06/07/2026
The deadlift is not a leg exercise.
The hip hinge is a total body movement. Your posterior chain, core, grip, and upper back are all working at once. That level of demand means your nervous system fatigues just as much as your muscles do.
Here's how I program it:
Deadlift: 3–5 reps, 3–4 sets, 2–3 min rest. Lower reps keep quality high and let you load heavier without form breaking down. This is only after someone can demonstrate safe loading in the higher rep range with lighter loads.
RDL: 6–10 reps, 3–4 sets, 2–3 min rest. You can accumulate time under tension here without the same technical risk.
Rest is non-negotiable on both. Cutting it short doesn't make you tougher, it just makes your next set worse.
Program your hinge pattern with the same intention you'd give any skill-based movement — because that's exactly what it is.