How to do a Romanian deadlift
The Romanian deadlift teaches the hip hinge, bending at the hips while your back stays flat, and builds the hamstrings and glutes. It is the movement behind safely lifting anything off the floor.
Step by step
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding dumbbells or a bar in front of your thighs.
- Soften your knees slightly and keep them at that angle for the whole rep.
- Push your hips straight back, letting the weights slide down close to your legs while your back stays flat.
- Lower until you feel a strong stretch in your hamstrings, usually around mid-shin.
- Squeeze your glutes and drive your hips forward to stand tall, without leaning back at the top.
Common mistakes the coach checks
- Back rounding. Keep your chest proud and shoulders back; only hinge as far as you can with a flat back.
- Squatting it. Keep a soft, fixed bend in your knees; the movement comes from your hips.
- Hips not going back. Start the movement by pushing your hips backward, not by bending forward.
- Not hinging far enough. Hinge until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings, weights around knee height or lower.
- Short range. Hinge a little further while keeping your back flat.
- Not finishing tall. Drive your hips through and stand fully upright at the top of each rep.
- Lowering too fast. Take two seconds to lower — the stretch is where the work happens.
Sets and reps
Start light: 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps with a slow, controlled lowering. Add weight only when your back stays flat on every rep.
Make it easier or harder
- Easier: Practise with a broomstick along your spine touching your head, upper back and tailbone, or hinge back until your hips touch a wall.
- Harder: Single-leg Romanian deadlifts, or a two-second pause at the bottom.
Stay safe
Never round your lower back to reach further; the range comes from your hips. Keep the weight close to your legs.
Check your form with the AI coach
Place your phone at hip height, 2–3 m to your side, whole body in view. Side-on is the only way I can see your hip hinge and whether your back stays flat. It counts your reps and tells you out loud when your form slips.
Start a romanian deadlift set