Bodybuilding Legend Charles Glass Reveals the One Popular Exercise He Refuses to Do originally appeared on Men’s Fitness.
Bodybuilding legend Charles Glass is not a fan of traditional deadlifts.
In a recent video, the man known as the “Godfather of Bodybuilding” shared why he skips traditional deadlifts in his own training. With more than 40 years of experience coaching elite athletes and celebrities, Glass has strong opinions backed by decades spent in the gym.
“I don’t like to use it because it thickens my waist out,” he says of traditional deadlifts. “I do RDLs.”
According to Glass, RDLs offer better results without the downside of adding bulk to the midsection. He also believes they carry less of an injury risk.
“When you do a deadlift, you’re pulling from here,” he says, as he motions to the ground. “A lot of lower back.”
That lower back stress, especially when paired with bad form—like rounding the spine instead of keeping it neutral—can make traditional deadlifts a recipe for disaster.
Related: Strength Coach: This Workout Plan Makes a Popular Lift 10x Better
He’s not wrong about the injury-causing aspect of traditional deadlifts. The Muscle PhD looked at several studies and injury reports and found that deadlifts typically caused more injuries compared to squats in powerlifters.
Lower back injuries were almost always the second most common site of injury.
“RDLs are so easy to do. I get more out of that than I do deadlifts. Most people do deadlifts wrong,” he says.
Unlike traditional deadlifts, RDLs come primarily from the hips.
To perform RDLs, start by standing tall with a barbell or dumbbells in front of your thighs, feet hip-width apart, and knees slightly bent. Keep your back flat and core engaged, hinge at the hips and slowly lower the weights down the front of your legs.
Push your hips back as if closing a door behind you with your glutes. Your torso should lower while your back stays straight. Go down until you feel a deep stretch in your hamstrings, then drive through your heels to return to standing.
Swap out the traditional deadlifts for RDLs for a few weeks and see how you feel.
Related: ‘Godfather of Bodybuilding’ Charles Glass Swears by This Forgotten Chest Exercise
Bodybuilding Legend Charles Glass Reveals the One Popular Exercise He Refuses to Do first appeared on Men’s Fitness on Aug 11, 2025
This story was originally reported by Men’s Fitness on Aug 11, 2025, where it first appeared.