Romanian Deadlift
Also known as: RDL · Stiff-Leg Deadlift
The best hamstring builder in the gym, and the movement that teaches the hip hinge better than anything else.
- Primary
- Hamstrings, Gluteus maximus
- Secondary
- Erector spinae, Forearms
- Equipment
- Barbell
- Type
- Compound
- Level
- Intermediate
How to do it
Set up
- Start standing, holding the bar at hip height with an overhand grip.
- Feet hip-width, knees softly bent, and they stay at that same bend throughout.
- Shoulders back, lats engaged, bar touching your thighs.
Perform the rep
- Push your hips straight back, letting the bar slide down your thighs.
- Keep your back flat and your shins near vertical.
- Descend until you feel a strong stretch in the hamstrings, usually around mid-shin.
- Drive your hips forward to return, squeezing the glutes at the top.
Common mistakes
-
Turning it into a squat
Bending the knees more as you descend removes the hamstring stretch entirely. Set the knee angle at the start and do not change it.
-
Chasing the floor
The depth is determined by your hamstring flexibility, not by the plates touching down. Stop when your back would otherwise round.
-
Letting the bar drift forward
The bar should stay in contact with your legs the whole way. Any gap multiplies the load on your lower back.
-
Hyperextending at the top
Finish standing tall with glutes squeezed. Leaning back adds nothing but lumbar compression.
How to programme it
Control the eccentric, three seconds down is not too slow. The stretch under load is where the hamstring growth comes from.
Variations
- Dumbbell RDL: easier to learn, greater range
- Single-leg RDL: balance and unilateral strength
- Snatch-grip RDL: wider grip, more upper back and range
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a Romanian deadlift and a conventional deadlift?
The RDL starts at the top and never returns to the floor, keeps the knees fixed in a soft bend, and targets the hamstrings through a loaded stretch. The conventional deadlift starts from the floor, involves substantially more knee bend and quad, and is a heavier full-body lift.
How low should I go on RDLs?
Until you feel a strong hamstring stretch and no further, for most people that is somewhere between just below the knee and mid-shin. The moment your lower back starts to round, you have gone too far.