What weight should I start with for Dumbbell Romanian Deadlifts?

Start with light to moderate dumbbells that allow you to maintain good form through the entire range of motion.

Should I keep my knees locked or slightly bent?

Keep them slightly bent and hold that same bend through the whole rep, so the hips do the moving. Locked knees make the stretch at the bottom harsher and harder to control, while letting the bend grow on the way down turns the lift into a squat-like deadlift.

How low should I go during the movement?

Lower the dumbbells until your hips stop moving back or your back starts to round, whichever comes first. For most people that is somewhere between just below the knees and mid-shin.

Should the dumbbells touch my legs?

Yes, or very nearly. Let them slide down the front of your thighs and past your knees, because the further they drift forward, the more leverage they have against your lower back and the more they pull your shoulders out of position.

Should I use an overhand or a neutral grip?

Either works. Palms facing your thighs keeps the dumbbells tracking down the front of your legs, while a neutral grip with the dumbbells at your sides can feel easier on the wrists and shoulders, and lifting straps help if your grip gives out before your hamstrings do.

Can I do this exercise one leg at a time?

Yes. The Dumbbell B-Stance Romanian Deadlift and the Dumbbell Single-Leg Deadlift load one leg at a time and challenge balance, and both can be done holding a single dumbbell. In a study of trained men doing the single-leg version, holding the dumbbell in the hand opposite the standing leg produced more gluteus maximus and gluteus medius activity than holding it on the same side.

Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift

What Is the Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift?

Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift is a compound exercise that primarily targets the hamstrings and glutes and also engages the adductor magnus, the spinal erectors and the grip. It is an intermediate-level movement because it depends on a well-grooved hip hinge: the hips travel back while the spine stays neutral and the knees hold the same slight bend from start to finish.

The exercise builds strength and size in the back of the thighs and the glutes by loading the hips through a long range of motion, with the hamstrings under load at long lengths near the bottom. It usually sits after the main squat or deadlift work as an accessory hinge, or serves as the main hinge in programs that have no barbell. In a six-week trial with healthy young adults, Romanian deadlifts done with a barbell and a slow lowering phase lengthened the biceps femoris fascicles and grew the hamstrings about as much as the Nordic Hamstring Curl did.

Holding a dumbbell in each hand changes the lift in a few useful ways. The weights hang at arm's length and slide down the front of the thighs, and because each arm carries its own load, the grip, upper back and lats work throughout the set to keep both dumbbells pinned to the legs. Dumbbells top out lighter than a loaded barbell, which makes this version easier to learn and well suited to moderate and higher rep ranges, while the Barbell Romanian Deadlift is the better choice when the goal is moving maximal loads. The Dumbbell B-Stance Romanian Deadlift and the Dumbbell Single-Leg Deadlift shift most of the work onto one leg at a time and add a balance challenge.

It suits anyone building posterior-chain strength, from general fitness clients to athletes in running and jumping sports. If keeping a flat back while the hips move back is still hard, build the pattern first with a Cable Pull-Through or a Kettlebell Deadlift, and add hip-extension strength with a Glute Bridge. Feeling the stretch build in the back of the thighs as the hips travel back is the most useful sign that the hinge is coming from the hips rather than the lower back.

Muscles Worked

MuscleActivation

Biceps Femoris: Primary
Gluteus Maximus: Primary
Semitendinosus: Primary
Semimembranosus: High
Adductor Magnus: Medium
Erector Spinae: Medium
Flexor Carpi Radialis: Low
Latissimus Dorsi: Low
Upper Trapezius: Low
Soleus: Minimal

Instructions

Stand upright with a dumbbell in each hand, arms fully extended, and palms facing your thighs.
Position your feet hip-width apart, keeping a slight bend in your knees.
Brace your core, pull your shoulders slightly back, and keep your neck in line with your spine.
Begin the movement by hinging at the hips, pushing your hips backward while lowering the dumbbells in front of your legs.
Let the dumbbells slide down the front of your thighs and past your knees, keeping your back flat and the bend in your knees unchanged.
Lower until you feel a strong stretch in your hamstrings, usually with the dumbbells just below your knees or at mid-shin, and stop before your back starts to round.
Reverse the motion by driving your hips forward and returning to the starting position, keeping the dumbbells close to your legs.
Finish standing tall with your glutes squeezed, without leaning back.
Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Common Mistakes

