How To Do Romanian Deadlifts Benefits And Variations

  references
  
      Clinical Interventions in Aging: "Grip Strength: An Indispensable Biomarker For Older Adults"
    




The Romanian deadlift primarily strengthens your glutes and hamstrings while protecting your lower back.

Image Credit: gpointstudio/iStock/GettyImages

Instructions
Benefits
Form Tips
Variations

        Activity
       
        Dumbbell Workout
      
        Region
       
        Lower Body

Stand upright with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides. Initiate the movement by bending your knees slightly. Keep your chest tall as you reach your hips back behind you. You should feel a stretch in your hamstrings. Keep the dumbbells close to your legs. Reach your hips back as far as you can without rounding your low back or your shoulders. Finish the rep by driving your legs into the ground and returning to the starting position.

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        Activity
       
        Dumbbell Workout
      
        Region
       
        Lower Body

Goal Reps Strength 3 –6 Hypertrophy 6–12 Endurance 10–20

Although Romanian deadlifts and stiff-legged deadlifts look similar, they have key differences that you should know so you can pick the exercise most appropriate for your skill level and goals.
Basic deadlifts involve picking a weight up from the floor or an elevated surface. The movement begins in the bottom position, which means you bend your knees and use your quads more. Romanian deadlifts are different because they start at the top. You begin standing with the weights in your hands, reach your hips back and then finish by returning to your upright position. This body position, combined with the fact that your weights never actually touch the ground, means less knee bend than a deadlift and more direct targeting of the hamstrings. If you have a hard time with deadlifts, it’s fine to focus primarily on RDLs as your main hip-hinging exercise. You’ll get most of the same benefits while potentially sparing your lower back. Stiff-legged deadlifts can be done either with the weights starting from the floor or from a standing position like an RDL. The main difference between a true stiff-legged deadlift and an RDL is the amount of knee bend. As the name implies, stiff-legged deadlifts should be done with as little knee bend as possible. This allows you to target your hamstrings but only if you have the mobility to do this exercise without rounding your lower back. Some people are so tight through their lower body that they can’t perform stiff-legged deadlifts with good form, so RDLs are a better choice for them.

Basic deadlifts involve picking a weight up from the floor or an elevated surface. The movement begins in the bottom position, which means you bend your knees and use your quads more.

Romanian deadlifts are different because they start at the top. You begin standing with the weights in your hands, reach your hips back and then finish by returning to your upright position. This body position, combined with the fact that your weights never actually touch the ground, means less knee bend than a deadlift and more direct targeting of the hamstrings.

If you have a hard time with deadlifts, it’s fine to focus primarily on RDLs as your main hip-hinging exercise. You’ll get most of the same benefits while potentially sparing your lower back.

Stiff-legged deadlifts can be done either with the weights starting from the floor or from a standing position like an RDL. The main difference between a true stiff-legged deadlift and an RDL is the amount of knee bend.

As the name implies, stiff-legged deadlifts should be done with as little knee bend as possible. This allows you to target your hamstrings but only if you have the mobility to do this exercise without rounding your lower back. Some people are so tight through their lower body that they can’t perform stiff-legged deadlifts with good form, so RDLs are a better choice for them.

Stand upright and pick one foot off the floor. Grab the floor with the toes on your downside foot. Initiate the movement by bending your downside knee slightly. Reach your hips back behind you while keeping your chest tall. Try to push the heel of the upside leg to the wall behind you. Reach your hips back as far as you can without rounding your back. Finish the rep by driving your downside leg into the ground and returning to the starting position.

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        Activity
       
        Kettlebell Workout
      
        Region
       
        Lower Body

Stand upright with your feet hip-width apart. Hold a single kettlebell with both hands directly beneath your body. Initiate the movement by bending your knees slightly. Keep your chest tall as you reach your hips back behind you. You should feel a stretch in your hamstrings. Keep the kettlebell beneath your body and lower it toward the tops of your shoelaces. Reach your hips back as far as you can without rounding your low back. Finish the rep by driving your legs into the ground and returning to your upright starting position.

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        Activity
       
        Kettlebell Workout
      
        Region
       
        Lower Body
      


        Activity
       
        Barbell Workout
      
        Region
       
        Lower Body

Set up a barbell in a power rack just below hip height. Stand in front of the bar with your feet shoulder-width apart. Grab onto the bar with straight arms. Your hands should be beneath your shoulders and just outside your legs. Take the bar out of the rack by driving your legs into the floor and standing upright. Take two small steps back away from the rack. Initiate the movement by bending your knees slightly. Keep your chest tall as you reach your hips back behind you. You should feel a stretch in your hamstrings. Keep the barbell right against your legs. Reach your hips back as far as you can without rounding your low back. Finish the rep by driving your legs into the ground and returning to the starting position. When you’re finished with your set, walk forward with the bar and return it to the power rack.

  Show Instructions
  


        Activity
       
        Barbell Workout
      
        Region
       
        Lower Body

Set up a barbell in a power rack just below hip height. Stand in front of the bar with your feet shoulder-width apart. Grab onto the bar with straight arms and place your hands as far out to the sides as you can reach. Take the bar out of the rack by driving your legs into the floor and standing upright. Take two small steps back away from the rack. Initiate the movement by bending your knees slightly. Keep your chest tall as you reach your hips back behind you. You should feel a stretch in your hamstrings. Keep the barbell right against your legs. Reach your hips back as far as you can without rounding your low back. Finish the rep by driving your legs into the ground and returning to your upright starting position. When you’re finished with your set, walk forward with the bar and return it to the power rack.

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‌Should RDLs be heavier than deadlifts? ‌Most people won’t be able to lift as heavy with RDLs as they can with regular deadlifts. That’s because regular deadlifts recruit more assistance from more muscles, namely your quads. ‌Are RDLs or deadlifts better for glutes? ‌Many people find that RDLs hit their glutes more effectively than deadlifts from the floor. RDLs place your glutes under a greater stretch position than deadlifts, leading to more muscle growth. ‌How do you feel RDLs in your butt? ‌If you want to get the most glute benefits from your RDLs, it’s important to reach your hips back as far as you can and flex your glutes hard as you stand up. ‌Should you use straps on RDLs?‌ If you’re looking to improve overall strength, including grip strength, don’t use straps. You won’t build stronger hands and forearms if you use straps. However, if your primary goal is to build muscle in your legs, it might make sense to use straps if your grip is the limiting factor. Straps will allow you to lift heavier loads and do longer sets that are necessary for hypertrophy.

      Clinical Interventions in Aging: "Grip Strength: An Indispensable Biomarker For Older Adults"