If You Want To Strengthen Your Glutes, This Workout Is Your Golden Ticket
Looking to strengthen your lower body, sculpt your core, and improve mobility, all while keeping it easy on your joints? If you answered yes to any portion of that question, then it’s time to get familiar with a Romanian deadlift, also known as an RDL.
“RDLs are one of, if not the, most effective hamstring and glute exercises around,” says Darin Hulslander, CSCS, a Chicago-based certified strength and conditioning specialist. (Talk about a glowing endorsement!)
Romanian deadlifts are a variation on the traditional deadlift, and they come with some killer benefits. First, they target your glutes and hamstrings, and you'll build major muscle and strength in the lower back, lats, and core, says Steve Stonehouse, CPT, a certified personal trainer and vice president of programming and education at Body Fit Training.
Best of all, you can reap the RDL rewards no matter what your experience level is or equipment you have available. "Anybody who's doing any type of strength training program should add in Romanian deadlifts somewhere in the program," explains Kristen McParland, CPT. You can use a barbell or a pair of regular dumbbells.
Sounds pretty good, right? Here's a full guide to Romanian deadlifts, including how to do RDLs properly, the common mistakes to avoid, a beginner-friendly RDL workout plan, and intel on all the benefits when you nail the lower-body move.
Meet the experts: Darin Hulslander, CSCS, is a Chicago-based certified strength and conditioning specialist. Kristen McParland, CPT, offers one-on-one coaching, personal training, and nutrition programs as a NASM-certified personal trainer and certified nutrition coach with more than 10 years of experience. Darin Larson, CPT, is a certified personal trainer and Spartan race coach in Las Vegas. Steve Stonehouse, CPT, is a certified personal trainer and vice president of programming and education at Body Fit Training.
How To Do A Romanian Deadlift Correctly
Stand with feet hip-width apart. Hold the barbell or dumbbells out in front of you, near thighs.
Keeping back and legs straight, hinge at the hips and focus on sending your hips and butt back as you lower the barbell/dumbbells toward the ground. Make sure your weight is in your heels and inhale, McParland adds.
Maintain that position and lower yourself as far as your flexibility allows, ideally with the weight(s) landing at least in the middle of your shins.
Engage your glutes, contract your hips, and drive back to the starting position, locking your hips out at the top. Exhale. You should feel a squeeze in your hips and quads as you lock them out. That's 1 rep.
Common RDL Form Mistakes And Fixes
Bending your knees. It's a mistake people often make to allow them to hit a lower bottom. A slight bend in the knees is okay, but too much takes the engagement off of your glutes.
Letting the bar or weights touch the floor in between reps. "Most people just don't have the flexibility to have that stiff leg deadlift position and hit the floor," McParland explains. Instead, the safer, more effective method is to stop when the weight reaches the middle of your shins.
Arching your back. If you notice a curve in your spine, lessen your load or shorten your range of motion. Stick to going down only as far as you can keep the back straight, Hulslander says.
Holding the weights far out. Keep the bar or dumbbells close to your legs when you shift your hips back, says McParland. "I like to tell clients to almost drag the bar up and down their leg because you want the load as close to your body as possible, or else you can end up loading your back instead of the legs."
Rushing into a too-heavy load. You need to build strength in your hamstrings and glutes effectively to handle the weight, Hulslander says. First, perfect your form with a PVC pipe, and then with an unloaded barbell.
Benefits Of Romanian Deadlifts
The hip-hinge motion in RDLs is “probably the most important pattern for overall movement health,” according to Hulslander. And, to nobody's surprise the move comes with so many benefits for your workouts and life outside the gym. RDL workouts can boost mobility in your hips, hamstrings, and lower back.
Better mobility. The hip-hinge motion helps boost mobility and range of motion in your hips, hamstrings, and lower back, per Hulslander.
Less stress on joints. RDLs can be done with less weight than traditional deadlifts, which minimizes joint stress, Hulslander says.
Sculpted abs. RDLs also work your core "because having to keep your core really rigid and brace throughout that movement pattern is a challenge," says McParland.
Strong back. Keeping the weight(s) close to your body works your lats (a.k.a. the latissimus dorsi muscles in your back). "If you actively pull the bar into your legs, you're going to feel your lats turn on in a second," McParland adds.
Improved grip strength. RDLs are clutch for enhancing your grip strength, she says. That can set you up to effortlessly achieve your other fitness #goals in the gym. You may not realize it, but grip strength is useful in racket sports, picking up basically anything, cooking, and so much more out of the weight room.
Muscles Worked In A Romanian Deadlift
The Romanian deadlift primarily works the posterior chain, specifically targeting the glutes, hamstrings, core, and back, says Stonehouse.
Glutes: The main movement pattern of the RDL is a hinge which requires your glutes to lengthen and contract with each rep, says Stonehouse.
Hamstrings: Similarly to the glutes, the hamstrings lengthen during the lowering position and contract with each RDL rep as you return to a standing position, says Stonehouse.
Core: There's a great deal of core demand with any hinging movement, and your abs provide structural integrity as you brace your spine throughout each rep, says Stonehouse. This core stabilization also helps prevent arching and rounding of the upper back and shoulders which is key for injury prevention, he adds.
Back: Keeping the weight(s) close to your body works your lats and back, says McParland. Your back also works along with your core to keep your torso braced and neutral during each rep, adds Stonehouse.
How To Add Romanian Deadlifts To Your Workout
There are several smart ways to incorporate Romanian deadlifts in your strength routine. For starters, you can kick off your sweat sesh with them. Bodyweight RDLs (with no equipment or a PVC pipe) can be a great warm-up to get blood flowing and practice the movement pattern, Hulslander says.
