Barbell Romanian Deadlift

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Place a barbell in front of you on the floor, with your hands holding the barbell using an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees slightly and hinge at the hips, keeping your back straight and chest up. Lower the barbell down towards the ground, keeping it close to your body as you feel a stretch in your hamstrings. Pause when you reach the lowest point, then engage your hamstring and glute muscles to slowly lift the barbell back up to the starting position. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

How to perform the Barbell Romanian Deadlift

  1. Set up. Set up in a stable, balanced starting position appropriate for the Barbell Romanian Deadlift using your barbell.
  2. Brace and execute. Brace your core, control the descent, and move through a full pain-free range of motion while emphasizing your hamstrings.
  3. Reset. Reverse the movement under control and reset between repetitions, keeping your form crisp on every rep.

Coaching cues

  • Move with intent — every rep should feel deliberate, not rushed.
  • Drive force through your hamstrings rather than momentum.
  • Keep your breathing steady: exhale on the hard part, inhale on the reset.

Common mistakes

  • Using too much weight and losing positional control.
  • Cutting the range of motion short and missing the target muscle.
  • Letting your spine round or hyperextend instead of staying neutral.

Detailed cues, common mistakes, and demonstration video are available in the Fitly app.

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Variations of Barbell Romanian Deadlift

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