Variations — what changes
Romanian (RDL)
Starts from the top, soft knees, stops at the hamstring stretch.
Hamstrings and glutes under tension the whole set.
Stiff-leg
Legs straighter, often from the floor each rep.
More hamstring stretch and more lower-back demand.
Dumbbell RDL
Dumbbells slide down the front of the legs.
Easier to learn; good higher-rep option.
Good morning
Bar on your back instead of in your hands.
Same hinge, more lower back. Go light.
Setup
- Start standing with the bar (lift it off a rack or deadlift it up).
- Soft knees, shoulder blades pulled back.
Doing the rep
- Push your hips straight back like you're closing a car door with your butt.
- Slide the bar down your thighs; stop when your hips stop moving back — usually around mid-shin.
- Keep your back flat the whole time; squeeze your glutes to stand up.
Common mistakes
- Bending the knees more and more until it turns into a squat.
- Reaching for the floor by rounding your back.
Stop if something hurts sharply. When you're learning a lift, start light and film a set from the side to check it.
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