from the RDL, because the erectors have to support he lumbar (lower) spine and the upper back has to keep the thoracic (upper) spine from rounding and it has to help the arms hold the weight up.

[keithbarbaro]

I love this exercise.

It's as close to a full body exercise as you can get, with deadlifts being number one.

I feel it in the hams, calves, glutes, forearms, lower back, LATS, traps, and a little in the bi's.

In real life, I think people should lower the bar at a slower pace than lifting.

[furtfurt]

thanks for posting the vid. what is the difference between the rdl, sldl and regular dl in terms of muscles worked? thanks.

[UC15]

RDL? Not quite.

The lower portion demonstrated is fine, but in an RDL, as the bar passes the knees, the knees stay bent and 'scoop' forward, the finish position is the 'power' position of a clean.

It was my coach who gave this movement its English name upon viewing the Romanian team doing the movement while training at the World Championships.

[bebofilm]

I want to learn how to do it the right way, will you post your own video on YOUTUBE, UC15?

[jhashey]

This is the RDL, he is talking about some version of it that is appearantly used for old World Championships while Im talking about the version that is used today by athletes and everyday lifters. His version is nice to know about, but for everyday lifters it does not make a difference. Check out any RDL video, this is the accepted version. Good luck!

[mattoon86]

thanks for that post, some of the guys posting their romanian deadlifts of 400+ lbs or more with improper form should refer to this video to see how to properly lift! Good Job!!!

[Hambo04]

Great video, thanks.

[smedebeast]

yeah please post more

[jhashey]

Sorry about slacking lately. I don't have the Colgate facilities anymore but I can get started on some more videos shortly. I've been involved in an extreme fitness competition for the last 4 weeks that's taking a lot of my time. More to come, thanks for your patience!

[qewr4231]

That is an excellent video on Romanian Deadlifts. Can you please post a tutorial on regular deadlifts?

[warney77]

looks like you pass your knees easily on the way down.. i find i have to avoid them.. did you do something specific to avoid the knees?

[cihan822006]

i disagree with arcing the back that much. there should be a slight curve even.

[slowbends]

Aparantly you havent done any oly lifting. That is the only way to protect the back.

[qewr4231]

larger waisted lifters may not be able to arch their backs properly? I think the most important thing is to keep the back straight so there is no improper curvature of the back and/or spine that could cause injury?

[jamwithtupac]

good vid!

[clemsontbone02]

I appreciate you providing this service. Your videos are valuable learning tools. Thanks again.

[jdlava]

I like your demos for squat too...thanks for posting!

[jhashey]

Thanks for the feedback! If you want any other form videos, please let us know and we will see what we can do.

[qewr4231]

That is an excellent video on Romanian Deadlifts. Can you please post a tutorial on regular deadlifts?