Strength training
Romanian Deadlift (RDL): Form, Muscles Worked and Programming
Published October 20, 2026
The Romanian deadlift (RDL) is a hip-hinge exercise: holding a barbell or dumbbells, you push your hips back with soft knees and a flat back, lower the weight along your thighs until you feel a strong stretch in your hamstrings, then drive your hips forward to stand tall. It builds the hamstrings and glutes, and it is one of the best lifts for injury-resistant legs.
How to do a Romanian deadlift
- Start standing, bar in an overhand grip just outside your thighs (unrack it or deadlift it up first).
- Unlock your knees slightly; they stay at that angle the whole rep.
- Push your hips back as if closing a car door with your butt. The bar slides down your thighs.
- Keep your back flat and the bar touching your legs; shoulders over the bar.
- Stop when you feel a big hamstring stretch, usually mid-shin for most people. Your back must not round.
- Drive your hips forward and squeeze your glutes at the top. Do not lean back.
Tempo: about 2-3 seconds down, 1 second up.
Muscles worked
| Muscle | Role |
|---|---|
| Hamstrings | Main mover, loaded at long lengths |
| Glutes | Hip extension, lockout |
| Spinal erectors | Keep the back neutral |
| Upper back, forearms | Hold the bar |
Training the hamstrings in a lengthened position appears to be a strong growth stimulus: in one study, seated leg curls (hamstrings stretched) built clearly more hamstring muscle than lying leg curls (Maeo et al., 2020). The RDL loads the hamstrings in that stretched position, too.
RDL vs conventional deadlift
| Romanian deadlift | Conventional deadlift | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting point | Standing, bar at hips | Bar on the floor |
| Knees | Almost fixed, slightly bent | Bend a lot |
| Main target | Hamstrings, glutes | Whole posterior chain + quads |
| Load | Noticeably lighter | Heaviest |
| Best for | Hypertrophy, hamstring health | Max strength |
Full technique for the floor version: deadlift.
Common mistakes
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| Rounding the lower back | Shorter range, lighter load, chest proud |
| Squatting the weight down (knees bend too much) | Lock the knee angle, hips back |
| Bar drifting away from the legs | Lats tight, bar grazes thighs |
| Hyperextending at the top | Finish tall with glutes, ribs down |
| Chasing the floor | Range ends where hamstrings stop lengthening |
Sets, reps and load
| Goal | Sets × reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Learning | 3 × 10 light, 3 reps in reserve | 90 s |
| Hypertrophy | 3-4 × 8-12 | 2 min |
| Strength support | 4 × 6-8 | 2-3 min |
Starting points: an empty 45 lb (20 kg) bar or two 15-25 lb (7-11 kg) dumbbells, then add 5-10 lb (2.5-5 kg) when every set reaches the top of the rep range.
Sample leg day
Squat 4 × 6 · Romanian deadlift 3 × 8 · Bulgarian split squat 3 × 10/leg · Seated leg curl 3 × 12 · Calf raise 4 × 12.
See squat and Bulgarian split squat.
Variations
- Dumbbell RDL: easier to learn, great at home.
- Single-leg RDL: balance and hip stability, lighter load.
- B-stance RDL: halfway between single-leg and bilateral.
FAQ
Should I feel it in my lower back? You will feel your back working to hold position, but the stretch and burn should be in your hamstrings and glutes. Pain is a stop sign.
Straps? Fine for heavy sets if grip limits you.