Romanian Deadlift

Muscles Worked

How to Perform

1. 1

   Setup: Stand with feet hip-width apart, toes pointing forward. Grip the barbell with an overhand grip just outside your thighs. Start from a standing position with the bar at hip height, not from the floor. Keep your chest proud, shoulders back, and create a slight bend in your knees.

2. 2

   Brace and Hinge: Take a deep breath, brace your core hard, and engage your lats by pulling the bar into your body. Begin the movement by pushing your hips backward while maintaining a neutral spine. Your knees should have a slight bend that remains constant throughout the movement.

3. 3

   Lower the Bar: Continue pushing your hips back and lowering the bar down your thighs. Keep the bar close to your legs throughout the entire descent. Lower until you feel a deep stretch in your hamstrings, typically when the bar reaches mid-shin level. Never round your lower back—stop when you feel the stretch.

4. 4

   Drive Through Hips: Reverse the movement by driving your hips forward explosively. Think about pushing the ground away with your feet and squeezing your glutes hard at the top. The bar should travel back up the same path, staying close to your body. Keep your back flat and core braced throughout.

5. 5

   Lockout: Finish by fully extending your hips and standing tall. Squeeze your glutes hard at the top but don't hyperextend your back. Keep tension in your hamstrings at the top—don't relax between reps. Reset your breath and immediately begin the next rep while maintaining full-body tension.

Common Mistakes

• Rounding the Lower Back

  Allowing your spine to round under load is extremely dangerous. Keep a neutral spine throughout the entire movement. If your back rounds, you're going too deep for your current hamstring flexibility—reduce the range of motion.

• Squatting the Weight

  Bending your knees excessively turns this into a squat. Your knee angle should remain constant—this is a hip-hinge movement. All motion comes from your hips pushing back and forward, not from knee flexion.

• Bar Too Far From Body

  Letting the bar drift away creates a longer moment arm and dangerous spinal stress. Keep the bar in contact with or very close to your legs throughout the entire movement for maximum safety and hamstring engagement.

• Hyperextending at the Top

  Leaning back excessively at lockout puts stress on your lower back. Stand up straight and squeeze your glutes, but maintain a neutral spine—don't lean back or arch excessively.

Pro Tips

• Feel the Hamstring Stretch

  Your range of motion is determined by hamstring flexibility, not how close you get to the floor. Lower until you feel a strong stretch in your hamstrings while maintaining a flat back. This may be above, at, or below knee level depending on your flexibility.

• Think "Push the Ground Away"

  On the concentric portion, instead of thinking "pull the bar up," imagine pushing the ground away with your feet while driving your hips forward. This cue maximizes glute and hamstring activation and reduces spinal loading.

• Use Mixed or Hook Grip for Heavy Sets

  When grip becomes the limiting factor, use a mixed grip (one overhand, one underhand) or hook grip instead of straps. Building grip strength transfers to all pulling movements. Save straps for your heaviest sets or final high-rep work.

• Perfect Pre-Squat Exercise

  Perform RDLs before squats to activate your posterior chain and improve squat mechanics. Light-to-moderate weight RDLs prime the hip hinge pattern and ensure your glutes and hamstrings fire properly during squats, improving depth and power.

Variations

Alternatives

Related Leg Exercises