EXERCISE · BARBELL
Romanian Deadlift
This is a hip hinge, not a squat and not a regular deadlift. The distinction matters. Unlike a conventional deadlift where the bar starts on the floor, the RDL starts standing with the bar at hip height. Unlike a stiff-leg deadlift, your knees stay slightly bent—about 10 to 15 degrees—and stay that way the whole time. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, grab the bar just outside your thighs with a neutral grip, and establish a flat back. Push your hips backward, keeping that slight knee bend constant as you hinge forward. Let the bar travel down your legs, staying close to your body. Lower until you feel a strong stretch in your hamstrings. That feeling is your depth gauge—not the floor, not some arbitrary depth, but where your hamstrings tell you to stop while your spine stays neutral. Drive your hips forward to return, and finish strong without hyperextending your lower back.