Unlocking the Powerhouse: A Guide to Glute Strengthening with Deadlifts and RDLs

October 1, 2023

by Cathe Friedrich

For building raw strength and sculpting glutes of steel, two exercises stand out: the deadlift and the Romanian deadlift (RDL). These exercises build more than strength; they are about enhancing your power, refining your technique, and harnessing the full potential of your gluteal muscles. Let’s take a closer look at how these exercises can jumpstart gluteal strength gains and build a shapelier backside.

The Powerhouse of the Core: Glutes Unveiled

Before we dive into the nuances of these exercises, let’s get acquainted with the star of the show – the gluteal complex. Comprising the gluteus maximus, medius, and minimus, these muscles are the chief architects of hip and leg motion. In essence, they’re the powerhouse of your core.

The glutes orchestrate a symphony of movements: extending the hips in the sagittal plane, abducting the hips in the frontal plane, and externally rotating the hips in the transverse plane. Any exercise that involves these motions becomes a golden ticket to strengthening these vital muscles. This includes the deadlift, and a variation called the Romanian deadlift.

The Clash of Titans: Romanian Deadlift vs. Deadlift

Now, let’s unravel the distinctions between the deadlift and the Romanian deadlift. At their core, both exercises help maintain a stable spine throughout the range of motion while engaging the glutes and upper legs. The primary difference lies in how you execute the two movements.

The standard deadlift starts with lifting the weight off the floor and lowering it back down onto the floor with each repetition, while the RDL begins with the weight positioned in front of the hips. Therefore, you don’t start from the ground with each repetition, and the barbell remains close to your body throughout the exercise.

Because you start with the weight on the ground, you get a fuller range of motion when you do a standard deadlift. In contrast, you focus more on the hip hinge with a Romanian deadlift. For this reason, the Romanian deadlift hits your hamstrings and glutes harder while a standard deadlift emphasizes your quads and back more. The focused emphasis on the posterior chain makes RDLs an excellent choice for glute and hamstring strengthening.

Another difference is you can usually lift more weight with a standard deadlift than with a Romanian deadlift. The reason? You engage more muscles in the quadriceps and back, along with the glutes and hamstrings. This broader muscle engagement gives you more lifting power. Plus, you lift from the ground when you do a standard deadlift. This approach creates more stability, which allows you to lift heavier.

The common thread that binds them is they both emphasize the core muscles that move and stabilize the spine. Plus, both are compound exercises that work multiple muscle groups and build functional strength.

Which is Better for Building Strong Glutes?

Since the Romanian deadlift targets your glutes and hamstrings more than a standard deadlift, it offers an advantage for glute development. However, that doesn’t mean standard deadlifts shouldn’t be in your strength training. They’re superior at building functional strength. They engage a broader range of muscles, giving them the ability to build balanced strength.

Beyond the Surface: A Deeper Dive

To understand the significance of these exercises, let’s contrast them with the squat. While squats combine hip and knee movements, the deadlift and RDL focus primarily on the ilio-femoral joints of the hips. This unique feature highlights their role in strengthening the glutes and deep spinal stabilizers.

It’s noteworthy that the deadlift and RDL can also improve your grip strength. When you have a stronger grip, you can hold on to the bar tighter and lower your risk of injury. Plus, having a strong grip means you can control heavier weights. Plus, both exercises are calorie burners because they work multiple muscle groups at the same time.

The Barbell Deadlift: Power Unleashed

The barbell deadlift is a cornerstone of competitive powerlifting, making it possible for individuals to lift astonishing weights but you don’t have to be a heavy-lifting enthusiast to reap the rewards of this exercise.

The benefits you get from the barbell deadlift include:

Strengthening the glutes and spinal stabilizers
Developing adductor and hamstring muscles
Reducing the risk of lower back injuries
Enhancing grip and forearm strength
Improving the ability to handle heavy objects in daily life
Burning a substantial number of calories through full-body activation

The Romanian Deadlift: The Graceful Warrior

When you do it correctly, the RDL strengthens both your core and your lower body in one fluid motion. Unlike exercises that place shearing forces on the knees, the RDL directs the workload to the posterior leg muscles, ensuring a safer and more effective workout.

Form Is Key: How to Perform These Exercises

Barbell Deadlift

Stand with feet hip-width apart, shins touching the barbell.
Grip the bar tightly with palms-down (pronated) hands.
Keep shins vertical and spine straight as you hinge at the hips.
Push through the floor, extending hips and knees to lift the bar.
Maintain a straight spine throughout the lift.
Lower the barbell to the ground by pushing your hips back first, and bending your knees. Maintain control.
Return to the starting position by raising your body back up.

Romanian Deadlift (RDL)

Grasp a barbell with a palms-down grip, shoulder-width apart.
Maintain a slight knee bend, feet hip-width apart.
Hinge at the hips while keeping your spine straight.
Lower the bar along your thighs, maintaining a straight spine and slightly bent knees. Lower until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings
Return to the upright position by pushing your feet into the floor and sliding your knees backward.

Master the Art of Strength

To sum it up, the standard, or barbell deadlift, and the Romanian deadlift differ in their starting position, range of motion, and the number of muscle groups each exercise works. The barbell deadlift starts from the ground and involves full hip and knee extension, while the Romanian deadlift begins with the bar at hip level. Therefore, the Romanian deadlift focuses on the hip hinge with a partial range of motion. Both exercises are valuable for building strength but serve slightly different purposes in a training program.

They’re both indispensable exercises for sculpting a powerful, resilient physique. They engage not only your glutes but also a multitude of stabilizing muscles, ensuring a comprehensive workout. Both have their benefits, but the Romanian deadlift has a slight edge when it comes to building glute strength.

Conclusion

Both exercises are vital components of a well-rounded fitness routine. They offer a pathway not only to robust glutes but also to a resilient physique overall. So, whether you favor the standard deadlift’s all-encompassing strength or the Romanian deadlift’s precise focus on glute development, embrace the challenge, perfect your technique, and relish in the transformative power these exercises can bring to your body. Your glutes will extend their gratitude, and newfound strength will become your loyal companion on your fitness journey. Your glutes will thank you, and so will your newfound strength.

References:

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Camara KD, Coburn JW, Dunnick DD, Brown LE, Galpin AJ, Costa PB. An Examination of Muscle Activation and Power Characteristics While Performing the Deadlift Exercise With Straight and Hexagonal Barbells. J Strength Cond Res. 2016 May;30(5):1183-8. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000001352. PMID: 26840440.
“What is the difference between Romanian Deadlift vs Deadlift?.” 05 Oct. 2021, https://www.acefitness.org/resources/pros/expert-articles/7963/what-is-the-difference-between-romanian-deadlift-vs-deadlift/.
“Deadlift vs. Romanian Deadlift: Benefits of Each and How to Do – Healthline.” 06 Sept. 2019, https://www.healthline.com/health/romanian-deadlift-vs-deadlift.