RDLs - put the bar on the ground?

[BjsAust]

Assuming you have the flexibility to do so, when doing RDLs should you rest the bar on the ground between reps like a normal DL, or is part of the point of the exercise to maintain it up and down without breaking?

[bigDman]

No you want to keep the stretch in the hammies.

[Frank.S]

I would consider that more of a stiff leg deadlift.

Are you keeping your back neutral ? if so most people dont have the flexibility to go that much further down on them. I dont do RDLs all that much, but when I do them I usually find myself doing them do a bit below my knee and really feeling the stretch. Unfortunatley my back fatigues a fair amount before my hamstrings (although, the NEXT day, my hamstrings are real sore) mind you last time i did rdls i think it was 405 x 20.

There was a pretty good article on t-rag a little while ago by mike robertson i think on 'the perfect rdl' and it was great. Cant find it actually.. but here it is on another forum:
Perfect Romanian Deadlift

[BjsAust]

Thanks Frank!

I dunno, I've never really done them before and I'm lifting at home. I went with neutral back, slightly bent knees that I dont bend/straighten, and push the hips back as I go down. With that rough guideline I could lift the bar off the floor with that form and doing reps go down to where the weights were only and inch or two off the floor each rep. I figured if I really concentrated on form I could go to the floor each rep if that was beneficial. I also wasnt going very heavy since it was my first real go at them and was the last part of a 3 exercise superset.

I seem to have fairly good flexibility, in fact even doing normal deadlifts I can tend to start using very high hips/minimal knee bend as I get warmed up if I dont specifically make an effort to get down lower.

Some reps felt better than others though, I'll go through that article and work out what if anything I should be doing differently.

[BjsAust]

Hmm, looking at that article I probably need to concentrate a little on keeping my chest up, but a lot on making the movement about pushing my hips back and pulling them back foward again. I would push the hips back a bit, but then bend foward from the hips. Even just standing next to my PC practising the movement with no bar I feel a greater stretch through my hammies.

[karky]

There are usually sevral ways you can do lifts. RDLs, you can do off ground, off blocks, from the top and don't set down on the ground. You can vary how much knee bend, etc, etc. I do them all.

[judoka]

Here's the article that Frank was talking about:
TESTOSTERONE NATION