Avoid Lower Back Pain in RDLs

Lucy Davis is like our gym big sis — you can always rely on her giving sound advice on health and fitness. 

Recently, Lucy addressed some common Romanian deadlift mistakes that could be causing lower back pain, and how to fix them.  

How to avoid lower back pain when doing an RDL 

According to Lucy, there are two common mistakes that people make when completing RDLs, and avoiding these mistakes can help reduce your risk of lower back pain. 

1. Believing the bar and weights need to touch the floor

It’s a common misconception that the bar and weights need to touch the floor during the RDL movement. This can cause your back to go into an awkward, humped position.  

Instead, Lucy recommends focusing on hinging at the hips and achieving a full hamstring stretch, which means keeping the bar just below the knees. 

 2. Over-squeezing

The second most common mistake Lucy sees is over-squeezing the back at the top of the movement. This causes a backward lean that puts a lot of pressure on your lower back.  

Instead, Lucy suggests tucking your pelvis under at the top of each movement. This will help ensure you’re hitting your glutes and not putting unnecessary strain on your lower back. 

Take Home Message  

Next time you're hitting leg day, apply Lucy's tips to perform an RDL without putting unnecessary strain on your lower back.  

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