Naturally, Romanian deadlifts should definitely be on your list for a lower-body training day, since they build serious strength. Or, you can add it to total-body circuits. Combine RDLs with an upper-body push move (overhead presses, pushups, or dumbbell presses). “The muscles of the back get taxed as well during RDLs, so pairing it with something that’s almost entirely opposite allows for recovery and to maintain a more elevated heart rate too,” Hulslander says.
Your RDL Workout Plan
Ready to add RDLs to your routine? The following full-body workout was curated by Darin Larson, CPT, a certified personal trainer and Spartan race coach in Las Vegas.
Instructions: Complete the entire circuit three times total.
Pro tip: Larson recommends starting with 10 to 15 pounds and increasing weight as you build strength.
Halo
How to:
Start standing with feet hip-width apart holding the weight with both hands in front of face, elbows bent and wide at sides. Engage core with belly button pulled in toward tailbone.
Keeping both elbows bent, and the rest of the body still, slowly circle the weight around head once, keeping the weight at eye level. That's 1 rep. Do 20 reps in each direction.
Squat To Press
How to:
Start standing with feet under hips, holding a pair of dumbbells at shoulder height, arms bent and elbows by sides. Sit hips back and lower yourself down into a squat.
Push through the heels to lift up, pressing weights overhead.
Lower back into a squat, then repeat. That's 1 rep. Do 20 reps.
Romanian Deadlift
How to:
Stand with feet hip-width apart. Hold the barbell or dumbbells out in front of you, near thighs.
Keeping back and legs straight, hinge at the hips and focus on sending hips and butt back as you lower the barbell/dumbbells toward the ground. Make sure weight is in heels and inhale.
Maintain that position and lower yourself as far as flexibility allows, ideally with the weight(s) landing at least in the middle of shins.
Engage glutes, contract hips, and drive back to the starting position, locking hips out at the top. Exhale. You should feel a squeeze in hips and quads as you lock them out. That's 1 rep. Do 20 reps.
Chest Press
How to:
Lie face-up with knees bent and feet flat on floor.
Holding a dumbbell in each hand, extend arms directly above shoulders, palms facing toes.
Slowly bend elbows, lowering weights out to the side until elbows form 90-degree angles.
Drive dumbbells back up to starting position. That’s 1 rep. Do 20 reps.
Dumbbell Close Grip Chest Press
How to:
Lie on back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with palms facing each other.
Keeping dumbbells together, press weights up over chest until arms are straight.
Then, with control, reverse motion and slowly lower to return to start. That's 1 rep. Do 20 reps.
Bear Plank Shoulder Taps
How to:
Start on all fours, in tabletop position.
Lift knees to hover two inches off the ground.
Squeezing core and keeping back flat, lift right hand and to tap left shoulder.
Replace right hand on the floor.
Repeat with opposite side. That's one rep. Do 20 reps.
Boxer Situps
How to:
Start lying on back with knees bent, feet flat on the ground, and hands in fists at chest.
Take a deep inhale, then exhale as you contract core muscles and lift torso off the ground. Continue until chest is as close to thighs as possible.
Punch forward, fully extending left arm with the knuckles facing forward and palm facing the ground.
Repeat with the right arm.
Slowly lower back down to the floor. That’s 1 rep. Do 20 reps.
Potential Risks Of Romanian Deadlifts
RDLs are great for weightlifters of any experience level. But, if you have a sensitive lower back, McParland suggests easing into the move. "This could irritate them if they load too much too soon."
If that's you, "start with a set of light dumbbells and practice the movement and then increase the load over time," she says. You can also stagger your stance or opt for a single-leg Romanian deadlift instead—this can protect your lower back from irritation.
Romanian Deadlift Variations
When you’re ready to level-up, it’s worth trying the following single-leg variations of the Romanian deadlift to engage the hips and increase balance, says Larson.
Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift
How to:
Start standing with feet less than hip-width apart.
Shift weight into one leg and slightly bend your knee.
Hinge at the hip, keeping back straight, as you lift non-working leg off the ground behind you.
Keep toes on your non-working leg parallel to the group to avoid hips from opening, then return to starting position. That’s 1 rep.
Kickstand Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift
How to:
Start standing with feet staggered, right foot forward, left foot back resting on the ball of your foot.
Put one part of the band around the right foot, and the other part in left hand.
Hinge forward while pushing hips back, keeping back straight, then return to starting position, keeping tension on the band the entire time. That's 1 rep.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should you do Romanian deadlifts?
The weight you're using and overall volume of training (along with nutrition and hydration) dictates your workout regimen and how much rest you need, but incorporating Romanian deadlifts twice a week is sufficient for most people, says Stonehouse.
What’s the difference between a regular deadlift and a Romanian deadlift?
Both deadlift variations work your posterior chain, but traditional deadlifts engage the quads and lower back more than a Romanian deadlift which primarily focuses on hamstrings and glutes, says Larson. RDLs also start at a different position since you begin the exercise by holding the weight, whereas a traditional deadlift starts with the weight on the ground, she explains. The flow of each exercise is also unique. Traditional deadlifts are a concentric motion and pull from the ground, powering through the knees and hips, while RDLs are an eccentric lowering motion that hinge fully from the hip, she adds.
The bottom line: Romanian deadlifts are a great exercise to build glute, hamstring, back, and core strength, and proper form is key to preventing injury and reaping the benefits.
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