By Myprotein Writer
Jamie Wykes Hobday
The hamstrings are an essential part of the posterior chain and are comprised of three different muscles;
1) The Semitendinosus
2) The Semimembranosus
3) The Biceps femoris short/long head.
From a functional perspective, the aforementioned muscles flex the knee joint, however all of them except the biceps femoris extend at the hip joint.
Romanian Deadlift Benefits
The following passage will overview the Romanian deadlift or ‘RDL’ as it is commonly referred to.
Before starting an exercise guide on how to perform them, lets briefly look at what benefits we can expect to reap from the exercise itself;
? High Number of Muscles Recruited
Despite targeting the hamstrings, glutes and lower back; the RDL also incorporates the abdominals and traps throughout the movement. The traps on the upwards motion and the abdominals throughout the whole movement in general act as a stabiliser of sorts.
Combining many muscles in one movement will lead to a greater hormone release, CNS stimulation as well as overall calorie burn.
? Contribution to Greater Lifts
The muscles incorporated in the RDL are also largely applied to compound movements such as the Barbell Back Squat, The Deadlift and variations of the both of these. Developing the RDL exercise will also in turn benefit the squat and deadlift.
? Hamstring Focus
Often, during hip extending movements such as the squat, lunge, leg press and front squat, the quads get the majority of the stimulation and as a result - the hamstrings do not. This can result in what is known as a muscular imbalance and can lead to a hamstring tear.
Hamstrings are one of those most commonly injured muscle groups in sport today so for this reason alone, we should train, stimulate and emphasise them sufficiently.
? Daily Functionality
Due to the activation and stabilisation of the hip muscles during the RDL, day-to-day activities that heavily involve the hip joint such as walking, running and skipping are all made far more easy and facilitated.
The focus on the hip hinge is certainly one advantage that the RDL carries over the conventional deadlift; the hip hinge is essential not only for daily functionality but also athletic performance and therefore should be considered by any athletes of any level.
