Romanian deadlift
Also called: RDL, barbell RDL
Push your hips back with a barbell, feel the hamstrings, stand up.
Hamstring stretch: hamstrings, glutes working.
Main: hamstrings, glutes Also: lower back, grip
Simplified illustration. Follow the steps and cues for exact form.
Dumbbells only: no barbell? Do Dumbbell Romanian deadlift instead.
Home with bands: no barbell? Do Band Romanian deadlift instead.
Bodyweight: no barbell? Do Glute bridge instead.
- Main muscles
- hamstrings, glutes
- Equipment
- barbell
- Level
- Getting the hang of it
- Pattern
- Hinge
Wear and bring
- Flat, firm shoes (or bare feet on a clean floor). Thick, soft running soles make you wobble.
- Long socks or leggings: the bar slides along your shins.
- Clips (collars) on both ends so plates can't slide off.
- Chalk or a dry towel if your grip slips.
Key cues
- Push your hips back, like closing a car door with your backside.
- Bar stays close to your legs the whole way.
- Knees slightly bent, and they stay that way.
- Back stays flat; stop when your hips stop moving back.
How to do it
- Hold the bar at hip height with an overhand grip, hands just outside your thighs.
- Stand with feet hip-width apart and knees slightly bent.
- Breathe in, brace, and push your hips back while the bar slides down your thighs.
- Go down until you feel a strong stretch in your hamstrings, usually just below the knees.
- Squeeze your glutes and push your hips forward to stand up.
Common mistakes
| Common mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| Rounding the lower back | Stop higher. Range comes from hips moving back, not from bending your spine. |
| Bar drifts away from the legs | Keep it touching your thighs; think of shaving your legs with it. |
| Squatting it down | Keep the knee bend small and fixed. Hips move back, not down. |
Stop if
Stop if you feel sharp or pinching pain in your lower back, numbness or tingling, or pain that gets worse with each rep. Burning in the working muscles, heavy breathing and shaky last reps are normal effort.
Related: lower back, back pain.
By equipment
| Your setup | Do this |
|---|---|
| Full gym | Romanian deadlift |
| Dumbbells only | Dumbbell Romanian deadlift |
| Home with bands | Band Romanian deadlift |
| Bodyweight | Glute bridge |
| My equipment | Set it on Equipment |
Sets and reps by goal
| Goal | Reps | Sets | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strength | 3–6 | 3–5 | 2–5 min |
| Muscle | 6–15 | 3–4 | 1–2 min |
| Fat loss | 8–15 | 2–4 | 1–1½ min |
| General health | 8–12 | 1–3 | 1–2 min |
Where these come from: Goals. In a program, follow the program's numbers.
General information, not medical advice. If you have an injury, a health condition or are pregnant, check with a doctor or physical therapist before starting.