RDL vs. Conventional Deadlifts
Deadlifts are my favorite exercise in the gym. There’s something so satisfying about lifting heavy weight off the floor.
I primarily do RDLs and conventional deadlifts in my current program. Both are great for building the posterior chain, but they have important differences.
Let’s talk about them in today’s post.
Conventional Deadlift
A conventional deadlift is a popular compound movement that targets the glutes, hammies, back, core, and traps.
form tips
To set up, you’ll want to have a comfortable shoulder-width foot stance. Use an overhand grip to pull the weight up. The bar should track against your shins. At the top, you don’t need to arch backwards or aggressively lock out; just stand up straight. Keep in mind that this motion is a hip-hinge, not a squat.
To drop… or not?
When repeating a regular deadlift for reps, I’d recommend lowering the weight down with control instead of dropping it. This ensures you’re getting the benefits out of the eccentric (negative) phase. But if you’re chasing a PR and lifting super heavy, it’s ok to drop it from the top.
Programming
I typically conventional deadlift on my back (pull) days.
Romanian Deadlift
The Romanian Deadlift, aka the RDL, targets the glutes more than a conventional deadlift will.
Form Tips
You’ll want a comfortably narrow foot stance with slightly bent knees. Use an overhand grip to pull the weight up, making sure the bar stays close to your body. Unlike a conventional deadlift, the weight shouldn’t touch the floor when you’re lowering it back down. Instead, keep constant tension and lower down only as far as you are able to keep a neutral spine. Injury prevention is super important with all exercises, but especially with deadlifts.
How about straps?
Wrist straps will become extremely helpful as you increase the weight for all deadlifts, not just the RDL. And no, using straps isn’t cheating. I’d argue that if you don’t need straps, you’re not challenging yourself enough.
Programming
For programming, I do RDLs every week on my primary (glute focused) leg day.
