Should RDL be done on the same day as deadlifts or on my leg day along with squats? Also, I have done it two different ways and I’m curious as to which is the better way. I have done it where I pull from the ground each time, and I have done it where I take the bar down about mid shin. Which is the better method?
If you’re pulling from the ground that sounds more like a stiff-legged deadlift. But that’s just me. I prefer to go no lower than mid shin.
For which day you should do them on, it depends on how your split is set up. I have 2 leg days a week, and do them on my squat day after squats. Though I don’t think it matters all that much.
Pulling from the ground isn’t an RDL, as least not the way I was taught them. I always do them by pushing my butt back, keeping my knees fairly straight, and lowering the weight with my back straight. I go down as far as i can with these guidelines, which is roughly mid shin. How flexible you are determines how far down you go.
I have a squat day and a deadlift day. I can see where they could fit either day. Just seeing what most people do.
[quote]pre04 wrote:
I have a squat day and a deadlift day. I can see where they could fit either day. Just seeing what most people do. [/quote]
When I have a deadlift and squat day each week, I do RDL’s on squat day for 2 reasons:
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Squat’s for me don’t hit my hamstrings nearly as hard as deadlifts, and RDL’s kill my hamstrings. Makes sense to me to couple squats, something that doesn’t destroy my hamstrings, with RDL’s which kill them. That way I get my hamstrings worked pretty good both days.
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Deadlifts can kill my lower back, and RDL’s are hard to do because of this after deadlifts. Squats work my lower back, but not as much as deadlifts.
[quote]staystrong wrote:
[quote]pre04 wrote:
I have a squat day and a deadlift day. I can see where they could fit either day. Just seeing what most people do. [/quote]
When I have a deadlift and squat day each week, I do RDL’s on squat day for 2 reasons:
-
Squat’s for me don’t hit my hamstrings nearly as hard as deadlifts, and RDL’s kill my hamstrings. Makes sense to me to couple squats, something that doesn’t destroy my hamstrings, with RDL’s which kill them. That way I get my hamstrings worked pretty good both days.
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Deadlifts can kill my lower back, and RDL’s are hard to do because of this after deadlifts. Squats work my lower back, but not as much as deadlifts.[/quote]
If youre normal exercises are “killing” your back then that means your back isn’t strong enough. Every time I continually hsve a muscle that keeps getting sore in my weekly routine and just wont get stronger to cover the load, I look at the antagonist muscles. Check out some ab work, or if youre already doing that, ab work that stresses you more. Do you do situps, decline situps already? Try that ab machine, and check out an ab wheel. My spinal erectors are mad strong now, bc I work dem abzzzz
(1) If you can touch the ground then it is very likely that you do them incorrectly - load the hamstrings and not the lower back and lats. Use google to find some proper Olympic weightlifting sources that discuss form.
(2) Do them on both days. Start with one heavy and one light session.
[quote]lumbernac wrote:
[quote]staystrong wrote:
[quote]pre04 wrote:
I have a squat day and a deadlift day. I can see where they could fit either day. Just seeing what most people do. [/quote]
When I have a deadlift and squat day each week, I do RDL’s on squat day for 2 reasons:
-
Squat’s for me don’t hit my hamstrings nearly as hard as deadlifts, and RDL’s kill my hamstrings. Makes sense to me to couple squats, something that doesn’t destroy my hamstrings, with RDL’s which kill them. That way I get my hamstrings worked pretty good both days.
-
Deadlifts can kill my lower back, and RDL’s are hard to do because of this after deadlifts. Squats work my lower back, but not as much as deadlifts.[/quote]
If youre normal exercises are “killing” your back then that means your back isn’t strong enough. Every time I continually hsve a muscle that keeps getting sore in my weekly routine and just wont get stronger to cover the load, I look at the antagonist muscles. Check out some ab work, or if youre already doing that, ab work that stresses you more. Do you do situps, decline situps already? Try that ab machine, and check out an ab wheel. My spinal erectors are mad strong now, bc I work dem abzzzz[/quote]
Well, “killing” was used in the sense that my lower back is worked/tired from deadlifting. I’d argue that if you are doing a conventional deadlift and your lower back isn’t sore from doing a set of max reps, you’re not pushing yourself enough. At least with someone like me, who has a short torso and long legs for his height. Since the deadlift involves standing up with a ton of weight and your lower back is working to prevent it from rounding, I don’t think it’s abnormal to have your back pretty worked from doing deadlifts.
Seems kind of obvious that if my back was “strong enough”, I would be able to deadlift more and thus it wouldn’t be “strong enough” again. So not really sure what you’re getting at there.
I don’t do conventional deadlifts anymore. But when I was, I was consistently sore in my lower back despite making consistent progress. Not a painful “oh god my back is broken”, but a normal muscle soreness you get from working out a muscle.
Point stands, if I have 2 leg days I would rather do a lift like RDL’s, which places some stress on your lower back, on a day separate from deadlifts if it fits my schedule.
I do them after squats. Since I squat highbar med stance my hams dont get much work this day. So it fits nicely there.
It’s all about what works for you. I generally do RDLs on my deadlift day. I have started pulling sumo-style (conventional bothers my lumbar disc injury), so I feel like the RDL compliments it well since the sumo is more quad dominant.