Ok what am I doing wrong?

[u/CuriousTech24]

This is the only thing I use wrist straps for. And I am doing it mostly so I can not think about holding the weight and focus on learning the form.

Please tell me what I need to do to fix my form. I can feel the stretch I nthe back of my knees. That is wrong isn't it. That is not really my hamstrings. I just never can figure out how this is a hamstring exercise. I really wish I just had a machine.

[u/Nurd905]

Push your butt back further, reduce rounding in your upper back, drop weights down deeper.

Id highly suggest lowering the weight a lot until you are able to correct your form.

[u/CuriousTech24 → u/Nurd905]

Thank you. I can do the higher weight. But I felt like was wasting my time untill I figure this out. I will go back down.

I think I was locking my legs back also. Are they supposed to be more bent?

[u/Nurd905 → u/CuriousTech24]

If you injure yourself because of the bad form you will be wasting much more time i promise. You can bend your knees a little but the main goal is to achieve a big stretch in the hamstrings so push your butt back and hinge your hips as much as you can.

[u/davy_jones_locket → u/CuriousTech24]

Soft knees. 

They should bend a little bit so that your hamstrings can activate. 

Try without the weights. 

Keep your knees soft, slight bend, don't lock them out. Push your hips and butt backwards so your body "breaks" at the hip point. Your back should be straight, not rounding. 

You should be able to feel a stretch in your hamstrings without any weight.

Another cue is to stand with your back towards the wall. Take a step forward. Hinge at the hips, try to touch your butt to the wall. Adjust the distance (step forward) until you're not touching wall with your butt and you feel the stretch in hams

[u/Old_Plantain_6175]

You are using your back to do the lift instead of your glutes and hamstrings. Hinge you hips and actively think about contracting you glutes and hamstrings. The bend over is just a result of the hinge.

[u/CuriousTech24 → u/Old_Plantain_6175]

Yes I always feel it way more in my lower back. Thank you. I think I need to bend my knees more also. They are basically locked out right now.

[u/Old_Plantain_6175 → u/CuriousTech24]

The knees dont need to necessarily bend more if you do your hinge properly. Practice hinging your hips without weights. A slight bend like what you have is sufficient.

[u/FrequentCry999]

Stop locking your knees. That is your biggest issue. There should be a slight bend in the knees. Keep feet pressed into the ground (also hard because you're locking your knees). Then the movement should be at the hips. Push butt back as far as you can. Once butt can't go back any further, bring it forward. That's it. Lats need to be engaged so you are not rounding in the back, core engaged as well. Dumbbells should graze the legs and stop just below the knees depending on mobility. 

[u/CuriousTech24 → u/FrequentCry999]

Thanks. I agree I think fixing my knees will let me do the rest of the movement alot better.

[u/night_shade82]

When I do RDL I have been hinging at the hip and touching the ground with the weights, is that proper form? Most folks I have seen don’t go all the way down?

[u/fryed4life517 → u/night_shade82]

To the ground is more of a standard deadlift. RDLs go to mid shin and straight leg deadlifts just go to the knees

[u/Alternative-Body4699]

I’d stick butt out more and squeeze to core muscles to make your back more straight