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Romanian deadlift

Gym (women) / Popular

Train the hip hinge with hamstring tension, neutral spine, and controlled tempo.

What coaches agree on

  • The Romanian deadlift is a hip-hinge, not a squat: push your hips straight back and let your torso lean forward as one long, neutral-spined unit, keeping a soft bend in the knees and your shins close to vertical.
  • Keep the bar or weight tracking close against your legs for the entire descent and ascent.
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  • Brace your core before you hinge, often with a breath in through the nose, and keep your lats engaged throughout to protect your spine.

Common mistakes

  • Going too low, especially forcing the bar or dumbbells all the way to the floor, rounds the lower back and shifts the load off the hamstrings.
  • Hyperextending or arching the lower back to lock out at the top instead of finishing the rep with a glute squeeze.