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Romanian Deadlift (Barbell)

A hinge from standing, and the most direct hamstring builder there is.

• Hamstrings
• Barbell
• Weight and reps

What it works

Hamstrings, heavily and through a long stretch, with the glutes strongly involved at the top and the lower back and upper back working to hold position. It is the clearest way to learn what a hip hinge actually feels like.

Setup

1. Take the bar out of a rack at about hip height, or deadlift it up from the floor. Do not start this lift by bending down to a bar on the ground.
2. Stand tall with the bar against your thighs, hands roughly shoulder width, feet about hip width.
3. Soften your knees. They should be slightly bent and then stay at that angle for the whole set.
4. Set your shoulder blades back and down, and pull your armpits tight so the bar stays close to you.

The movement

1. Breathe in and brace.
2. Push your hips backwards. That is the movement. Your torso lowers because your hips travel back, not because you bend forward.
3. Let the bar slide down the front of your thighs, staying in contact or nearly so.
4. Stop when you feel a strong stretch in your hamstrings and your back is about to start rounding. For most people that is somewhere between just below the knee and mid shin. Depth is set by your hamstrings, not by the floor.
5. Drive your hips forward to stand back up, and squeeze your glutes at the top without leaning back.

Common mistakes

• Bending the knees more as you descend: that turns it into a deadlift. Set the knee angle at the start and keep it.
• Letting the bar drift away from your legs: the further out it goes, the more your lower back has to hold, and the less your hamstrings do.
• Chasing depth: going below the point where your back starts rounding gains you nothing and costs you a lot. The stretch is the goal, not touching the floor.
• Rounding the upper back: your chest should stay proud and your shoulder blades pulled back throughout.
• Going too heavy too soon: this lift produces serious hamstring soreness the first few times. Start lighter than you think and build up over a few weeks.

Variations and alternatives

The conventional deadlift starts from the floor and involves the quads and the whole body far more. The hip thrust targets the glutes rather than the hamstrings. Dumbbell and single leg versions are useful when you want the same pattern with less spinal load.

If a movement causes pain rather than ordinary training effort, stop and speak to a qualified professional. Programming context for this lift is in how training programs are built.