A Complete Guide to Perfecting Romanian Deadlifts

You'll always find Romanian deadlifts on our lists of the best leg workouts, glute exercises, and hamstring exercises. It's an effective functional exercise to forge strength, stability, and flexibility. The conventional deadlift is viewed as the be-all, end-all compound exercise, but this free-weight variation has some added benefits.  

Athletes have performed Romanian deadlifts (or “RDL” for short) for decades. It not only builds out your lower body, but exposes muscle imbalances and deficits in flexibility and strength through the feet, hamstrings, and glutes.

It's an invaluable exercise that can strengthen the low back to reduce chronic pain (when done with proper form), improve hip mobility (in tandem with hip stretches for men), and alleviate tight hamstrings due to sedentary jobs and lifestyles. It trains your body to understand proper hinge patterns, which translates into greater efficiencies in moves like kettlebell swings, hip thrusts, good mornings, and glute bridges.

If you’re looking to effectively train your posterior chain (the muscles on the back of your body), learn proper Romanian deadlift form, then add a few RDL variations to your next leg day routine. Your quads, glutes, and back will thank you.

Related: The Shocking Way to Instantly Improve Your Deadlift

What Is a Romanian Deadlift?

Unlike a conventional deadlift, where the barbell, dumbbells, or kettlebells begin on the floor, Romanian deadlifts start with the weight lifted from a standing position. The emphasis is on hinging—not bending—at the hips while maintaining a slight bend in the knees. By keeping the back flat throughout the movement, the hamstrings and glutes engage to lift the weight as the hips are pushed back. 

RDLs improve hip mobility and stability while strengthening the hamstrings and glutes, which prevents back problems and long-term ailments. From a sports perspective, having strength, stability, and mobility in these areas improves strength and power in anything involving swinging (rackets, paddles, bats, golf clubs), cutting (football, soccer), and rotational movement (swimming, racket sports, and the movements of everyday life).

RDLs can be humbling at first since they expose tight hips and hamstrings. Some longtime lifters find they can't execute the full range of motion of an RDL, even with a light weight. That’s okay though, the RDL produces relatively quick gains in flexibility.

Best Warmup for Romanian Deadlifts

As with any exercise, it's important to make sure your body is warm. While you don't have to sit down and do 30 minutes of static stretching before leg day, reducing the tightness in your lower body—in this case, the hips and hamstrings—can help you move through an RDL more effectively. 

To get the mobility you need, first try this: Take a dowel or broomstick, and hold it vertically along your spine while standing tall. Your head, upper back, and glutes should all be touching the dowel, and your lower back and neck should not. Maintaining all points of contact, "hinge" your body forward to simulate a deadlift pattern. Make sure the points of contact stay intact. Return to the start position and repeat for 10 reps. If you can't do this, keep practicing the movement until it's easy.

Romanian Deadlift vs Deadlift

While the setup for Romanian deadlifts and conventional deadlifts may be the same, the movement has some notable differences. For starters where the movement begins differs for the deadlift vs Romanian deadlift. With the conventional deadlift, you pick the load up from the ground in a concentric motion; with the RDL, you lower the weight towards the ground in an eccentric motion. You never want the weights to touch the ground in an RDL like you would with a regular deadlift.

Another main difference is the muscles that both movements work. While both exercises work your posterior chain, Romanian deadlifts tend to isolate the glutes and hamstrings more (given the hinge pattern), while the deadlift works nearly all of the muscles in the back of your body, including your glutes, hamstrings, core, back, and traps. 

When and why you use each movement differs as well. If you're a beginner looking to add muscle overall or swant to build functional or absolute brute strength, the deadlift is most likely the answer to your prayers. The RDL, on the other hand, is great if you want to build strength and size in specific muscles like the glutes and hamstrings. 

Related: How to Do an Arnold Press, the Ultimate Shoulder Builder

Romanian Deadlift Muscles Worked

Much like the conventional deadlift, the Romanian deadlift works the muscles in your posterior chain. While both movements are considered compound exercises, the RDL focuses mostly on the muscles below: 

Hamstrings

The main muscles worked during a Romanian deadlift with dumbbells are the hamstrings, the muscles that run the length of the back of your thighs. Your hamstrings work to extend the hip and flex the knee and can help you walk, climb stairs, and perform other leg-dominant movements. 

