Dumbbell Romanian deadlift
Hamstrings and glutes; lower back as a stabiliser.
How to do it
- Standing, a dumbbell in each hand in front of your thighs, feet hip-width apart.
- Unlock your knees slightly and keep them that way for the whole movement.
- Push your hips back, letting the dumbbells slide down close to your legs.
- Lower until you feel a good stretch behind your thighs (usually mid-shin), with your back straight.
- Come back up by driving your hips forward and squeezing your glutes.
Cues
- The hips go back, not down: it's not a squat.
- Dumbbells close to your legs.
- Neutral back from head to hips.
Common mistakes
- Rounding your back to reach lower.
- Bending your knees a lot.
- Letting the dumbbells drift away from your body.
The range ends where your back stops being straight, not at the floor. With light dumbbells, lower in 3 seconds to make it count.
Photos: free-exercise-db (public domain).
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