Unable to keep lower back straight during Romanian Deadlift?

Asked by: Omar Philemon

How do you keep your back straight in Romanian deadlift?

To execute it, you just:

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a barbell at thigh level. …
2. Keeping your back straight, bend at your waist and sit your hips back to lower the bar.
3. Keep the bar close to your shins and lower as far as your flexibility allows.

Why can’t I keep my back straight when Deadlifting?

If you can’t keep your back straight while deadlifting it usually means that you have a poor set-up. If you’ve mastered the breathing and bracing technique above, and you’re still rounding, look to the following reasons for improving your set-up: Ensure the bar is ‘on you’ the entire time.

Why do I feel Romanian deadlift in lower back?

There are a couple of factors that could play into you always feeling your lower back when doing RDLs. Typically, the lower back comes into play when you’re unable to properly brace your abs and your pelvis rotates a little too much.

What is a common error during the Romanian deadlift?

The most common faults that occur while performing RDLs are:



Rounding the low back. This usually occurs because the athlete does not have control of their mid-line position or the athlete is attempting to go lower than there hamstring mobility will allow. Bar drifts away from body.

How do I stop my back arching when I deadlift?

Wear flat-soled shoes when deadlifting. Shoes with an elevated heel push your knees forward, which makes it harder to keep your hips down at the start of the deadlift. Drag the bar up your legs; do not allow it to drift out in front of you. The further the bar is away from you, the more it pulls your back forward.

Are you supposed to feel deadlifts in lower back?

A deadlift is a full-body movement, but if you’re doing it right, you should definitely feel it more on your backside – think hamstrings, glutes, the erector muscles along your spine and your back muscles.

How do I know if I’m doing RDL?

Looking forward throughout the entire movement which causes your spine to not be neutral your head should move in unison with your body as you see on the left.

Do you squeeze your glutes during RDL?

Engage your glutes, contract your hips, and drive back to the starting position, locking your hips out at the top. You should feel a squeeze in your hips and quads as you lock them out. “RDLs are one of the most effective hamstring and glute exercises around.”

How do you know if you’re doing RDLs wrong?

Where Should I Feel RDLs? You should feel this exercise primarily in the hamstrings and glutes. If you do not feel this exercise in your hamstrings right from the first rep, then you are doing it incorrectly. Focus on pushing your butt way back which will naturally flex the hips and lower the bar down.

Why do Romanian deadlifts hurt my hamstrings?

Sore hamstrings after deadlifts are normal and can be caused by three reasons: (1) delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), (2) fatigue, or (3) injury. Depending on the deadlift variations you performed and the total sets and reps, you can identify if your soreness falls under one of these categories.

Are Romanian deadlifts good?

The Romanian deadlift (RDL) is a traditional barbell lift used to develop the strength of the posterior chain muscles, including the erector spinae, gluteus maximus, hamstrings and adductors. When done correctly, the RDL is an effective exercise that helps strengthen both the core and the lower body with one move.

Are RDLS and deadlifts the same?

The primary difference between the exercises is that the deadlift is performed by lifting the weight from the floor and the RDL starts with the weight held in front of the hips.

How heavy should my Romanian deadlift be?

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Who invented Romanian deadlifts?

Based on one reference, the story goes that Dragomir Cioroslan and Nicu Vlad came to the US a few decades ago and demonstrated their training techniques.

How do you do a Romanian deadlift with dumbbells?

Begin by standing with your feet hip-width apart and knees slightly bent. Hold one dumbbell in each hand, and place them in front of hips with palms facing thighs. Keeping your spine in a neutral position and squeezing the shoulder blades, start sending the hips back.

What muscles does single leg RDL work?

Muscles Worked – Single Leg Romanian Deadlift

• Hamstrings.
• Gluteal.
• Calves and Ankle Stabilizers.
• Obliques (core and pelvic stability)

How do you do a stiff leg deadlift with dumbbells?

1. Holding a dumbbell in each hand with an overhand grip (palms facing towards your body) in front of your legs, plant both feet on the floor slightly further than shoulder-width apart. Draw your shoulder blades down and back to push your chest out slightly. …
2. Inhale. …
3. As you reach halfway down your shins, exhale.

Are Romanian deadlifts good for beginners?

I love RDLs – I find that they are the easiest deadlift variation to start my beginner virtual training clients with, because it gives them the opportunity to master the hip hinge, feel the glute and hamstring involvement, focus on the lack of knee involvement in a deadlift (so many want to squat right away, and …

Should you do Romanian deadlifts heavy?

The Romanian deadlift is also a move you can do anywhere, because you don’t need to use very heavy weights for it to be effective. While using the gym’s barbell is the simplest way to do the Romanian deadlift, you can swap out free weights for anything heavy if working out at home.

How much lighter should Romanian deadlift be?

You will be able to lift more weight with the deadlift vs Romanian deadlift. Most people should be able to Romanian deadlift between 30-40% of their 1 rep max deadlift for 8-10 reps. Whereas most people should be able to deadlift between 60-70% of their 1 rep max deadlift for 8-10 reps.

How many reps of Romanian deadlift should I do?

Ideal Rep Range



The Romanian deadlift is a hypertrophy lift that works best in moderate rep ranges. 8–20 reps per set often works well. Going much heavier can make it harder to get into the starting position, harder to maintain good technique, and can start putting more strain on the lower back.

Are Romanian deadlifts enough for hamstrings?

Researchers investigated the muscle activity of the hamstrings during the leg curl, good morning, glute-ham raise, and Romanian deadlift (RDL) and found that hamstring activity was maximized in the RDL and glute-ham raise.

Is RDL safer than deadlift?

For the average gym-goer or non-strength athlete, the RDL probably represents a better and safer alternative to deadlifts for training the posterior chain muscles, mainly due to the different types of muscle contraction involved in executing the two lifts.