Romanian deadlift: how to do it
Main muscles: Hamstrings, Semitendinosus, Gluteus maximus. Helpers: Erector spinae (lower back). Below: step-by-step form, common mistakes, a muscle map, reps and rest, and what to swap it for.
Equipment
Barbell
Reps
8–12
Rest
105 s
Muscle group
Legs
How to do it
- Knees slightly bent and held at that angle for the whole movement.
- Push the hips back, the bar slides along the thighs, back flat.
- Lower until the hamstrings stretch, then stand up by driving the hips forward.
Common mistakes
Squatting instead of hinging, rounding the back, letting the bar drift away from the legs.
Muscles worked
primary·secondary
- Primary
- Hamstrings, Semitendinosus, Gluteus maximus
- Secondary
- Erector spinae (lower back)
A secondary muscle gets roughly half the stimulus of a set — that is also how the log’s stats count it.
Programs that use it
- Full body, 2 days3 × 8–12
- Full body, 3 days3 × 8–12
- Push, pull, legs — 3 days3 × 8–12
- Upper/lower, 4 days3 × 8–12
- 5-day split3 × 8–12
- Lower body focus, 3 days3 × 8–12
Alternatives: similar exercises
Deadlift
Barbell · Erector spinae (lower back), Gluteus maximus, Hamstrings, Semitendinosus
Good morning
Barbell · Hamstrings, Erector spinae (lower back), Gluteus maximus
Sumo deadlift
Barbell · Gluteus maximus, Rectus femoris, Hip adductors (inner thigh), Erector spinae (lower back)
Lying leg curl
Machine · Hamstrings, Semitendinosus
Seated leg curl
Machine · Hamstrings, Semitendinosus
Hip thrust
Barbell · Gluteus maximus, Gluteus medius
Log your sets — the app suggests the next weight
GymAssist tracks the load on each of 40 muscles, paints it on a body map and uses double progression to tell you when to add weight.
Free forever for the first 500