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I can't seem to figure it out. I want to put them behind squats for some hamstring and glute work. I already do conventional on a separate day.

I've watched a bunch of video about it, practiced with PVC, but when I actually load a bar, or even an empty barbell I can't feel the hams or glutes activating very much. I feel a stretch in the hamstrings, but it just doesn't seem to be working them. I'm focusing as hard as I can on keeping the arch in the lower back through the whole range of motion and the knees unlocked but not overly bent.

Now if I load up a bar and put it on the floor and do a conventional, I always feel the squeeze at the top of the lift, and my hamstrings and glutes get smoked, I can't replicate the hip hinge starting at the top and going down though.

My first thought is that I'm not using enough weight, but I don't want 200 lbs hanging off my arms with a stop halfway down, I feel like my back would snap in half.

Would I be better off using more weight and doing rack pulls instead? I don't want to hit the back too hard on that day, I want the primary movers to be the glutes and hams.

If I can't get it figured out I might just go back to doing the glute bridge with leg curls on a swiss ball, but you can't really progress that movement much by adding weight.

Any cues I should be focusing on that I'm missing?

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For me more weight is usually the problem. How much are you using, and what do you normally deadlift? You really don't need much weight to get the desired effect. Before doing them try doing some unweighted glute bridges or cable pull throughs just to get the muscle activated and establish a mind muscle connection. Start with light weight and make sure to initiate the movement by sitting your glutes back and not moving much else.

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I'm up to 260 and climbing on the deadlift. Shooting for 3 plates by summer hopefully.

I tried the RDL with 45, 65, 75 and 95, none of them felt right though. I didn't want to load it until I learned it.