Romanian Deadlift
How to do the Romanian Deadlift with correct form, the muscles it works, and where it fits a training plan you actually stick to.
Hamstrings
Calves, Glutes, Lower Back
Barbell
How to do the Romanian Deadlift
- 1
Put a barbell in front of you on the ground and grab it using a pronated (palms facing down) grip that a little wider than shoulder width. Tip: Depending on the weight used, you may need wrist wraps to perform the exercise and also a raised platform in order to allow for better range of motion.
- 2
Bend the knees slightly and keep the shins vertical, hips back and back straight. This will be your starting position.
- 3
Keeping your back and arms completely straight at all times, use your hips to lift the bar as you exhale. Tip: The movement should not be fast but steady and under control.
- 4
Once you are standing completely straight up, lower the bar by pushing the hips back, only slightly bending the knees, unlike when squatting. Tip: Take a deep breath at the start of the movement and keep your chest up. Hold your breath as you lower and exhale as you complete the movement.
- 5
Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Log it, see it on your body.
Every Romanian Deadlift set you log feeds Ascend's anatomy heatmap, so your hamstrings volume is visible at a glance, and counts toward your bodyweight-strength tier.
Where the Romanian Deadlift fits
The Romanian Deadlift shows up in training built around a specific goal. See how it fits:
More hamstrings exercises
Romanian Deadlift: common questions
What muscles does the Romanian Deadlift work?
The Romanian Deadlift primarily works the Hamstrings. It also recruits the Calves, Glutes and Lower Back as supporting muscles.
Is the Romanian Deadlift suitable for beginners?
The Romanian Deadlift is an intermediate-level exercise. It's best once you've built a base of general strength and movement control, beginners can work up to it.
What equipment do I need for the Romanian Deadlift?
To do the Romanian Deadlift you'll need a barbell.
Is the Romanian Deadlift a compound or isolation exercise?
The Romanian Deadlift is a compound exercise, it moves multiple joints and works several muscle groups at once, which makes it efficient for building overall strength.
How do I do the Romanian Deadlift with correct form?
Put a barbell in front of you on the ground and grab it using a pronated (palms facing down) grip that a little wider than shoulder width. Tip: Depending on the weight used, you may need wrist wraps to perform the exercise and also a raised platform in order to allow for better range of motion. Follow the full step-by-step above for the complete movement.
Log your Romanian Deadlift sets, free.
Waitlist members get TestFlight + Play Store internal-track invites and a founder badge on their profile.
The app is free. Club adds the coach, leagues and analytics.
Core tracking stays free forever, the climb, streaks, logging and your league tiers. Club is for when you want the full coach, worldwide competition and the depth, at about the price of one coffee a month.
14-day free trial · no card to start
| Free | Club | |
|---|---|---|
| Tracking, the climb and streaks | ||
| Per-set logging, PR detection, wearables | ||
| Muscle-league tiers | ||
| The AI coach | nudges | Full conversation |
| Worldwide leagues and challenges | , | |
| PR projections and deep analytics | , | |
| Unlimited crews | , | |
| Themes, export and higher AI limits | , |