Romanian Deadlift

Instructions

1. Stand tall holding a barbell with an overhand shoulder-width grip, feet hip-width apart.
2. Unlock your knees with a micro-bend (roughly 15–20 degrees) and freeze that knee angle in place.
3. Initiate by pushing your hips straight back toward the wall behind you, hinging at the waist.
4. Slide the bar closely down your thighs and shins while keeping your back completely flat.
5. Descend until you feel a maximum stretch in your hamstrings (usually mid-shin height).
6. Drive hips forward powerfully to return to standing, contracting your glutes and hamstrings.

Common Mistakes

• Bending knees into a conventional deadlift: Keep knee angle locked to isolate the posterior chain.
• Rounding the lumbar spine: Rounding removes stretch from hamstrings and strains back discs.
• Letting bar drift away from legs: Keep the barbell in direct contact with your legs.