“Why do we do so many RDLs?” This
is a question that the UCSD Strength Staff hears too often. Many responses can
be developed for such a great question. But first, what is an RDL? RDL is an
acronym for Romanian deadlift, which is a major hip strength movement that
helps develop strength in the entire posterior chain. There is almost always a
noticeable imbalance between the posterior and anterior chain muscles usually
brought about from training, as the focus is on the muscles one can see in the
mirror.
It is well known for peak athletic
performance, the muscles in the posterior chain, namely the gluteal and the
hamstring muscles, need to be strong. In addition and equally important, a
strong posterior chain is key for injury prevention, especially in female
athletes, as a weak posterior chain is the main cause for most injuries. For instance,
studies show that hamstring activity is high in maximal sprinting and jumping movements.
This elucidates the prevalence of hamstring strains during sprinting and jumping
movements in athletes with less than sufficient posterior chain strength. Coaches
and therapists attribute hamstring strains to two main causes. The first and
obvious cause is insufficient hamstring strength. Usually, weak hamstrings that
are unable to counterbalance the quadricep’s strength during movements will
experience greater strain forces during maximal exertion. The second, less
obvious, cause is insufficient strength in the gluteus maximus causing the hamstrings
to overcompensate for the lack of force from the hip. Both causes increase the
likelihood of a hamstring strain or tear. Therefore, RDLs should be utilized to
increase hamstring and gluteus maximus strength to allow the athlete to both improve
athletic movements and decrease the likelihood of a hamstring injury.
On a similar note, sufficient
posterior chain strength and function can prevent common, nagging or
season-ending injuries like knee and back injuries. This can be useful for
female athletes as they experience a 4 to 6 fold higher ACL injury rate. Studies
show that females are less able to resist hip and knee internal rotation during
athletic movement, the main mechanism for an ACL injury. In a lateral cutting study,
females encountered more hip and knee internal rotation forces during cutting
drills than males. Similarly, in a jump and landing study, female athletes experienced
significantly greater hip internal rotation displacement for both single leg
and single leg hop as compared with males. In both studies, researchers
contributed the internal rotation to weak gluteus muscles, which are strong
external rotators of the hip. In addition, contributing to the greater
incidence of ACL injury in females over males is joint laxity. Females often exhibit
more joint laxity in the knee than males. Greater joint laxity in the knee
causes instability during movement, increasing stresses on the ligaments.
Hamstring strengthening has been shown to decrease knee laxity and increase the
ability to resist internal rotation at the knee. Thusly, RDLs can help reduce the prevalence
of ACL injuries in female athletes.
As we
can see, gluteal and hamstring muscle strength is important for optimal and
safe athletic movement. Improving hamstring and gluteus maximus strength can
improve athletic performance and prevent injuries that can sideline an athlete.
So that’s why we do RDLs, and you should too!
