How to do the Romanian Deadlift
- Stand tall with feet hip-width apart and hold the barbell against your thighs.
- Set your shoulders back and down, then brace your abs before initiating the hinge.
- Unlock your knees slightly and keep that knee angle nearly unchanged throughout the rep.
- Push your hips straight back as the bar slides down close to your legs.
- Lower until your hamstrings reach their end range without losing spinal position.
- Drive your hips forward to bring the bar back up along your legs.
- Finish standing tall with hips locked out and ribs stacked over your pelvis.
Common mistakes
- Turning it into a squat
- Letting the bar drift forward
- Bending knees more on descent
- Lowering past hamstring mobility
- Leaning back at lockout
Form cues
- Push hips straight back
- Keep bar on legs
- Hold soft knees
- Stop at hamstring limit
- Lock out with glutes
