Romanian Deadlift
Reviewed by Bryan Cortez, MS
Hips back, not down — the stretch in the hamstring is the whole point.
Coaching profile
hip-hinge default. This page is the practical coaching layer: use it for setup, cues, programming, pain-free adjustments, and substitutions. The complete biomechanics tier list lives on the muscle page.
How the rankings are built →Demonstration
Demonstration production queue
The written coaching card is ready. The owned video is next.
Physique Skool is filming one canonical demonstration per exercise. Until this movement is published, use the setup, execution, common errors, programming, and substitutions below.
Browse Physique Skool on YouTubeHow to do it
Setup
- Bar at the hips, soft knees, shoulder-width grip, brace and pull the shoulders back.
Execution
- Push the hips straight back so the bar drags down the thighs. Feel the hamstring stretch and stop before the back rounds. Drive the hips through to stand.
Common Errors
- Squatting it (bending the knees) instead of hinging
- Rounding the lower back chasing depth
- Bar drifting away from the legs
- Hyperextending/leaning back at the top
Cues That Work
- Close the car door with the hips; keep the bar on the legs; stop when the pelvis stops moving
No-Fly Zone
over 20 reps (lower-back fatigue outpaces the hamstring stimulus)
Programming
Sequence priority
Early
Heavy hinge with real lower-back fatigue — early, after your main squat/quad work, while the spine is fresh.
Progression
Model — Double
Fallback model — Linear
Double progression: 8→12, then add 5-10 lb and reset. Keep 1-3 in reserve — RDLs to failure trash the lower back.
Best program fit
Pull, Legs, Lower
Load increments
If it hurts
Pain is information, not a challenge to push through. Stop the set if pain is sharp, worsening, or changes how you move. These are exercise-selection options, not medical diagnosis or rehabilitation advice.
Work down this list in order. Stop at the first change that removes the pain.
Step 1
Setup tweaks
Stance width; grip width; how far back you sit the hips.
Step 2
ROM / tempo / bias
Slow 3-sec eccentric; pause at the stretch; stand on a plate (deficit) for more ROM.
Step 3
Implement swap
Dumbbell RDL (easier grip), single-leg RDL, or lying/seated leg curl for pure hamstring isolation.
Substitutions
Approved fallback
Dumbbell RDL (easier grip), single-leg RDL, or lying/seated leg curl for pure hamstring isolation.
Compare all hamstrings optionsThe Evidence
Builds hamstring and glute mass with a big lengthened stretch. Does NOT bend the knees — it's a hip hinge, not a squat.
SFR — 0.8
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