Hip-hinge accessory lift

Romanian Deadlift

The Romanian deadlift lowers a loaded bar from standing by hinging at the hips. It trains hamstrings and glutes through a controlled stretch without pulling from the floor.

Primary muscles: Hamstrings, Glutes
Equipment: Barbell
Difficulty: Intermediate

Secondary muscles worked

Spinal erectors, Lats, Forearms, Core.

Setup

Start standing with the bar in your hands and feet about hip-width.
Grip just outside the thighs and pull the shoulders down to engage the lats.
Keep knees softly bent, not locked.
Brace before pushing the hips back.

How to do the Romanian Deadlift

1
Push hips back
Hinge by sending the hips behind you while the bar stays close to the legs.
2
Keep shins quiet
Maintain a slight knee bend without turning the movement into a squat.
3
Stop at the stretch
Lower until you feel a strong hamstring stretch while the spine stays neutral.
4
Drive hips through
Stand by squeezing glutes and bringing the hips back under the torso.

Common mistakes

Rounding the lower back to chase more range.
Bending the knees too much and making it a squat.
Letting the bar drift away from the legs.
Hyperextending at the top instead of standing tall.

Notes by experience level

Beginner

Practice the hinge with a dowel or light dumbbells before loading a barbell.

Intermediate

Use RDLs after squats or deadlifts to build posterior-chain volume.

Advanced

Try slow eccentrics or deficit RDLs only if neutral spine position stays solid.

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