The Benefits of the Romanian Deadlift – Garage Gym Builder
5 BENEFITS OF THE ROMANIAN DEADLIFT
An exercise that surprisingly is advantageous for anyone who wishes to strengthen and lengthen their hamstrings is the Romanian deadlift or RDL for short. Even though it is called a Romanian deadlift, the exercise is not a deadlift nor did it originate in Romania. Instead, weightlifters in the U.S. saw a Romanian weightlifter perform the exercise in the ’50s and gave the movement the catchy name.
There are several good reasons to add the RDL to your workout routine, some of which are listed below.
#1 – The Exercise Utilizes a Higher Level of Intensity.
Practicing this workout allows you to use more weight and thereby avoid injury to the back.
#2 – The RDL is An Effective Hamstring Exercise.
source: http://www.crossfitnaples.com
Hamstrings are fast-twitch muscles that require higher intensity movements, thereby making the RDL one of the most efficient exercises used in developing the hamstrings.
#3 – The RDL Enables you to Walk and Run with Greater Ease of Movement.
source: http://www.glamour.com/
The Romanian deadlift develops and extends the muscles in the hips, so activities such as running or walking are easier to facilitate. Not only that, practicing the exercise enables you to improve in such activities as biking and rope jumping.
#4 – The RDL Delivers Superb Results in Firming Up the Backside.
source: http://popsugar.com/
Within only a few months of performing the RDL, exercisers saw improvement in the toning of their backside.
#5 – The RDL Can be Split into Two Days of Exercise
source: http://www.muscleandfitness.com/
When you are employing the RDL, pattern your routine, so one day of your workout concentrates on the quads while the other day focuses on hip extensor intensive exercises. Rest between each workout day to reduce the stressors placed on the affected muscles.
Read our article about Jefferson deadlift to learn more about that technique.
HOW TO DO THE ROMANIAN DEADLIFT [TECHNIQUE]
source: http://skinnymom.com
To integrate this exercise movement into your workout routine, you need to set the racks to knee level in the power rack (see our power rack guide here). Safety rods are not required when performing the RDL. If you lose your grip, let go of the weight. Set an Olympic style bar on the rack. Next, walk toward the bar and squat slightly, maintaining a slight curve in the lower part of the back. Grasp the bar and stand.
Watch this video for in-depth instructions
Notes on form:
The hands should be positioned shoulder width or slightly wider. Step back and get ready for the movement. Ensure that your feet are placed shoulder-width apart and that the chest is held high. The back should be slightly curved, and the knees slightly bent (never locked).
Begin the movement by tightening the lower back and abs and keep the bar in slight contact with your body the whole time. Bend at the hips, making sure the lower back stays fixed and does not move. While descending, your buttocks should move back very slightly – permitting you to feel a hamstring stretch. Just envision the exercise as a hamstring stretch without any movement in the lower back.
To receive the optimum benefits of the Romanian deadlift or the straight leg deadlift, you need to make sure the lower back does not move, enabling it to exert its role as a stabilizer in the routine. If you use proper form, you can safely maintain large weights without endangering the lower back using this technique.
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