Romanian Deadlift
Also called: rdl, barbell rdl, bb rdl
The hinge that grows hamstrings: hips travel back, bar stays close, stretch does the teaching.
Technique
How to do it
- 1
Start standing, bar at hips (from a rack or a single deadlift).
- 2
Push the hips straight back, soft knees, bar sliding down the thighs.
- 3
Stop when the hamstrings say so — usually mid-shin — spine long.
- 4
Drive the hips through to stand. Squeeze, don't lean back.
Cue bank
Two cues, picked by context
Internal cues for growth work at moderate loads; external cues when the bar is heavy. The app switches automatically.
“Ride the hamstring stretch down like an elevator, then stand on it.”
“Push your hips back to the wall behind you.”
Common faults
What to watch for
Standard coaching taxonomy for this movement. A dedicated Harry Spotter rubric is on the roadmap.
Squatting the movement
Knees forward = quads gatecrash the hamstring party.
Fix: Shins vertical; hips back like closing a car door with them.
Bar drifting off the legs
Every centimetre multiplies lower-back torque.
Fix: Drag the bar down the thighs.
Chasing floor touch
Depth beyond your hinge is just spinal flexion in disguise.
Fix: Range ends where the hamstring stretch peaks.
Substitutions