In the first two segments of his presentation from the 2018 elitefts Sport Performance Summit, Jeremy Frey shared tips on how to coach athletes in the front squat and the bench press. Now for this video he discusses one of the most popular posterior-chain exercises: the Romanian deadlift. Known more often as the RDL, this exercise can be effectively used by athletes and lifters looking to build strength in the hips, particularly the hamstrings and glutes.
The first rule that Frey covers is to keep a neutral head position with packed shoulders. From this position, drive the hips back while keeping the weight on the heels with flat feet. The hamstrings are the limiters to range of motion with the RDL. A lot of people try to go too far downward in this exercise, which is not the point. Rounding the lower back or bending at the knees to go farther down defeats the purpose. The bar should go straight down the body, staying as close to the lifter or athlete as possible, until the hamstrings stop downward motion. Athletes will often need different cues to accomplish this, from statements as simple as "push your hips back as far as you can" to as extreme as "put your ass into the air as much as you possibly can until your hamstrings are screaming at you."
With a slight bend in the knee, the athletes should drive their hips back and focus on putting weight through the heels at that bottom position. Just like in the squat, anything you push farther away from your center of gravity is what will take the load, which is why it's important to stay in a neutral position and push the hips back so that the tension and strain is transferred to the glutes and hamstrings. If your hips go back, they take the load; if your knees go forward instead, they take the load. It's important to remember this. Frey also shows two individuals with different ranges of motion and angles of knee bend, pointing out that the bottom position will vary somewhat from athlete to athlete. This isn't a problem as long as they're following the main rules outlined here.
WATCH: Jeremy Frey's 2018 elitefts Sport Performance Summit — Front Squat Tips for Athletes