Glutes

Dumbbell Romanian deadlifts and single-leg Romanian deadlifts are popular for growing glutes. While deadlifts are sure to grow your glutes all the same, RDLs place more tension on the glutes due to the greater hip hinge. 

Back

Ask any powerlifter and they'll tell you the deadlift is king for getting that coveted wide back. But RDLs have a place in the big back movement, too. When done correctly (no rounding your back allowed) the back will work in tandem with your other posterior chain muscles to keep your torso straight and stiff.

Core

While you wouldn't picture the deadlift or Romanian deadlift working your core, they're compound movements, meaning they hit multiple major muscle groups. If you're doing both of the movements with proper form, the core works to brace your spine as you work through the exercise. If you don't brace your core, there's a good chance you're putting yourself at higher risk for injury. So before you start slapping weight on the bar, get your form right.  

Grip

If you're looking to improve your grip strength for farmer's carries or conventional deadlifts, look no further than the RDL. As you get better at this beloved exercise and increase reps and weights, your grip will be undoubtedly challenged. If you use Romanian deadlifts as a way to increase grip strength, opt out of using wrist wraps (not to be confused with lifting straps). While they may help you lift more, they won't do anything for your grip. 

Calves

Calve muscles are worked in RDLs to a lesser degree (you need dedicated calf exercises or a sprint workout to stimulate growth). While you may not notice it during the movement, the calves work to stabilize your legs and keep your knees in a fixed position so you won't move or fall over during the exercise. 

Related: Push, Pull, Legs Program: Simple Regimen to Build Muscle

How to Do Romanian Deadlifts

Barbell Romanian Deadlift

Muscles Worked

Glutes, hamstrings, and lower back.

How to Do It

1. Stand holding a barbell with your hands just wider than shoulder-width, to start. 
2. Maintaining a flat back, hinge forward at the waist and lower the barbell, keeping it close to your shins. 
3. Return to the standing position by contracting your hamstring and glutes. 
4. Keep the bar close to your body throughout the movement. 
5. Perform 3 sets of 10 repetitions. 

Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift

Muscles Worked

Glutes, hamstrings, and back.

How to Do It

1. To start, stand with your knees slightly bent, holding a pair of dumbbells with an overhand grip (palms facing you). 
2. Hinge forward at the waist, lowering the dumbbells toward your shins. 
3. Contract (squeeze) your glutes and hamstrings to return to a standing position. 
4. That's 1 rep. 
5. Keep the dumbbells close to your legs and your shoulder blades back and down throughout the movement. 
6. Complete 3 sets of 10 reps, resting 30 seconds between sets.

Best Romanian Deadlift Variations

Kettlebell RDL

Muscles Worked

Glutes, hamstrings, and back.

How to Do It

1. Stand with your knees slightly bent, holding a kettlebell with two hands, to start. 
2. Hinge forward at the waist, lowering the kettlebell toward the ground. 
3. Contract (squeeze) your glutes and hamstrings to return to a standing position.
4. That's 1 rep.
5. Perform 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps. 

2 Arms, 1 Leg Dumbbell RDL

Muscles Worked

Glutes, hamstrings, and back.

How to Do It

1. Stand on one foot with your knee slightly bent, holding dumbbells in each hand, to start. 
2. Hinge forward at the waist, lowering the weights as your non-supporting leg lifts behind you. 
3. Contract (squeeze) your glutes and hamstrings to return to a standing position.
4. That's 1 rep.
5. Complete the set on one side before repeating with the opposite leg. 
6. Move your torso and leg as one unit while keeping the weights close to your body throughout the movement.
7. Complete 3 sets of 12 reps on each side. 

1 Arm, 1 Leg Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift

Muscles Worked

Glutes, hamstrings, and back.

How to Do It

1. Stand on one foot with your knee slightly bent, holding a dumbbell in the opposite hand with an overhand grip (palm facing toward you), to start. 
2. Hinge forward at the waist, lowering the dumbbell as your non-supporting leg lifts behind you. 
3. Contract (squeeze) your hamstrings and glutes to return to a standing position. 
4. Move your torso and leg as one unit while keeping the weight close to your body throughout the movement. 
5. Complete the set on one side before repeating with the opposite leg and arm.

Related: How to Do 'The World's Greatest Stretch'