Exercise · Legs and glutes
Romanian deadlift: how to do it right
The Romanian deadlift focuses mainly on your hamstrings and glutes, with your lower back helping to stabilize. It’s a strength movement done with a barbell that really builds the back of your legs and hips. It’s great if you want to feel your hamstrings more without lifting the bar from the floor every rep.
- Hamstrings
- Glutes
- Lower back
Doable at all 76 gyms GoSet follows
The essentials
- Push your hips back, bar close to your legs.
- Flat back, knees slightly bent.
- Stand up by driving your hips forward.
Muscles worked
- Primary
- Hamstrings · Glutes
- Secondary
- Lower back
How to do it
- Set the bar in front of you, grab it slightly wider than shoulder-width, and stand up with it so you start upright with the bar against your thighs.
- Keep your back flat, knees slightly bent, and feet about hip-width apart.
- Take a breath in, then push your hips far back while keeping the bar close, sliding it down along your thighs and then your shins.
- Lower until you feel a strong stretch in your hamstrings, without rounding your lower back and without bending your knees more.
- Stand up by driving your hips forward as you breathe out, keeping the bar close to your legs the whole way up.
- Finish tall with your hips locked, without leaning back, then go into the next rep with the same control.
Common mistakes
Rounding the lower back
Instead : Shorten your range so you can keep a flat back and brace your core. Think about pushing your hips back instead of just dropping your chest forward.
Letting the bar drift away from your legs
Instead : Slide the bar up and down your thighs and shins. If you feel it move away, pull it back toward you before going lower.
Knees too straight or too bent
Instead : Keep a slight bend in your knees from start to finish. If you bend too much, it turns into more of a squat; if you lock them out, the tension jumps up a lot in the hamstrings.
Lifting mainly with the lower back
Instead : Focus on driving your hips forward and squeezing your glutes. Try to keep the same back angle until your hips move, instead of pulling yourself up with your lower back only.
Coach tips
- Control the way down for 2 to 3 seconds and come up with a strong but not jerky motion so your hamstrings and glutes do the work.
- Breathe in at the top before you lower, then breathe out as you stand up and drive your hips forward.
- Start with a lighter fixed-weight bar to learn the movement before using a heavier bar on a squat rack.
- If you mostly feel your lower back, reduce your range of motion and really focus on hips going back, then forward, with the bar glued to your legs.
Variations
- Dumbbell Romanian deadlift for a slightly freer path and a load that’s often easier to control.
- Smith Romanian deadlift to help you keep the bar close with a guided bar path.
- Cable pull-through for a similar hip movement without holding a bar in front of you.
Sets and reps
Romanian deadlifts are often done for 3 to 4 sets of 6 to 12 reps, with a load that lets you keep good control on the way down. People often place it on days focused on hamstrings and glutes, or after a heavier deadlift-style movement.
Equipment
Alternatives for the same muscles
Log your Romanian deadlift sets with GoSet
GoSet remembers your last time, starts your rest on its own and notes your records. Even with no signal in the basement. Coming soon to iPhone and Android.
Common questions
What’s the difference between a Romanian deadlift and a regular deadlift?
The Romanian deadlift starts from standing with the bar already in your hands, and you keep a slight bend in your knees the whole time. You mainly push your hips back to load the hamstrings and glutes. A regular deadlift starts from the floor each rep with more knee bend and more overall leg involvement.
How low should I go on Romanian deadlifts?
Go down until you feel a strong stretch in the back of your thighs while keeping a flat lower back. For many people, the bar stops somewhere between the knees and mid-shin. If your lower back starts to round, that’s too low for you right now.
Is it normal to feel my lower back on Romanian deadlifts?
You can feel your lower back working to stabilize, but it shouldn’t be sharp or uncomfortable pain. If it hurts, stop the exercise and talk to a professional, then come back to your technique, load, and range of motion.
I don’t have a standard barbell, can I still do Romanian deadlifts?
Yes. You can use a fixed-weight barbell or switch to a variation like the dumbbell Romanian deadlift, Smith Romanian deadlift, or cable pull-through, depending on what your gym has.