All About The Romanian Deadlift
The Romanian Deadlift (RDL) is an awesome exercise to master. With its relatively simple setup and minimal equipment requirement, it’s a great option for building strength and muscle without taxing your body as much as a Conventional Deadlift. In this article I’m going to discuss the benefits and proper form for a Romanian Deadlift.
The Difference Between a Conventional Deadlift and a Romanian Deadlift
The primary difference between these two lifts is the starting position. In a Conventional Deadlift, you start with the barbell on the ground, and the Romanian Deadlift begins from a standing position, with the barbell at thigh level.
In a Romanian Deadlift, you lower the barbell to just below your knees (or mid-shin), rather than all the way to the ground. While both exercises target similar muscles, the Conventional Deadlift emphasizes the concentric (lifting) phase, whereas the RDL places equal focus on both the eccentric (lowering) and concentric phases, which can help increase muscle hypertrophy.
What Muscles Does a Romanian Deadlift Target
Primary Muscles Worked
Glutes: Your glutes will work to extend your hips at the top of the movement, bringing you back to the starting position.
Hamstrings: RDLs are one of the best exercises for the hamstrings. They control the eccentric phase and assist the glutes in extending your hips at the top.
Erector Spinae/Lower Back: Your lower back muscles and erector spinae will work to stabilize your spine, and prevent excessive rounding. The RDL is a great exercise for strengthening these muscles.
Secondary Muscles Worked
Core: The RDL engages the abdominal muscles to assist your lower back in bracing your spine
Adductors: The adductors will work as stabilizers during the movement.
Forearms and Grip Muscles: The RDL is a great exercise to increase your grip strength, because you can load this exercise significantly heavy.
Benefits of a Romanian Deadlift
Strengthens Your Posterior Chain
The RDL is an effective way to develop your glutes, hamstrings, and lower back. These are areas that are commonly weak or underdeveloped compared to other muscles. A stronger posterior chain can improve athletic performance, reduce injury risk, and support better posture.
Improves Hip Mobility and Strength
The hip-hinge mechanics of the RDL will enhance both your hip mobility and strength over time, contributing to better posture, reduced back pain, and better movement in daily life.
Helps Prevent Injuries
Learning to hinge properly in an RDL translates to better form in other exercises. Strengthening your lower back and posterior chain also reduces the risk of lumbar strain and injuries.
Increases Flexibility
A Romanian Deadlift will improve the flexibility in your hamstrings. As you lower the weight your hamstrings will be stretched, and they will have to absorb the load in that stretched position. This will not only increase your flexibility but also strength in that flexibility, which is beneficial for preventing injuries.
Has carry Over to Other Lifts
The Romanian Deadlift has a lot of carry over to Olympic lifts including the clean and jerk, clean pull, and snatch. It can also improve your Deadlift performance, because of its ability to strengthen your posterior chain. It’s a great accessory exercise to include in a Deadlift focused program.
How to Perform
Starting Position
Stand with a barbell (or dumbbells) resting against your thighs.
Your feet should be roughly hip-width apart, and your grip slightly wider than your legs.
Before you start your descent, engage your core by taking a deep belly breath, and brace as if preparing for a punch. Engage your lats by squeezing your armpits as if you have a citrus fruit in them, and you're trying to squeeze the juice out.
The Descent
Initiate the movement by pushing your hips back, not down. Imagine closing a door with your butt. Continue to push your hips back until you reach your end range of motion.
Maintain a vertical shin throughout the movement (your knees will stay over your ankles, and not go forward or back). You should have a slight bend in your knees, and feel a stretch in your hamstrings as you lower the bar.
Let your hips drive the movement, not your arms. As your hips move back, the bar will lower naturally somewhere between just below your knees to mid-shin, depending on your flexibility.
Keep the bar close to your legs, nearly grazing them, to minimize strain on your lower back.
Bottom Position
At the bottom of the exercise you want to keep your back flat with a neutral spine. No rounding.
Keep your core and lats engaged.
Ascent
Reverse the movement by driving your hips forward and standing tall.
Keep the bar close to your body, and maintain core and lat tension.
At the top, squeeze your glutes without hyperextending your back.
Common Mistakes
Not Keeping a Vertical Shin: A lot of lifters will squat the weight down and bring their knees forward, or not keep a soft knee and bring their knees back (this would be a stiff legged RDL). Think about pushing your hips back toward the wall behind you, and keeping your knees where they are.
Rounding Your Back: Keep your core tight and your lats engaged to help with this
Letting the Bar Drift Too Far from the Body: Keeping the bar close to your reduces strain on the lower back, and you’ll be able to handle more weight that way. It will also give you more leverage to handle heavier weights. To help with this, keep your lats engaged by squeezing that citrus fruit in your armpits.
Overextending at the Top: Avoid leaning back or excessively arching your back at the top of the movement. Stand tall with a neutral spine.
Bonus Tips & Cues
Grip can be a limiting factor with Romanian Deadlifts. I recommend using a double overhand grip as long as possible to strengthen your grip, but eventually you might need to switch it up. A couple of options are to use a switch grip (one hand overhand and one underhand), and lifting straps.
Think of your hands as hooks and your arms as chains while performing this exercise. You are not pulling with your arms. The movement is in your hips and the bar will lower and come back up automatically.
Shift the weight to your heels as you lower the bar to keep your balance, and shift the weight to your posterior chain.
Focus on hinging your hips back and not just bending over. Think about closing a door with your butt.
Pay attention to your tempo. Lower the bar slowly and under control, and thrust your hips forward quickly and powerfully on the way up.
Here’s a video tutorial that will give you a better visual
Alternatives
Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift: Same exercise, but with dumbbells
Kettlebell Romanian Deadlift: The kettlebell offers a more central load, making it easier to maintain balance and form. It's great for beginners or those focusing on hip mobility.
Snatch Grip Romanian Deadlift: An RDL with a wider grip. By widening your grip (like a snatch), this variation puts more emphasis on the upper back and traps while still hitting the posterior chain.
Single Leg Romanian Deadlift: Targets each leg individually, helping correct muscle imbalances and improve stability and balance.
Kickstand (b stance) Romanian Deadlift: Similar to a single leg RDL, but you can use your non working leg for extra balance.
Good Morning: While similar to RDLs, good mornings emphasize the lower back slightly more. Great for building spinal erector strength.
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