When people talk about strength training, they usually bring up the squat, the bench, and the deadlift. But if you want to build serious glute and hamstring strength, you need to start using the Romanian Deadlift, also known as the RDL.
This is one of the best movements out there for your posterior chain, and it belongs in your program, especially if you're a powerlifter.
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What Makes the Romanian Deadlift Different?
The RDL is a variation of the deadlift, but the way your hips move is what makes it special. Instead of the hips going up and down like in a traditional conventional deadlift, they move back and forth. That shift changes which muscles get worked. With the RDL, you're isolating the hip joint more, which means you're putting more pressure on the glutes and hamstrings.
Now don’t get me wrong. A regular deadlift hits those muscles too. But it also brings in the quads because you’re pushing off the floor with a lot more leg drive. The RDL focuses on the hip hinge, which is key for powerlifters who want to build strength in the muscles that support the deadlift lockout and squat stability.
And while we're here, you might be wondering why the heck it's called a Romanian deadlift. Did it come from Romania? Short answer: Kind of. Longer answer: There's a cool story behind it.
Back in the 1990s, a Romanian Olympic weightlifter named Nicolae Vlad was training in the United States. Coaches here noticed he was doing this unique variation of the deadlift. Instead of pulling the bar off the floor with a big leg drive, he was starting from the top, pushing his hips back, and keeping his knees just slightly bent. Basically, what we now call a Romanian Deadlift.
The American coaches didn’t have a name for it at the time, so they just called it what it looked like: the Romanian Deadlift. And it stuck. That’s literally it.
So no, it’s not some ancient lift from Eastern Europe or something. It was just a great movement that a Romanian lifter brought to the States, and it turned out to be one of the best tools for developing the posterior chain. Now it’s a staple in powerlifting, Olympic lifting, athletic training—you name it.
Moral of the story? Sometimes the best lifts don’t come from textbooks. They come from watching someone strong do something smart and asking, “Hey, what’s that?” Then giving it a name that helps us remember where it came from.
Benefits of Romanian Deadlifts:
- Builds stronger hamstrings and gluteus maximus
- Improves hip hinge mechanics
- Enhances lower back stability
- Increases flexibility in posterior chain
How to Do the Romanian Deadlift Right
Form is everything with the RDL. First, you want a slight bend in your knees with your feet shoulder-width apart. Keep your back flat. Then push your hips straight back. Don’t squat it down. This is a hip hinge, not a squat. The weight should stay close to your body the entire time. If you let it drift out in front, you’re going to put unnecessary strain on your low back.
When you return to a standing position, drive your hips forward. That’s where the power comes from. This forward and backward movement of the hips is what targets the glutes and hamstrings more than a traditional deadlift ever could.
If you’ve got a longer torso, or maybe weak core muscles, you might feel your low back working a bit more. That’s not always a bad thing. You’re still training your erectors, and that’s important for a strong and healthy back. Just make sure it’s muscle soreness and not pain. If it hurts (or if you have any low back pain), you need to check your form or your loading.
And for breathing, I advise my athletes to follow good deadlift breathing patterns.
Quick takeaways here:
- Keep a neutral spine throughout the RDL
- Keep the bar close to you
- Drive hips forward when you return to standing
- Lifters with longer torsos may have a tougher time, that's ok
Proper Positions for RDL
Let’s break this thing down a little more. If you’re just jumping into RDLs and not sure where you’re supposed to start or finish, here’s how I coach it.
Starting position is actually the top position of the lift. You’re standing tall with the weight in your hands, barbell, dumbbells, whatever you’re using. Feet are about hip-width apart. Your chest is up, shoulders pulled back just a bit, and your core is tight. Deadlift grip width is standard.
From this position, you’re going to initiate the movement by pushing your hips straight back. You’re not squatting it down. You’re reaching your hips back like you’re trying to shut a car door with your glutes. And maintain a neutral spine as you descend.
Now let’s talk about the bottom of the lift. That’s where a lot of people mess this up. The goal is not to touch the floor. The goal is to go as far as your hamstrings allow without losing back position. You’ll feel a deep stretch in the hamstrings when you’ve gone far enough.
