How To Make Your RDLs Glute Focused (And Stop Feeling Them In Your Back)

Glute training tips for women

If you are doing Romanian deadlifts and feeling everything in your lower back instead of your glutes, you are not alone. RDLs are one of the most effective exercises for glute growth, but most women never learn how to hinge correctly or how to activate their glutes during the movement.

This guide walks you through how to perform a glute focused RDL, how to stop feeling RDLs in your back, and how to improve your form for better strength and muscle results. These are the exact coaching cues we use at Pretty in Pink Fitness, Central Florida’s only women only strength training gym.

What Is a Glute Focused RDL

A simple breakdown for women training for strength and shape

A Romanian deadlift is a hinge based movement that targets the posterior chain. When performed correctly, it builds strong glutes, hamstrings, and core stability. A glute focused RDL shifts more of the work into the glutes through intentional alignment, tension, and range of motion adjustments.

Many women feel RDLs in their back because they are not maintaining tension, losing alignment, or hinging farther than their mobility allows. Fixing these common mistakes helps you feel the burn in your glutes instead of your low back.

Why You Feel RDLs In Your Back

Common form mistakes women make during deadlifts

Women often report lower back pain or discomfort during RDLs for reasons like:

1. Losing tension at the bottom of the rep.
When the core disengages, the low back compensates.

2. Rounding the upper back.
This pulls the weight away from your body and overloads your spine.

3. Pushing the hips back too far.
Only hinge within a range you can control. More range is not always better.

4. Letting the bar or dumbbells drift away from your body.
The farther the load moves from you, the more your back takes over.

If you struggle with any of these issues, you are not doing the movement wrong. You simply need better guidance and coaching cues, which is exactly what we teach in our semi private and one on one training sessions in Casselberry.

How To Fix Your RDL Form and Make It Glute Dominant

Coaching cues to activate your glutes during RDLs

Try these form corrections to make your RDLs glute focused:

1. Keep ribs stacked over hips.
This helps your core brace and protects your spine.

2. Maintain a proud chest.
Shoulders stay down and back to keep tension in your upper back.

3. Keep the weight close to your legs.
Lightly graze your thighs on the way down.

4. Only hinge as far as you can maintain control.
Stop where your glutes catch tension, not where you feel a stretch.

5. Slow down your reps.
Intentional time under tension leads to better glute activation.

These cues help women feel their glutes light up within a single session. If your goal is glute growth, strength training with proper form is non negotiable.

Glute Focus vs. Hamstring Focus When Doing RDLs

Which variation should you use during your workout

Many women are unsure whether they should feel the RDL more in their glutes or hamstrings. Both versions have benefits, but the setup determines which muscles work harder.

Glute dominant RDL:
• Soft bend in the knees
• Slightly shorter range of motion
• Hips push back less
• More tension in the upper and mid glutes

Hamstring dominant RDL:
• More knee flexion
• Deeper hinge
• Longer range of motion
• More stretch through hamstrings

If your goal is glute growth, building curves, or improving pelvic stability, prioritize the glute focused variation.

Why B Stance RDLs Are One of the Best Glute Exercises for Women

Improve glute activation and stability instantly

B stance RDLs are one of the most effective ways to make the hinge pattern more glute focused, especially for beginners or women who struggle with balance.

Here is why B stance RDLs work so well:

• Front leg carries about 80 percent of the load
• Back foot acts as a kickstand for stability
• Natural limit in range keeps tension in the glutes
• Helps reduce lower back involvement
• Great for postpartum women regaining strength
• Excellent for improving hip stability and single leg strength

We use B stance RDLs in many of our women’s glute days and lower body strength programs at Pretty in Pink Fitness.

Common RDL Mistakes To Avoid

Fix these for better glute gains and lower back safety

To keep your glutes doing the work, avoid these common mistakes:

• Overextending at the top
• Hyper arching the low back
• Rounding the shoulders
• Rushing your reps
• Chasing depth instead of tension
• Treating the RDL like a stretch instead of a strength lift

Good form builds muscle. Poor form builds frustration.

The Benefits of Glute Focused RDLs for Women

Why every woman should add RDL variations to her workouts

When your RDL technique improves, you will notice:

• Stronger, fuller glutes
• Better lower body strength
• Improved hinge mechanics for everyday life
• Better spine stability and core control
• More carryover into squats, deadlifts, and lunges
• Better posture
• More confidence with heavy lifting

Glute strength is foundational for women at every stage of life, including postpartum, perimenopause, and general strength training.

Train With Us at Pretty in Pink Fitness in Casselberry

Women only strength training with expert form coaching

If you want help mastering your RDL form, learning how to train heavy, or building strong glutes safely, come train with us at Pretty in Pink Fitness. We specialize in strength training for women and offer:

• One on one personal training
• Small group strength training
• Pelvic floor and core informed coaching
• Postpartum safe programming
• Beginner friendly coaching
• A private, supportive women only environment

Your training should make you strong, confident, and capable. We help you do exactly that.

Ready to build powerful glutes and learn how to lift with proper form?
Come find your pink. 💗