The short answer: a Romanian deadlift (RDL) is a hip hinge. Hold a barbell or two dumbbells in front of your thighs, keep a slight bend in your knees, and push your hips back so the weight slides down your legs. Stop when you feel tension in the backs of your thighs, usually around knee height, then press your hips forward to stand. It mainly works your glutes, hamstrings and back muscles.
The steps follow the American Council on Exercise (ACE), which calls the RDL advanced, so learn the hinge first.
How do you do a Romanian deadlift?
You do a Romanian deadlift by hinging at the hips with a long, straight spine and a slight, fixed bend in the knees. ACE’s steps:
- Set up. Stand with your feet hip width apart and knees slightly bent. Hold a barbell with a palms-down grip, hands about shoulder width apart, resting against the front of your thighs. With dumbbells, hold one in each hand.
- Lock in your back. Lift your chest and pull your shoulder blades down toward your back pockets. Tuck your chin slightly, as if holding an egg under it.
- Hinge. Push your tailbone back behind you. Let the weight lower toward the floor, keeping it close and sliding it down your thighs. Don’t round your back or straighten your knees.
- Find your depth. Stop when you feel tension in the backs of your thighs. For most people that is about knee height, or mid-shin if your hamstrings are more flexible. Look at the floor, not in a mirror.
- Stand up. Push your heels into the floor, press your hips forward and think about pulling your knees back. Keep your spine long until the weight is back at your thighs.
ACE suggests starting a barbell RDL from a squat rack set at thigh to waist height, so you don’t have to lift the bar from the floor first.
What muscles do RDLs work?
RDLs work the muscles along the back of your body: the glutes, hamstrings, erector spinae and adductors, ACE says. Your grip and upper back work too, because they hold the weight.
| Muscle | Where it is | Its job in the RDL |
|---|---|---|
| Gluteus maximus | Buttocks | Extends the hip to bring you upright |
| Hamstrings | Back of the thigh | Extend the hip and lengthen under load on the way down |
| Adductor magnus | Inner thigh | Helps extend the hip |
| Erector spinae | Along the spine | Hold your back straight, like a moving plank |
| Gastrocnemius | Calf | Works at the knee and ankle |
| Trapezius and forearm flexors | Upper back and forearms | Hold the shoulders in place and grip the weight |
Because the weight starts at your hips, ACE notes your muscles first lengthen to slow the weight’s fall, then shorten to lift it back. That is why the backs of your thighs feel the stretch.
What is the difference between a Romanian deadlift and a deadlift?
The main difference is the starting point: a regular deadlift lifts the weight from the floor, while a Romanian deadlift starts with the weight held in front of your hips, ACE explains. The good morning is a third hinge, with a barbell resting on your upper back.
| Romanian deadlift | Conventional deadlift | Good morning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weight starts | In front of the hips | On the floor | Barbell on the upper back |
| Knees | Slight, fixed bend | Bend more to reach the bar | Bend more as the load gets heavier |
| Depth | About knee height to mid-shin | Bar to the floor each rep | Trunk about parallel to the floor |
| Main muscles | Glutes, hamstrings, back extensors | Glutes and quadriceps as prime movers | Hamstrings and back extensors |
| For beginners | Learn the hinge first | A kettlebell is an easier way to learn it | Popular with coaches, but little studied |
In a study of 21 men, the conventional deadlift produced more activity in the rectus femoris, a front thigh muscle, and slightly more in the glutes than the Romanian deadlift. The stiff-leg deadlift is different again: the legs stay almost straight. ACE calls a straight-legged RDL extremely advanced, for experienced lifters only.
How do you learn the hip hinge?
You learn the hip hinge with a broom handle along your back, so you can feel the moment your spine starts to bend. ACE’s drill:
- Hold a dowel about 3 feet long, or a broom handle, along your spine. One hand holds it behind your neck, the other at your lower back.
- Keep it touching three points: the back of your head, between your shoulder blades and your tailbone.
- Stand with your back to a wall, then step one foot length away. Feet shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent.
- Push your hips back toward the wall as your chest tips toward the floor. Keep your knees at the same bend.
- Stop when your hips touch the wall, your trunk reaches parallel to the floor, or any of the three points loses contact. Then stand back up.
ACE says you are ready to hold a weight once you can do 10 to 15 good hinges with a steady spine. If even the hinge is hard, start lying down with glute bridges, which train the same hip movement with your back supported. The same hips-back move starts every good squat, as our guide on how to do a squat explains.
Can you do Romanian deadlifts with dumbbells?
Yes, you can do Romanian deadlifts with dumbbells, and ACE suggests starting with lighter weights such as dumbbells or a medicine ball before moving to a barbell. A standard Olympic bar weighs 45 pounds on its own.
- Dumbbells: easy to start light and use at home. Hold one in each hand and slide them down the fronts of your thighs.
- Kettlebell: hold the handle with both hands palms down, thumbs side by side.
- Barbell: lets you add weight in small steps later. Start it from a rack at thigh height.
The RDL is one of eight moves in our beginner dumbbell workout, and the strength training plan for women pairs it with squats across three days a week.
