Goodmornings vs RDL vs SLDL

One of the most common questions I get on my forum over at StartingStrength.com is something along the lines of:

“I want to build up my hamstrings and lower back to help with my deadlift.  But I’m confused about which assistance exercise to use? Goodmornings, Romanian Deadlifts?  Stiff Leg Deadlifts?  They all seem kinda the same?  Is there any reason to use one over the other?”

To be clear, there is never one right answer.  As in most cases, the correct answer is “it depends.”  But before we get into when or why to use each one of these, let’s get our definitions straight so we are all on the same page.

Goodmornings

For most people reading this post, they will at least be somewhat familiar with the mechanics of a goodmorning.  Bar on the back like a squat, push the hips back and allow the torso to travel forward until the torso is roughly parallel with the floor.  In this position the barbell will be a good deal forward of the middle of the foot, so the goodmorning forces the posterior chain to work through a range of motion where leverage is the least favorable (compared to RDLs or SLDLs).  It also forces the hamstrings to work through the longest range of motion.  Because of this, the goodmorning probably creates the most amount of hamstring soreness at equivalent volumes and intensities.  While soreness is not everything, it’s probably our best indicator of which muscles groups are receiving the most stress from our assistance exercises.  Goodmornings will also use significantly less weight than the other two deadlift variants.  An important point to remember later.

Stiff Leg Deadlifts (SLDLs) vs Romanian Deadlifts (RDLs)

The difference between these two exercises probably creates the most confusion for strength trainees.  Often the names are used interchangeably, but there are some important distinctions to be made even though the basic mechanics are almost identical.

The most important distinction between the two exercises is where the movement begins.  The SLDL begins on the floor, from a deadstop, just like a regular deadlift.  Ideally, each rep is paused on the floor and completely deloaded between reps, again, just like a regular deadlift.

RDLs begin from the hang position – ie. from the top.  Generally the bar is taken out of a rack or off a pair of stands about thigh height.  The rep begins when the bar is eccentrically lowered and the lifter will take full advantage of the stretch reflex between reps.  This can mean stopping at some point around the knees or midshin and coming back up, or even doing a very light touch and go off of the floor (not a bounce).  For this reason, RDLs can generally be done with the most weight at equivalent volumes and intensities.  Originally, RDLs were done in the Olympic lifting community to strengthen the second pull. So most of the time, the weight was lowered to about knee height only.  This is perfectly acceptable, but it is common to take the weight down further for increased ROM.  In fact, it is common in both the RDL and SLDL to stand on a small elevated platform of 2-4 inches for increased range of motion and to make the mechanics even more difficult.

So which one to use and why?  –  How I program them for my clients.

So if I have made the determination that one of my coaching clients might benefit from one of these exercises, I look at a couple of things:

First, where in the structure of their program will this exercise go?  Generally my clients are on programs for 2, 3, or 4 days per week, and exercises may be arranged in a myriad of different ways.  I am usually working with time constraints on how long an individual workout can last, and if I am working with a private client in my studio, there are often logistical considerations that are made in the interest of time.  Second I ask, “Am I looking to ADD stress or REDUCE stress on a particular client?”

If I want to add stress to a client’s routine, then I will often add in 1-3 back off sets directly following his heavy deadlift sets.  My preference is to use an SLDL.  We simply strip some weight off the bar and go right into the back off sets.  It’s quick and easy.

An alternate way to add stress/volume to his pulling program is to place one of these exercises on an alternate day of the week.  Perhaps our lifter has a heavy squat day on Tuesday and a heavy deadlift day on Friday.  In this scenario we would add in one of these movements after squats.  For me, the choice would almost always be goodmornings.  Again, quick and easy is always a winner.  Simply strip some weights off the bar and you are ready to go.  No additional set up, no change of location.  Time saved.  Goodmornings also make a good choice here because they are, by nature, lighter.  A strong lifter may have a very difficult time pulling heavy RDLs or SLDLs on Tuesday and then trying to pull heavy from the floor again later in the week.  Goodmornings don’t take quite the same toll on a lifters recovery capacity, but still deliver a powerful stimulus to the hamstrings.

If I am l looking at reducing the stress on a lifter, then I may look at substituting one of these lifts in place of the deadlift on a given week.  All these exercises can be used as a means of “deloading” from constant heavy pulling.  But generally my exercise of choice is an RDL.  The use of the stretch reflex makes the exercise a little easier to recover from than the SLDL (even at heavier loads) and often times the reason for taking the lighter week is to reduce stress on a client’s low back.  I also feel that RDLs are a little bit safer.  Violently breaking the weight off the floor without the use of the quads is a risky proposition for the hamstrings – especially for an older lifter.  Eccentrically lowering into that deep stretch with an RDL reduces the chance of a pull or strain.