BIP.

Exercise library · Hamstrings

Dumbbell Romanian deadlift

Hip hinge for the hamstrings with dumbbells.

How to do it

1 of 3

Dumbbells in front of your thighs

  1. Starting position

    Stand hip-width with slightly bent knees and hold the dumbbells in front of your thighs with straight arms.

  2. The movement

    Push your hips back and lower the dumbbells close to your legs with a straight back until your hamstrings stretch, then drive your hips forward.

Most common mistake

Don't bend your knees like a squat, keep them slightly bent and move mainly through your hips.

Watch the video larger →

Muscle group
Hamstrings
Equipment
Dumbbells
Where
Home or gym
Logged as
Weight × reps

Muscles worked

The dumbbell Romanian deadlift is a hip hinge. Your hamstrings and glutes do most of the work as you drive your hips forward and stand up. Your hamstrings work in a stretched position on the way down, which is where most people feel it most. Your spinal erectors keep your back straight, and the adductors on the inside of your thigh help extend the hip. Your grip and upper back keep the dumbbells close.

Common mistakes

  • Your weight shifts onto your toes. As your hips go back, your weight should stay over mid-foot and heels. On your toes, you tip forward. Feel your whole foot on the floor throughout each rep.
  • Chasing depth. How far you can lower depends on your hamstring flexibility, and for many people that is somewhere between the knees and mid-shin. Go past that point and your back rounds. Turn around while your back is still straight, even if the dumbbells are far from the floor.
  • Looking up into the mirror. Bending your neck back to watch yourself breaks the line of your back. Look at the floor a little ahead of you, so your neck follows the rest of your spine.

Variations and alternatives

  • The Romanian deadlift with a barbell, once the dumbbells feel light and you want to add weight in small steps.
  • The single leg Romanian deadlift trains one leg at a time and gives plenty of work with light dumbbells, useful at home.
  • The dumbbell swing is the same hip movement done explosively, for conditioning and power.
  • The slider leg curl trains your hamstrings at the knee and complements the hinge at home.

Sets and reps

This exercise works best with 8 to 12 reps over three or four sets, as the second or third exercise in a leg session. With heavy dumbbells, 5 to 8 reps works for strength, but for really heavy sets a barbell is more practical. Up to 15 reps is fine for endurance. Beyond that, your grip and back often tire before your hamstrings. The guide to sets and reps explains more.

Apply progressive overload with reps first and heavier dumbbells second. At home, you often run out of dumbbells before your legs run out of strength. Then lower more slowly, say three seconds down, and pause for a second in the stretch, or switch to the single leg version. Keep a couple of reps in reserve on most sets, so your back stays straight until the last rep.

Also called

  • dumbbell rdl

Swap for

Taken, or missing the equipment? The same movement with something else.

Want it in a programme?

Tell BIP your goal and your equipment, and BIP builds a week with sets, reps and rest worked out. You log your weights as you train and watch yourself get stronger. The first week is free.

Create a programme →