@WSWayland ↔ @lahti_johan ↔ @spikesonly conversation
Coach Wayland | Performance Expert | Craftsman@WSWayland
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Oct 23, 2025
~2 min read
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Coach Wayland | Performance Expert | Craftsman@WSWayland
Thoughts on RDL v Nordics. Given equal morphological outcomes and RDLs’ superior scalability, RDLs are likely the better choice for most athletes training the BF, especially for hypertrophy and strength. They allow precise load manipulation, target the BF long head effectively, and integrate seamlessly into broader programs.
Nordics remain valuable for eccentric strength and injury prevention (e.g., reducing hamstring strain risk in sprinters), but their scalability is limited, and they’re harder to program for progressive overload.
Nordics remain valuable for eccentric strength and injury prevention (e.g., reducing hamstring strain risk in sprinters), but their scalability is limited, and they’re harder to program for progressive overload.
Johan Lahti, PhD@lahti_johan
I dont know why you keep on ignoring that short head with this argument 😅 Ross et al study further confirms this logic, rdl had less transfer to max velocity, which makes a lot of sense if the issue is an mechanical advantage in the short head and semitendinosus. But its seems youve made up your mind
Coach Wayland | Performance Expert | Craftsman@WSWayland
Because the shorthead arguement is reductive and structural. With all due respect, I'm going to remain skeptical a six week study unless I see how the RDL was taught and at what ratio to BW the loading was.
NHE is always near maximal so outcomes will be rapid over a short period, relative loading on an RDL particularly in a population like soccer players is always going to be under whelming.
Compartively it does'nt make sense. NHE is used as singular targeted intervention, RDL/Hinge a holistic long term movement pattern with far more second order effects.
Nordics may edge for joint specific eccentric strength and injury prevention sure, but RDLs match them in scalability for hypertrophy, load progression, and integration into programs. And variety, without even getting into the potential of staggered variations. Both exercises activate the semitendinosus similarly, which shoots the claim of Nordics' exclusive superiority there.
Ultimately, your argument overemphasizes the BFsh while undervaluing RDLs' proven benefits for the BFlh and sprint metrics.
What im argueing for is less short interventions focused on hamstring "Fixes" which seem to be norm for field sports right now and actually put time into mastering the hinge pattern, at load, frequency and intensity. I'm asking folks to think less like a sports scientist and more like a coach.
NHE is always near maximal so outcomes will be rapid over a short period, relative loading on an RDL particularly in a population like soccer players is always going to be under whelming.
Compartively it does'nt make sense. NHE is used as singular targeted intervention, RDL/Hinge a holistic long term movement pattern with far more second order effects.
Nordics may edge for joint specific eccentric strength and injury prevention sure, but RDLs match them in scalability for hypertrophy, load progression, and integration into programs. And variety, without even getting into the potential of staggered variations. Both exercises activate the semitendinosus similarly, which shoots the claim of Nordics' exclusive superiority there.
Ultimately, your argument overemphasizes the BFsh while undervaluing RDLs' proven benefits for the BFlh and sprint metrics.
What im argueing for is less short interventions focused on hamstring "Fixes" which seem to be norm for field sports right now and actually put time into mastering the hinge pattern, at load, frequency and intensity. I'm asking folks to think less like a sports scientist and more like a coach.
Sprint Science@spikesonly
Johan, we have access to the same research; the issue is that you don't have access to all of the collective experience of other coaches.
I have fought for the biological science for sprinting, and now sadly, I am pushing for understanding marginal analysis and design logic.
I have fought for the biological science for sprinting, and now sadly, I am pushing for understanding marginal analysis and design logic.
