RDL Mistakes: Why You Feel It In Your Back Not Glutes, by T and M Fitness | Tasha Cividanes on YouTube. 6 min 38 s.
- Video length
- 6 min 38 s
- Time to do it
- 15 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Stand with feet about hip-width apart and toes pointing forward. Grip the bar just outside your thighs so your arms hang straight down.
Set your knees with a soft, slight bend and keep them there. The movement comes from your hips, not from bending and straightening your knees.
Brace your core, keep your spine neutral and your head in line with it. Look at a spot on the floor a metre or two ahead, not at the ceiling.
Push your hips back and let the weight slide down close to your legs. Keep the bar or dumbbells almost touching your thighs and shins.
Stop lowering when you feel a strong stretch in your hamstrings and glutes, or when your back starts to round. Do not chase the floor.
Keep your back flat the whole way down. If your lower back rounds, you have gone too far, so shorten the range.
Drive your hips forward to stand up, squeezing your glutes at the top. Let your arms stay relaxed and just hold the weight.
Finish tall without leaning back or arching your lower back. Keep your shoulders down and away from your ears throughout.
Tips and common mistakes
If you feel it mostly in your back, lighten the weight and reduce how far you lower.
Do not pull with your arms or shrug your shoulders; they only hold the bar.
Practise the hinge with a broomstick against your back so it stays in contact with your head, upper back and tailbone.
Stop at once if you feel sharp pain, and check with a doctor before starting a new programme if you have an injury history.
Questions
How far down should I go on an RDL?
Only as far as you can keep a flat back and feel a stretch in your hamstrings. That point is different for everyone and depends on your mobility.
Should my knees stay straight?
No. Keep a soft, fixed bend in your knees and let the hips do the work. Straight legs usually push the load into your lower back.
How heavy should I start?
Start light, even with just a broomstick or empty bar, until the hinge feels natural. Add weight only when you can keep your back flat for every rep.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
