How to Feel More Glutes in Your RDLs

If your RDLs feel like nothing but hamstrings and low back, you’re probably not broken — your setup is just missing the point.

RDLs are supposed to train your hamstrings, so its totally normal to feel those bad boys... but they should also load your glutes through a strong hip hinge.

The problem is, a lot of people turn them into a “bend over and stand up” movement instead of actually pushing the hips back, controlling the weight, and creating tension where they want it.

RDLs are one of the best exercises for building your glutes and hamstrings, but only if you are actually hinging correctly.

If you feel them mostly in your lower back, or you never feel your glutes no matter how hard you try, there is a good chance something in your setup or execution is probably shifting tension away from where you want it.

Small changes in your setup can completely change where the tension goes.

Let’s break down what may be going wrong and how to fix it.

First, What Is an RDL Actually Training?

An RDL is a hip hinge movement. That means the main action is your hips moving back, like they're trying to tap a wall behind you, and your torso follows the movement, like a door on a hinge. Then your glutes and hamstrings working to bring your hips forward again.

You are not trying to “reach the weights to the floor.”

You are not trying to touch your toes.

You are trying to create tension through the back of your legs and glutes by pushing your hips back with control. Then using those muscles to drive the hips back forward.

That small difference in how you think about the movement can completely change where you feel it.

Here's my complete form video that walks through the set up & execution for a more glute dominant RDL ⬇️

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEqnCuQ3xQ8

And, as promised, here are the most common mistakes I see that lead to less glute engagament in an RDL!

Mistake 1: Letting the Weights Drift Away From Your Body

If your dumbbells or barbell start drifting too far away from your legs, your lower back usually has to work harder to keep the weight under control.

That can turn your RDL into more of a low-back exercise than a glute and hamstring movement. Instead, keep the weight close to your body the entire time.

A cue I love is:

Think about shaving your legs with the barbell as you hinge down.

The closer the weight stays to your legs, the easier it is to keep tension where you actually want it. The glutes!

Mistake 2: Not Pushing Your Hips Back Enough

RDLs are a hip hinge, not a toe touch. If your main thought is “get the weights lower,” chances are good you'll end up bending forward from the waist without actually loading your hips well.

Instead of thinking: ❌ “Reach the weights down”

Think: ✅ “Push my hips back until I feel a stretch”

That stretch through the hamstrings and glutes is the signal that you are loading the movement correctly.

You should feel like your hips are moving behind you to tap a wall behind you, and your torso is just following, not like your torso is just collapsing forward.

Mistake 3: Going Too Low

More range of motion is not always better.

Once your hips stop moving back, going lower usually means something else has to compensate. For a lot of people, that means the low back starts taking over.

Your stopping point should be where you feel a strong stretch in your glutes and hamstrings while still keeping control of your torso and spine position.

For some people, that may be mid-shin. For others, it may be slightly higher.

You do not need to force the weights to the floor to make the exercise effective.

Mistake 4: Rushing the Movement

RDLs are not meant to be bounced. If you rush the lowering phase, you miss the entire point of the exercise: creating tension through the hinge.

Control the way down.

Pause briefly in the stretched position.

Then squeeze your glutes and drive your hips forward to stand tall.

The rep should feel intentional, not like you are swinging the weight down and yanking yourself back up.

Quick Form Checklist for Better Glute Engagement

If you want to feel more glutes in your RDLs, focus on these cues:

✅ Keep the weights close to your legs

✅ Push your hips back, not just your chest down

✅ Keep a slight bend in the knees

✅ Stop when you feel the stretch

✅ Keep your ribs stacked over your hips

✅ Control the lowering phase

✅ Drive your hips forward to finish the rep

And remember: feeling your hamstrings is normal. The goal is not to remove your hamstrings from the movement.

The goal is to stop your setup from shifting all the tension into your low back or making the movement feel disconnected from your glutes.

The Bottom Line

If you are not feeling your glutes in RDLs, you probably do not need a totally different exercise. You likely need better execution.

Keep the weight close, hinge from your hips, stop forcing extra depth, and slow the movement down. Those small changes can make a huge difference in how the exercise feels and how effective it is.

And if you’re still not sure what’s off, that’s exactly what I help my clients with. ☺️

I review form for all my clients and teach them how to actually feel the muscles they are trying to grow, so their workouts are not just hard — they are productive.

💡 If you don’t want to figure out all of this on your own, coaching can help. I offer custom 1:1 coaching plans tailored to your goals, or a budget-friendly group coaching program that gives you structure, accountability, and support.

Both options are designed to take the guesswork out of training and nutrition to help you build a strong, confident body in a way that’s sustainable.

👉🏼 Click here to learn more and see which option fits best for you!