A QUICK WORKOUT TARGETING YOUR POSTERIOR CHAIN

1. Bent-Over Rows to work the muscles of the back — lats, rhomboids, traps, erectors

2. Romanian Deadlifts (RDLs) to work the muscles of the hips and legs — hamstrings, glutes, erectors

Though there are only two exercises, if you train these movements hard enough, you have the formula for a very effective workout. 

Bent Over Rows (Key Points) 

1. Grip: All row variations will work the muscles of your back. How you grip the bar will determine which muscles are emphasized. An overhand grip will emphasize the muscles of the upper back (traps, rhomboids, etc.). An underhand grip will emphasize the lats more (since one of the functions of the lats is external rotation, this grip naturally engages the lats more). A close grip, with either hand position, tends to recruit the outside part of the back more, whereas a wide grip tends to favor the inner parts of the back.
2. Body Position: Unrack the bar and step back. To begin, hinge at your hips by pushing your buttocks back toward an imaginary wall, keeping your back straight. Tighten your core and keep it tight throughout. This setup ensures that your lower back is protected and poised to handle the weight.
3. Execution: After hinging, extend your arms down as straight as they go and let your upper back get as much stretch at the bottom as you can without letting your lower back round. As you row the weight, lift your chest up and arch your upper back. Hold each rep at the top of the contraction for a beat before slowly lowering to the stretch position. Rowing to the belly button or higher will emphasize your upper back and rowing into the crease of your hips will emphasize your lats more. For bodybuilding purposes, minimize the amount of leg movement involved in the rowing action; for improving your deadlift, adding a little leg movement and momentum is acceptable. 
1. TIP: Shorter lifters might need to stand on blocks to get as much range of motion as possible without the plates hitting the floor

History of Romanian Deadlift (RDL) and How to Execute 

The Romanian Deadlift (RDL) is a popular exercise used to target the hamstrings and glutes in a more direct way than traditional deadlifts from the floor. They got their name after a Romanian Olympic Weightlifter, Nicu Vlad, was seen doing them. Their original intent was to strengthen the “second pull” portion of a clean, but have served many lifters as a powerful tool to strengthen their hinge movements. 

A Romanian Deadlift and Stiff Leg Deadlift are sometimes confused by lifters as being the same lift. They differ in quite a few ways, however. A stiff leg deadlift places much more work on the lower back muscles and has a greater range of motion. The RDL minimizes low back involvement by keeping a powerful arch through the back and aims to maximize hamstring and glute recruitment by sitting as far back, “hinging,” as possible. By the nature of the movement, your knees can and will bend to facilitate sitting back in the RDL, whereas you should strive to keep your legs as straight as possible in the stiff leg deadlift. 

Romanian deadlifts will have a shorter range of motion, often stopping at or slightly below the knee. The goal of this movement is the hinge and contraction in the hamstrings, too much range of motion means that you have lost your back arch and tension is shifting away from the hamstrings/glutes to the lumbar muscles. 

RDLs (Key Points)

1. Stance: Stand with your feet hip-width apart and toes pointing out about 10 degrees. This will help recruit your glutes and give your pelvis room to hinge back.
2. Posture: Keep your back arched and chest up throughout the exercise. Avoid rounding your back, as this changes the exercise and can lead to injury. Keep your core braced throughout the movement.
3. Movement: 
1. Initiate the movement bybending your knees slightly and pushing your hips back as if you are trying to touch your glutes to the wall.
2. As you lower the barbell, it should be in light contact with your thighs. Avoid letting the bar drift away from your body. This will help with control during the movement and prevent unnecessary stress on your lower back.
3. The lowering phase of the Romanian Deadlift is where you will feel the most tension in your hamstrings. The bar should ideally lower only as a result of the sitting back movement so move slowly and under control. Range of motion is of little concern with this exercise – don’t lower the bar simply to lower the bar.
4. Flex:  As you reach the full extent of your hinge, squeeze your glutes and push your hips through hard at the top. This resembles a kettlebell swing and the RDL lockout should attempt to be similarly explosive.
   

Remember that the RDL is about a powerful hinge and contraction of the hamstrings. Start light and focus on those two goals before loading.

For a great warm-up prior to RDLs, watch this video.

Watch Janelle's video in YouTube