Romanian Deadlift

Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding the bar at hip height with a shoulder-width grip. Hinge at the hips and push your glutes back, lowering the bar along your thighs while keeping a slight knee bend. Lower until you feel a strong stretch in your hamstrings, then drive your hips forward to return to standing.

Pro Tips

• This is a hip hinge, not a squat — minimize knee bend
• Keep the bar in contact with your thighs throughout
• Feel the stretch in your hamstrings at the bottom, not your lower back
• Squeeze your glutes hard at the top to complete the rep

Muscles worked

Primary: Hamstrings — the RDL loads the hamstrings through both hip flexion (as the hips hinge back) and knee stabilisation (soft knee maintains a constant angle). This combination of eccentric loading across two joint actions makes it one of the most effective exercises for hamstring hypertrophy and posterior chain development.

Supporting: Gluteus maximus (hip extension on the return), erector spinae (isometric lumbar extension — maintains a neutral back throughout), adductors (inner thigh stabilisation), forearms and grip (supporting the bar through the full range).

Common mistakes

Excessive knee bend: Bending the knees significantly turns the RDL into a hybrid deadlift that reduces the hip hinge range of motion and offloads the hamstrings. Maintain a soft, fixed knee bend — the knees should not straighten or significantly bend further during the movement.

Bar drift: The bar should travel in a near-vertical line close to the legs. A bar that swings forward creates a moment arm that transfers load from the posterior chain to the lower back. Keep the bar in contact with or very close to the thighs throughout.

Feeling it in the lower back, not the hamstrings: If the lumbar spine is the dominant sensation, the hinge is not genuine — the pelvis is not tilting anteriorly as you descend. Focus on pushing the hips back rather than bending over.

Going too deep and losing spinal position: The RDL should go only as far as your hamstring flexibility and spinal control allow while maintaining a neutral lumbar spine. For many lifters this means the bar stops at mid-shin or just below the knee. Chasing depth by rounding the lower back is a common and risky progression shortcut.

Programming notes

The Romanian deadlift is the most used hamstring-dominant hip hinge in hypertrophy programmes and appears frequently as a supplemental exercise in strength programmes alongside conventional deadlifts. Because it does not place the bar on the floor between reps, it maintains constant tension on the hamstrings and is particularly effective for building hamstring size.

Typical programming: 3–4 sets of 8–12 repetitions. In lower body sessions it is usually paired with a quad-dominant exercise (squat or leg press) to balance the session. In dedicated posterior chain sessions it often appears as the primary exercise before leg curls and accessory glute work.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a Romanian deadlift and a stiff-leg deadlift?

The RDL starts from the top (standing) and lowers the bar only as far as your hamstring flexibility and spinal control allow — typically to mid-shin — before returning. The stiff-leg deadlift starts from the floor, uses a more rigid knee position, and often allows a degree of spinal flexion at the bottom. The RDL keeps the lumbar spine neutral throughout and is generally considered safer and more hamstring-specific. For most lifters chasing hamstring hypertrophy, the RDL is the better choice.

How far should I lower the bar on the Romanian deadlift?

Lower the bar until you feel a strong, deep stretch in your hamstrings while your lower back remains neutral — for most lifters that is somewhere between just below the knee and mid-shin. Going deeper is only valid if your hip mobility and hamstring flexibility genuinely allow it without your pelvis tucking or your lumbar spine rounding. Range of motion is individual; stop where you lose spinal position, not at an arbitrary target height.

Can I do Romanian deadlifts on the same day as conventional deadlifts?

You can, but programme the conventional deadlift first as the heavier, more technically demanding movement. The RDL can follow as a supplemental exercise at a moderate weight and higher rep range. Keep volume in check — stacking heavy conventional pulls with high-volume RDLs in the same session produces significant hamstring and lower back fatigue that can accumulate quickly across a training week. Many programmes separate them by at least 48 hours or place the RDL on an upper/lower split day where the conventional pull is absent.