Rounding the lower back
Failing to maintain a neutral spine increases stress on the lower back and reduces effectiveness.
Bending the knees too much
Turning it into more of a squat motion takes emphasis off the hamstrings and glutes.
Lowering the dumbbells too far
Reaching past the point where your hips stop moving back can only be done by rounding the spine, which shifts the load from the hamstrings to the lower back.
Letting the weights drift away
Dumbbells should stay close to the legs throughout the movement to maintain control and protect the lower back.
Overextending at the top
Leaning back and arching the lower back at lockout stresses the spine without adding any work for the hips.
Rushing the lowering
Letting the dumbbells drop and bouncing out of the bottom takes tension off the hamstrings and makes it hard to feel when your back position starts to slip.

Injuries

Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift is a low risk exercise when performed with proper technique. Most problems come from the lower back rounding under load or from forcing depth past what the hamstrings allow, and because dumbbells top out at lighter loads than a barbell, the stakes are usually lower than in the barbell version.

The lower back takes the strain when the spine rounds at the bottom, which usually happens as the hamstrings run out of length and the lifter keeps reaching for the floor. The hamstrings themselves are most exposed when the dumbbells are dropped quickly into the stretch and bounced out of the bottom. Lower under control, stop where your hips stop moving back or your back starts to round, keep the dumbbells against your legs, and brace before every rep. Warm up thoroughly and progress weight gradually, and use lifting straps if your grip fails before your hamstrings do rather than letting the dumbbells pull your shoulders forward.

If your back rounds before the dumbbells pass your knees, shorten the range, use lighter dumbbells or groove the hinge first with a Cable Pull-Through or a Kettlebell Deadlift. Progress by adding load or slowing the lowering phase, then by moving to the Dumbbell B-Stance Romanian Deadlift, the Dumbbell Single-Leg Deadlift or the Barbell Romanian Deadlift.

Stop the set if you feel sharp pain in your lower back, a sudden pull or grab in the back of your thigh, or pain, numbness or tingling running down your leg, and have it checked before hinging under load again. Anyone returning from a hamstring strain or a back injury should agree depth and load with their physiotherapist.

Overview

Primary Focus: Glutes and hamstrings
Equipment: Dumbbell
Modality: Strength
Difficulty: Intermediate

Alternative Exercises

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What weight should I start with for Dumbbell Romanian Deadlifts?: Start with light to moderate dumbbells that allow you to maintain good form through the entire range of motion.
Q: Should I keep my knees locked or slightly bent?: Keep them slightly bent and hold that same bend through the whole rep, so the hips do the moving. Locked knees make the stretch at the bottom harsher and harder to control, while letting the bend grow on the way down turns the lift into a squat-like deadlift.
Q: How low should I go during the movement?: Lower the dumbbells until your hips stop moving back or your back starts to round, whichever comes first. For most people that is somewhere between just below the knees and mid-shin.
Q: Should the dumbbells touch my legs?: Yes, or very nearly. Let them slide down the front of your thighs and past your knees, because the further they drift forward, the more leverage they have against your lower back and the more they pull your shoulders out of position.
Q: Should I use an overhand or a neutral grip?: Either works. Palms facing your thighs keeps the dumbbells tracking down the front of your legs, while a neutral grip with the dumbbells at your sides can feel easier on the wrists and shoulders, and lifting straps help if your grip gives out before your hamstrings do.
Q: Can I do this exercise one leg at a time?: Yes. The Dumbbell B-Stance Romanian Deadlift and the Dumbbell Single-Leg Deadlift load one leg at a time and challenge balance, and both can be done holding a single dumbbell. In a study of trained men doing the single-leg version, holding the dumbbell in the hand opposite the standing leg produced more gluteus maximus and gluteus medius activity than holding it on the same side.