Is the Romanian deadlift bad for your back?
The Romanian deadlift is not bad for your back when your spine stays straight, but rounding your back under load could cause a low back injury, ACE warns. The point of the RDL is learning to move from the hips while your spine stays still.
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| Back rounds as you lower | Go lighter and stop higher. Practice with the dowel. |
| Weight drifts away from your legs | Slide it down your thighs. The further it hovers from your body, the more stress on your lower back. |
| Knees bend forward, like a squat | Keep the same slight knee bend and send your hips back instead. |
| Watching yourself in a mirror | Face away from it, keep your neck neutral and look at the floor. |
| Going too heavy too soon | ACE says this is a common cause of lifting with the back and rounding. |
You should feel the work in your glutes and the backs of your thighs. ACE’s rule is simple: if you feel your spine start to bend or round, stop immediately. Cleveland Clinic advises seeing a doctor for pain that is sharp, spreads down a leg, comes with numbness or weakness, or doesn’t improve within a few days. The NHS says to get urgent help for pain, tingling, weakness or numbness in both legs, or changes in bladder or bowel control. If your back already hurts, start with these exercises for lower back pain instead.
How many sets and reps of Romanian deadlifts should a beginner do?
A beginner can do 1 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 Romanian deadlifts, two or three days a week. That matches the American College of Sports Medicine’s advice to use loads you can lift about 8 to 12 times when you’re new to strength training.
| Stage | Exercise | Sets and reps | Move on when |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Glute bridge | 1 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 | The hip movement feels controlled |
| 2 | Dowel hip hinge, no weight | 1 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 | 10 to 15 good hinges with a steady spine |
| 3 | Light dumbbell RDL | 1 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 | All reps feel easy with good form |
| 4 | Heavier dumbbells or barbell | 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 | Add weight in small steps |
Harvard Health says the right weight tires your muscles by the last two reps while your form holds. When it feels easy, add 2 to 5 pounds for leg exercises or another set, up to three, and rest each muscle group at least 48 hours between sessions. Why the effort pays off over the years is covered in how to keep muscle as you age.
Your next step
Grab a broom handle tonight and do 10 slow hinges against a wall. If back pain is what keeps you from lifting, The Back Pain Reset walks you through 28 days of short sessions first.
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Quick questions
Should Romanian deadlifts hurt your lower back?
No, Romanian deadlifts should not hurt your lower back. You should feel the work in your glutes and the backs of your thighs. If you feel your spine start to bend or round, ACE says to stop immediately. Go lighter, stop higher and keep the weight close to your legs. See a doctor for pain that doesn’t settle.
Is a Romanian deadlift the same as a stiff-leg deadlift?
No. A Romanian deadlift keeps a slight bend in the knees, about 15 degrees, one study notes, with the bar close to the legs. A stiff-leg deadlift keeps the legs almost straight. ACE calls the straight-legged version extremely advanced and suitable only for experienced lifters with excellent body control.
Should a Romanian deadlift touch the floor?
No, a Romanian deadlift usually doesn’t touch the floor. ACE says to lower until you feel tension in the backs of your thighs, which is about knee height for most people, or mid-shin with more flexible hamstrings. Going lower by rounding your back defeats the purpose. Lifting from the floor each rep is a conventional deadlift.
Do Romanian deadlifts work your glutes?
Yes, Romanian deadlifts work your glutes. ACE lists the gluteus maximus as a main muscle in the RDL, along with the hamstrings, the erector spinae along your spine and the adductors. Pushing your hips back as far as you can with a straight spine gives the glutes and hamstrings a full stretch.
Is the Romanian deadlift for legs or back?
The Romanian deadlift works both, but mostly the back of your legs and hips. The glutes and hamstrings do the lifting, while the erector spinae muscles along your spine hold your back straight, much like a moving plank. ACE says it strengthens your core and lower body in one move.
Can you do Romanian deadlifts at home?
Yes, you can do Romanian deadlifts at home with dumbbells or a kettlebell. Start by learning the hinge with a broom handle along your back, then add light weights once you can do 10 to 15 good hinges with a steady spine. Face away from any mirror and keep your eyes on the floor.
This article is general information, not medical advice. If you have back pain, a disc problem, osteoporosis or another health condition, ask your doctor or a physical therapist whether the Romanian deadlift suits you and how to start.
Sources
- American Council on Exercise. The ACE Do It Better Series: The Romanian Deadlift
- American Council on Exercise. What Is the Difference Between Romanian Deadlift vs Deadlift?
- American Council on Exercise. Two Classic Exercises Everyone Should Master
- Lee S, et al. An electromyographic and kinetic comparison of conventional and Romanian deadlifts. Journal of Exercise Science & Fitness, 2018
- Vigotsky AD, et al. Effects of load on good morning kinematics and EMG activity. PeerJ, 2015
- American College of Sports Medicine. Position stand: Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults, 2009
- Harvard Health Publishing. 7 tips for a safe and successful strength training program
- Cleveland Clinic. Proper Lifting Technique: How To Protect Your Back, Shoulders and Everything Else
- NHS. Back pain