How to do the Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift
- Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding dumbbells at your thighs.
- Bend your knees slightly and push your hips back, keeping dumbbells close.
- Lower the dumbbells along your legs until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings.
- Push through your feet and squeeze your glutes to return to the start.
- Keep your back straight throughout this movement to protect it.
Full technique — 7 steps
- Stand tall with feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand at your thighs.
- Set a slight knee bend, pull your shoulders back, and keep the dumbbells close to your legs.
- Tighten your stomach and hinge by pushing your hips straight back without squatting down.
- Lower the dumbbells along your thighs and shins while keeping your spine neutral.
- Continue descending until your hamstrings reach a strong stretch and your hips stop moving back.
- Drive your feet into the floor and extend your hips to bring the dumbbells back up.
- Finish standing tall with hips fully extended and dumbbells returned to the starting position.
Common mistakes
- Turning the hinge into a squat
- Letting dumbbells drift away
- Bending knees more on descent
- Rounding through the lower back
- Hyperextending at the top
Form cues
- Push hips straight back
- Keep dumbbells close
- Slight knee bend, fixed angle
- Stop at hamstring stretch
- Stand tall at top
