Romanian Deadlift: A Guide for Women

The Romanian Deadlift (RDL) is a powerful exercise that every woman should have somewhere in her workout routine. It is ideal for building strength and power into your posterior chain, this will not only help you better perform your conventional deadlifts, it will also support your everyday functional fitness. Let’s dive into everything you need to know about the RDL, including its history, benefits, technique, and why it’s perfect for women looking to elevate their fitness game.

Romanian Deadlift: A Guide for Women Contents

What is the Romanian Deadlift?

The History of the Romanian Deadlift

Key Benefits of Romanian Deadlifts for Women

Muscles Worked in the Romanian Deadlift

How to Perform the Romanian Deadlift (Step-by-Step)

Romanian Deadlift vs. Stiff-Legged Deadlift

Variations and Progressions

How to Progress The Romanian Deadlift

How To Build A Workout Plan Around The Romanian Deadlift

Need A Workout Plan?

FAQs About the Romanian Deadlift

Our Conclusion About The Romanian Deadlift

What is the Romanian Deadlift?

The Romanian Deadlift, or RDL, is a variation of the traditional deadlift, focusing on the posterior chain (the muscles along the back of your body). Unlike the conventional deadlift, the RDL starts at the top position (standing upright) and requires complete control and tension throughout the entire set.

This exercise is a game-changer for women aiming to build strong, toned hamstrings, glutes, and lower back, all while improving posture and supporting the prevention of future injuries.

The History of the Romanian Deadlift

The RDL originated from Olympic weightlifter Nicu Vlad, a Romanian athlete who used this movement to strengthen his back and hamstrings for the clean-and-jerk exercise. Fellow lifters observed his unique approach during training sessions in the 1980s. Since the movement didn’t have a name, it was dubbed the “Romanian Deadlift” in honor of Vlad’s home country.

The RDL has since become a staple in strength training, loved for its ability to help athletes build strength and technique in a variety of sports.

Key Benefits of Romanian Deadlifts for Women

Why should women embrace the Romanian Deadlift? Here are the standout benefits:

Strengthens the Posterior Chain

The RDL targets the glutes, hamstrings, and lower back—key areas for building a strong and powerful lower body from behind.

Improves Posture

Sitting all day can weaken your posterior chain. RDLs counteract this by strengthening the muscles that keep your spine aligned and shoulders back.

Boosts Athletic Performance

Whether you’re a lifter, a runner, swimmer, or just love high-intensity workouts, stronger hamstrings and glutes will enhance your overall power and endurance.

Functional Strength

With a strong posterior chain you make everyday activities like walking up stairs, picking up boxes and moving furniture much easier.

Injury Prevention

By reinforcing the posterior chain, RDLs reduce the risk of common injuries like lower back pain or hamstring strains.

Cross-Training Benefits

The hip-hinge movement in RDLs translates to better performance in squats, cleans, kettlebell swings, and other powerful lifting exercises.

Muscles Worked in the Romanian Deadlift

The Romanian Deadlift is an almost full-body exercise with a focus on these muscles:

Primary Muscles:

Glutes

Hamstrings

Lower back (erector spinae)

Secondary Muscles:

Forearms (grip strength)

Upper back (to maintain posture)

Core (for stability)

This combination not only builds functional strength but also helps to sculpt a balanced physique. It’s also important to note that the Romanian Deadlift, much like the traditional deadlift, is one of those exercises that you will be able to move maximum weight through.

What that means for the target muscles is that you will be working them even harder than you would if you were working each muscle group in isolation.

How to Perform the Romanian Deadlift (Step-by-Step)

Follow these steps to master the Romanian Deadlift with proper form:

Setup:

Stand with feet hip-width apart.

Place the barbell over your shoelaces.

Grip the bar with hands slightly wider than shoulder-width, palms facing down and push through your heels as you bring the bar up the front of your body towards the top of your thighs.

Start Position:

Stand tall with the barbell in front of your thighs with your arms fully extended.

Keep your back straight, core engaged, and shoulders pulled back and down.

The Movement:

Push your hips back while maintaining a slight bend in your knees.

Lower the barbell towards the floor in a straight line, keeping it close to your legs.

Stop when you feel a stretch in your hamstrings or when your torso is almost parallel to the floor.

Return to Start:

Engage your glutes and hamstrings to drive your hips forward.

Return to the starting position, keeping your back straight and controlled.

Pro Tip: Start with an unloaded barbell and focus on mastering the hip hinge movement. Never round your back, and maintain good form throughout.

Add weight progressively as you become more confident with this exercise.

Romanian Deadlift vs. Stiff-Legged Deadlift

Many confuse the Romanian Deadlift with the stiff-legged deadlift. It’s fair since they are very similar exercises, but the fact is, they are not the same.

Here’s how they differ:

Knee Position

With the Romanian deadlift you maintain a slight bend in your knee. On a stiff-legged deadlift your legs remain almost straight throughout.

Muscle Focus

The Romanian deadlift places more emphasis on the hamstrings and glutes, whereas with the stiff-legged deadlift there is more emphasis on the lower back.

Start Position

The Romanian deadlift starts from a standing position and you do not put the bar down throughout the set, the stiff-legged deadlift starts and ends on the floor with each rep.

Both deadlift variations are worth adding to your overall routine, though there isn’t much benefit to doing both variations in the same workout. Try to mix it up between workouts.

Variations and Progressions

To keep things fresh and challenging, try these variations:

Snatch Grip Romanian Deadlift:

Use a wide grip to increase the range of motion and engage the upper back more.

Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift:

Perfect for improving balance and isolating each leg individually.

Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift:

Swap the barbell for dumbbells for more flexibility and range of motion.

Paused Romanian Deadlift:

Pause mid-rep to maximise time under tension and build strength.

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How to Progress The Romanian Deadlift

Gradually increase the weight while maintaining proper form.

Experiment with grip styles (clean, snatch, or mixed grip).

Adjust your reps and sets to focus on strength or endurance.

How To Build A Workout Plan Around The Romanian Deadlift

The Romanian deadlift is an exercise to build a workout plan around. Where this exercise features, do it first, unless you are also performing a conventional deadlift in that plan.

This is the ideal exercise to fit into your lower body workout plans or your leg workout plan. It could also feature in a bum & thighs workout plan.

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FAQs About the Romanian Deadlift

Does the Romanian Deadlift work the back?

Yes, it strengthens the lower and upper back, improving posture and stability.

Will the Romanian Deadlift help me improve my conventional deadlift?

100% it will. Definitely use this deadlift variation around your conventional deadlifts to improve your overall performance.

Do RDLs work the forearms?

Absolutely! Your grip strength improves as your forearms work hard to maintain your grip on the bar.

Why is it called the Romanian Deadlift?

It’s named after Romanian weightlifter Nicu Vlad, who popularised the movement.

What deadlift variation is best for the glutes?

Sumo deadlifts will place additional emphasis on the glutes. See What Muscles Do Deadlifts Work for more info.

Where should I feel the RDL working the most?

In your lower back, hamstrings and glutes.

Our Conclusion About The Romanian Deadlift

The Romanian Deadlift is a must-have exercise for women seeking strength, balance, and confidence in the gym. Its ability to build a strong posterior chain, prevent injuries, and improve overall functional fitness makes it invaluable.

Add the RDL to your routine, start light, and progress steadily. With consistent practice, you’ll see—and feel—the incredible results. Stronger glutes, better posture, and greater confidence await!

Update

This article was originally published in 2018 and has been updated in 2024.