Exercises / Thigh & knee
Barbell Romanian deadlift
- Strength
- Thigh & knee
- Light barbell
Hinge at the hips with softly bent knees while keeping the bar close to the legs.
Where you stand
No published distribution for this exercise yet. We add one only from a peer-reviewed study.
Muscles worked
Filled: primary. Outlined: secondary.
How much
Common starting dose: 6-10 slow repetitions, 2 sets with a light bar.
Start: Standing
Steps
- Stand holding a light bar in front of the thighs.
- Push the hips backward as the bar slides close to the legs.
- Stop when the hamstrings tighten, then extend the hips to stand.
Cues
- Keep the spine long
- Move through the hips
Common mistakes
- Turning it into a squat
- Reaching the bar away
- Rounding to go lower
Used for
- Posterior-chain strength
- Hip-hinge progression
Take care (2)
- Start with a light load and a clear floor.
- Stop for sharp back pain, dizziness or loss of form.
Evidence (1)
- The deadlift EMG review found Romanian deadlifts biased hamstring activity relative to erector spinae in healthy trained people; clinical benefit was not tested.1
Easier
Harder
References (1)
- Martín-Fuentes I, Oliva-Lozano JM, Muyor JM. PLoS One. 2020;15(2):e0229507. Electromyographic activity in deadlift exercise and its variants. A systematic review