Empty Bar RDL

The Empty Bar RDL is a light Romanian deadlift used in warm-ups and cool-downs. It trains the hip hinge pattern and builds control through the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back.

Stand with your feet about hip-width apart and hold an empty barbell, dowel, or similar light stick in front of your thighs with straight arms. Keep your chest tall, your spine neutral, a slight bend in your knees, and your weight balanced through the middle of each foot. If you have no bar, place your hands where the bar would be.

Push your hips straight back and slide the bar down the front of your thighs. Lower only as far as you can while keeping your back flat and your knees at the same slight bend. When you feel a stretch in your hamstrings, drive your hips forward to stand tall and squeeze your glutes at the top.

Take a breath in and brace your core before you hinge, then exhale as you return to standing. To make it easier, use a PVC pipe or no weight and reduce your range of motion. To make it harder, slow down the lowering portion or pause for a second at the bottom.

Fault: Your lower back rounds as you lower down. Fix: Keep your chest tall and ribs down; imagine a straight line from your hips to your shoulders throughout the movement.

Fault: You bend your knees too much and turn the RDL into a squat. Fix: Hold a soft knee bend, then push your hips back so your shins stay roughly vertical.

Fault: The bar drifts out in front of your thighs. Fix: Keep the bar sliding close to your legs; your arms are just ropes holding it in place.

Fault: You over-arch your neck to look up. Fix: Keep your head in a neutral position and look a few feet in front of you on the floor.