Open Exercise

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Catalogue

Barbell Romanian Deadlift

oec:barbell-romanian-deadlift

A hip-hinge barbell exercise emphasizing eccentric loading of the hamstrings and glutes while maintaining a neutral spine.

Generated by gemini-3.8-flash from the sources below. No person has checked this record. Don't rely on it for safety.

Also called: RDL, Barbell RDL, Romanian Deadlift, rdls, Barbell Romanian Deadlift (RDL)

How to do it

Setup

  1. Stand tall holding a loaded barbell with an overhand, shoulder-width grip.
  2. Position your feet hip-width apart with toes pointing forward or slightly outward.
  3. Pull your shoulder blades back and down, brace your core, and unlock your knees slightly.

Movement

  1. Hinge at the hips by pushing your pelvis straight backward while keeping a soft, fixed bend in your knees.
  2. Lower the barbell in a straight line close to your thighs and shins until you feel a deep stretch in your hamstrings.
  3. Reverse the motion once your hips stop traveling backward, driving your hips forward to return to the upright starting position.
  4. Finish by squeezing your glutes at the top without hyperextending your lower back.

Breathing

Inhale and brace your core at the top before hinging; exhale as you lock out your hips near the top of the ascent.

Cues

  • Push your hips to the wall behind you
  • Keep the bar glued to your legs
  • Maintain a soft knee bend without squatting
  • Proud chest throughout the descent

Common faults

Rounding the lumbar spine to reach lower to the floor.
Stop descending when your hips stop moving backward; range of motion is determined by hamstring flexibility, not touching the floor.
Squatting the weight down by bending the knees excessively.
Keep your knees softly unlocked at a fixed angle and focus entirely on pushing your hips backward.
Allowing the barbell to drift away from the legs.
Engage your lats to keep the bar skimming along your thighs and shins throughout the lift.

Safety

  • Do not sacrifice neutral spinal alignment to gain extra depth.
  • Use lifting straps if grip fatigue compromises form.

Muscles

  • Hamstrings prime mover
  • Gluteus maximus prime mover
  • Adductor magnus synergist
  • Erector spinae stabilizer
  • Latissimus dorsi stabilizer
  • Wrist and finger flexors stabilizer

Joints

  • Hip: Flexion, Extension
  • Knee: Isometric stabilization
  • Lumbar spine: Isometric stabilization
  • Thoracic spine: Isometric stabilization

Details

Movement
Hip hinge
Modality
Strength, Hypertrophy
Mechanics
compound
Force
pull
Laterality
bilateral
Kinetic chain
closed
Level
intermediate
Equipment
Barbell
Record
Repetitions and Load
Load
external, total

Related

Sources

This record: CC-BY-SA-4.0.

Data

barbell-romanian-deadlift.json