Fysiqal

Hip Hinge · Intermediate

Romanian Deadlift

Compound hip hinge exercise using barbell.
Movement pattern
Hip Hinge
Difficulty
Intermediate
Equipment
Barbell
Mechanics
Compound
Sides
Bilateral
Main plane
Sagittal

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How to do the Romanian Deadlift

Cues reviewed by Kwabena Osei on

Setup

Start from standing with the bar at hip height (usually unracked or top of a pull), soft knee bend held constant throughout.

  1. Push your hips straight back while keeping the bar close, sliding down your thighs.

  2. Keep your knee bend roughly constant -- this is a hip hinge, not a squat, so the knees shouldn't travel forward.

  3. Lower until you feel a strong hamstring stretch (usually mid-shin to just below the knee), then drive the hips forward to reverse.

Common mistakes

  • Letting the knees bend more as you descend, which turns the RDL into a squat and takes tension off the hamstrings.

  • Rounding the lower back to chase more range -- the real range limit is hamstring flexibility, not how far you can round the spine.

Muscles worked

Primary

Secondary

How the knowledge graph models this movement

Each joint action, with the role and emphasis the graph assigns each muscle. These are qualitative anatomical labels, not measured muscle activation.

  • Hip extensionprimary action

    Biceps femoris long head (prime mover, high emphasis); Semitendinosus (prime mover, high emphasis); Semimembranosus (prime mover, high emphasis); Gluteus maximus (prime mover, moderate emphasis); Adductor magnus (synergist, low emphasis)

  • Spine extensionsecondary action

    Erector spinae (stabilizer, high emphasis)

Related exercises

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From the Knowledge Library

Educational content only — not medical advice. Consult a qualified professional for individual guidance, especially around injury, pregnancy or medical conditions.