Romanian deadlift
Also known as: RDL
A hip-hinge that targets the hamstrings and glutes through the stretch.
What it is
A hip-dominant lift where you hinge at the hips with soft knees, lowering the bar along your legs to load the hamstrings and glutes, then driving the hips forward to stand.
Muscles worked
Primary: Hamstrings, Glutes. Secondary: Spinal erectors, Lats, Core.
How to perform it
- Stand holding the bar at the top of a deadlift, feet hip-width, knees slightly bent.
- Push your hips back and let the bar travel down close to your legs, keeping your back flat.
- Lower until you feel a strong hamstring stretch (usually around mid-shin), without rounding the back.
- Drive the hips forward to return to standing, squeezing the glutes at the top.
Common form faults
- Rounding the lower back to reach lower. Only go as far as you can keep a flat back; the range comes from hip mobility, not from bending the spine.
- Turning it into a squat by bending the knees too much. Keep the shins near-vertical and push the hips back — it's a hinge, not a squat.
- Bar drifting away from the body. Keep the lats engaged and the bar dragging lightly along your legs the whole way.
Programming
A top hamstring/glute builder. Often trained in the 6–12 rep range with a focus on the stretch; leave a rep or two in reserve to keep form tight.
Plan your training
Variations & substitutions
Frequently asked questions
- RDL vs conventional deadlift — what's the difference?
- The Romanian deadlift starts from the top and emphasises the hamstring stretch with minimal knee bend and the weight never resting on the floor. The conventional deadlift starts from the floor and involves more quad and overall drive.
- How low should the bar go?
- To the point of a strong hamstring stretch while keeping a flat back — for most people that's around mid-shin, but it depends on your hip mobility. Don't chase the floor by rounding your back.
Written and reviewed by Mathew Beale — MSc Biotechnology, University of Reading.
Last reviewed: