Upper legs

Romanian Deadlift

You lower the bar along your legs by pushing your hips back: the best loaded exercise for hamstrings and glutes.

Also known as: RDL, barbell Romanian deadlift

Level
Intermediate
Equipment
Barbell
Type
Compound
Movement

Muscles worked

Romanian Deadlift muscle map: glutes, hamstrings and lower back highlighted on the front and back of the body

How to do it

  1. Stand holding the bar, feet hip-width apart and knees softly bent.
  2. Push your hips back and tip your torso forward with a flat back, sliding the bar down your thighs.
  3. Lower until you feel a strong hamstring stretch, usually around mid-shin.
  4. Drive your hips forward to stand up and squeeze your glutes at the top.

Form cues

  • Your knees bend at the start and then stay put.
  • The bar brushes your legs the whole way.
  • Your back sets the bottom: stop when you can't keep it flat.

Common mistakes

  • Rounding your back on the way down: once you lose a neutral spine, the range is over.
  • Turning it into a squat: the movement comes from your hips going back, not your knees.
  • Letting the bar drift away from your legs: it loads your lower back.
  • Leaning back at the top: finish standing tall by squeezing your glutes, without arching.

Sets and reps

For hypertrophy, 3-4 sets of 6-12 reps leaving 1-3 in reserve with 2-3 minutes of rest. It's demanding on the hamstrings, so 1-2 sessions a week is usually enough.

Variations

Same movement, different equipment. Pick based on what you have and what you want from the Romanian deadlift.

  • EZ-bar Romanian deadlift

    A more comfortable grip, useful with lighter loads.

    EZ Curl Bar · Beginner

    How to do it

    1. Stand holding an EZ-bar at mid-thigh with an overhand grip on the inner bends.
    2. Feet hip-width, soft bend in the knees, chest up, lats engaged.
    3. Push the hips back while letting the bar slide down the front of the legs.
    4. Go until you feel a deep hamstring stretch without rounding the lower back.
    5. Drive the hips forward to return to standing, keeping the bar close to the body.
    Primary
    Glutes, Hamstrings
    Secondary
    Lower Back, Forearm Flexors, Traps

  • Smith machine RDL

    The guided bar lets you focus on the hinge.

    Smith Machine · Beginner

    How to do it

    1. Set the Smith machine bar at mid-thigh height and stand directly underneath with feet hip-width.
    2. Unrack the bar with an overhand grip just outside the hips.
    3. Push the hips back while letting the bar slide down the front of the legs.
    4. Go until you feel a deep hamstring stretch, with a flat back and a soft knee bend.
    5. Drive the hips forward to return to standing, keeping the bar close to the body.
    Primary
    Hamstrings
    Secondary
    Lower Back, Glutes, Traps

  • Banded Romanian deadlift

    To learn the pattern or train at home.

    Loop Band · Beginner

    How to do it

    1. Stand on a loop band with both feet and grip the top of the band.
    2. Set feet hip-width with a soft bend in the knees.
    3. Hinge at the hips, sliding the hands down the legs.
    4. Lower until you feel a stretch in the hamstrings.
    5. Drive the hips forward to return to standing.
    Primary
    Glutes, Hamstrings
    Secondary
    Lower Back

  • Dumbbell Romanian deadlift

    It has its own guide.

    Dumbbell · Intermediate

    How to do it

    1. Stand holding dumbbells in front of your thighs with a soft knee bend.
    2. Hinge at the hips and push your glutes back.
    3. Lower the dumbbells along your legs until you feel a hamstring stretch.
    4. Keep your back flat and shoulders pulled back.
    5. Drive your hips forward to return to standing.
    Primary
    Glutes, Hamstrings
    Secondary
    Lower Back, Forearm Flexors
    See full guide

Alternatives

Other exercises from the Nuvana library for the same muscle.

FAQ

What's the difference between the Romanian and conventional deadlift?

The conventional starts from the floor and combines knee and hip extension. The RDL starts standing, keeps your knees nearly fixed and focuses on hamstrings and glutes.

How low should you go?

As far as you can keep your back flat, usually just below the knees or mid-shin.

Romanian or stiff-leg deadlift?

In the RDL the bar doesn't touch the floor and your knees bend slightly; in the stiff-leg version your knees are straighter and the bar usually returns to the floor.

What muscles do the Romanian deadlift work?

They mainly work the glutes and the hamstrings, with help from the lower back.

Train with Nuvana

Add the Romanian deadlift to your next workout

Log your sets and weights, and see how each muscle progresses in the app.

Download on the App StoreGet it on Google Play