For most lifters, that’s when the weight reaches somewhere around mid-shin or just below the knees. If you go too far, your back will start to round, and that’s not what we want.
The key here is control. I always tell my athletes, when you reach the bottom, pause for just half a second. Feel the tension in your hamstrings. Make sure your spine is still neutral. Then it's time to end the lift by driving your hips forward. Not your chest. Your hips.
You’re pushing your heels into the floor and squeezing your glutes hard to stand back up. Don’t lean back at the top. Just stand tall like you started.
Variations That Work for Different Goals
One thing I love about the RDL is how flexible it is. You don’t have to just stick with a barbell. You can do:
- Dumbbell RDLs: Great for lifters who struggle with back strain. The weights stay more to your sides which can help keep your center of gravity in check.
- Single-Leg RDLs: These are awesome for athletes in sports like football, soccer, or hockey. You run one leg at a time, so training that way improves balance and hip control.
- Trap Bar RDLs: Another great option if you’ve got any injuries or want to shift the load a bit for comfort.
All of these still hit the glutes and hamstrings. You just choose the version that works best for your body and your goals.
Now let’s say you don’t have a barbell or dumbbells. Or maybe you just like working with kettlebells. That’s totally fine. You can absolutely do Romanian Deadlifts with kettlebells, and it’s actually a great way to work on your form, especially if you're new to the movement or coming back from an injury.
Here’s how I coach it.
Start with a kettlebell in each hand if you’ve got two. Let them hang right at your sides. If you’ve only got one, that’s fine too. You can hold it with both hands in front of you like a goblet or do single-arm work for more core engagement. Just make sure your kettlebell isn't too heavy.
Feet are set about hip-width, same setup as with any RDL. Stand tall with a tight core, shoulders back, and knees soft, not locked, just slightly bent.
Now hinge your hips back. Let the kettlebells stay close to your body. If they’re at your sides, think about sliding them down your legs. If the kettlebell is in front, make sure it stays tight to your centerline. Don’t let it swing way out. That’s a good way to mess up your back.
Lower until you feel that stretch in your hamstrings. That’s the key. You’re not trying to hit the floor. You’re trying to load up the glutes and hammies with tension while keeping a flat back. Once you hit that end range, drive through your heels and push your hips forward to return to the top.
Kettlebells actually give you a little more freedom with how the weight moves, so it’s a nice option for people who want to reduce stress on the spine or work on balance and control. Plus, kettlebells can help you train unilaterally, one side at a time, which is great for evening out strength imbalances.
Why the RDL Is a Must for Powerlifters
Let me tell you what I see a lot in the gym. Powerlifters who are strong in the squat and the deadlift, but they’ve got weak hips. That catches up to you eventually. Your lockout suffers. Your balance is off. And when you’re fatigued, especially in a meet, your knees might lock out first and you’re left muscling the weight up with your hips and low back.
That’s where the RDL saves you. It strengthens the exact muscles that help you finish the lift. It builds those glutes and hamstrings in a way that regular deadlifts don’t. It also helps you stay strong when you’re bent over and you’ve got no leg drive left to give. That’s real-world carryover to your main lifts.
Programming the Romanian Deadlift
Here’s how I program the RDL as a workout. I put it on squat day. After your main squat sets and your backdowns. Once your legs are a little tired, that’s when you hit the RDL to target the hips and hamstrings.
Start with:
- 2 sets of 10 or 2 sets of 8 using dumbbells. Focus on a slow tempo. Go down for 3 seconds and come up for 3 seconds.
In your strength block, bump it up to 3 sets of 6 reps. Then when you’re in your power or peak block, go with 6 sets of 3. Lighter weight, more sets, and work on being explosive with your hip hinge.
The point is to teach your body how to move fast and powerfully through the hips. That’s what’s going to help you pull bigger numbers on the platform.
Final Thoughts
The Romanian Deadlift is more than just a deadlift variation. It’s a key tool to build up the butt, hamstrings, and low back. If you’re a powerlifter and you’re not doing RDLs, you’re missing out. They help you fix weak hips, protect your back, and develop serious pulling power.
Use good form. Pick the variation that fits your needs. And be consistent. You’ll feel the difference in your lifts, guaranteed.
