Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift

Muscles worked

Setup

1. Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand in front of your thighs with an overhand grip.
2. Pull your shoulder blades back and down to 'pack' your lats and maintain a neutral spine.
3. Soften your knees slightly, but keep your legs relatively straight throughout the entire set.

How to do it

1. Inhale and initiate the movement by pushing your hips straight back as if trying to touch a wall behind you with your glutes.
2. Lower the dumbbells slowly along the front of your legs, keeping them close to your shins, until you feel a maximum stretch in your hamstrings.
3. Exhale and drive your hips forward to return to the starting position, squeezing your glutes hard at the top.
4. Maintain a controlled 3-0-1-0 tempo, focusing on a slow three-second descent.

Form checklist

• Keep the dumbbells in contact with or very close to your legs at all times to protect the lower back.
• Maintain a flat, neutral spine from head to tailbone; do not allow your shoulders to round forward.
• Stop the descent once your hips stop moving backward; going lower usually results in unwanted back rounding.
• Keep your weight distributed through your mid-foot and heels rather than shifting onto your toes.

Pro tips

• Focus on the 'horizontal' movement of the hips rather than the 'vertical' movement of the weights to ensure the hamstrings are doing the work.
• Imagine you are holding oranges in your armpits and trying to squeeze the juice out to keep your upper back and lats fully engaged.

Make it harder

• Add a 2-second pause at the bottom of the movement to maximize time under tension in the stretched position.
• Perform the exercise as a Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift to increase the stability demand and isolate each hamstring.

Frequently asked

What muscles does the dumbbell romanian deadlift work?

The dumbbell romanian deadlift primarily targets the erector spinae, glutes, and hamstrings, and also works the abs and obliques as secondary muscles.

What equipment do you need for the dumbbell romanian deadlift?

The dumbbell romanian deadlift uses dumbbell.

Is the dumbbell romanian deadlift good for beginners?

The dumbbell romanian deadlift is rated intermediate. Build a base with simpler variations first, then progress to it with light load and strict form.

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