Romanian deadlift
Hamstrings and glutes; spinal erectors as stabilisers.
How to do it
- Standing with the bar in your hands (take it from a rack), shoulder-width grip.
- Knees slightly bent and fixed.
- Push your hips back as if closing a door with your backside, letting the bar slide down your thighs.
- Lower until you feel a good stretch in your hamstrings (usually mid-shin), with your back straight.
- Come back up by driving your hips forward and squeezing your glutes.
Cues
- It's a hip hinge, not a squat.
- Bar against your legs the whole way.
- The range ends where your back starts to round.
Common mistakes
- Bending the knees too much.
- Rounding your back to go lower.
- Letting the bar drift away from your body.
As in the deadlift: finish at the top with your glutes squeezed, without arching your back.
Photos: free-exercise-db (public domain).
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