Charles Glass has cut out deadlifts and prefers a different alternative!
Bodybuilding legend Charles Glass has spent many years working on his own fitness while helping others create the best version of themselves as well. During a recent workout, Glass was asked his opinion on one of the most popular exercises in the gym — deadlifts.
Glass shared that he cut deadlifts out of his routine a long time ago in favor of Romanian Deadlifts.
“”I don’t like to use it because it thickens my waist. I’ll do RDLs. Why? Because RDLs come from here. Pull it.”
[RELATED: Charles Glass’ Top 5 Ab Exercises to Build Shredded Midsection]
The “Godfather of Bodybuilding” has over 35 years of coaching experience and has trained some of the biggest names in the bodybuilding world, including Flex Wheeler and Dexter Jackson. He’s known for his meticulous training approach to transform physiques and bring out their fullest potential.
Glass explained that when you perform a deadlift, it strains the lower back and brings on a greater risk of injury. This is why he is in favor of RDLs and how easy they are to perform.
“You do a deadlift, you pull it from here. It’s a lot of lower back. I just, RDLs are so easy to do. I get more out of than than I do deadlifts. Most of people do deadlifts wrong. That causes injuries so I try to stay away from it.”
RDL Exercise Steps
If you want to experience all that the Romanian deadlift has to offer, then you’re going to need to know how to do it effectively.
It’s not like a regular deadlift regarding the focus of the movement and like mentioned before, the differences are notable.
So, here’s a quick step by step guide…
- Start with the barbell on the floor or elevated on a power rack. If on a rack, start in a higher position at about mid-thigh level or even slightly higher.
- Grip the bar at a shoulder-width or slightly wider position.
- Arch your back and slightly bend your knees.
- If starting from the floor, stick your butt out and keep your upper legs slightly above parallel to the floor. Now, push through your heels and mid foot while extending the hips until you’re standing straight.
- If starting from the rack, bend your knees slightly and extend your hips upward to lift the weight off the bars until you’re standing straight.
- Slowly lower the bar to mid-calf level by focusing on hip flexion while keeping your back arched.
- Extend through your hips while keeping the pressure of the weight in your heels until you’re standing straight. Your shoulders should be down and back.
- Then, you can repeat this movement as desired for repetitions.
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