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Dumbbell Romanian deadlift

Also called dumbbell RDL, DB Romanian deadlift, dumbbell stiff-leg deadlift.

What is a dumbbell Romanian deadlift?

A dumbbell Romanian deadlift is a hip hinge performed with a dumbbell in each hand. You push the hips back with softly bent knees, lower the weights close to the legs until the hamstrings limit the range, then stand by extending the hips.

Anatomical illustration of a man performing a dumbbell Romanian deadlift in two side-view frames, with the hamstrings and glutes highlighted.

How do you perform a dumbbell Romanian deadlift?

Set up

  1. Stand with a dumbbell in each hand, feet around hip width and the weights resting in front of your thighs.
  2. Soften your knees, brace your trunk and draw your shoulders gently back and down.

Execution

  1. Push your hips behind you while keeping the dumbbells close to your legs and your shins nearly vertical.
  2. Stop when you feel a strong hamstring stretch or before your back position changes; the dumbbells do not need to reach the floor.
  3. Drive your feet into the floor and bring your hips forward to stand tall without leaning back.

Common mistakes

  • Turning the hinge into a squat

    Excessive knee bend sends the hips down instead of back and changes the movement. Keep a soft, mostly fixed knee angle while the hips travel behind you.

  • Reaching the dumbbells toward the floor

    Floor contact is not the target. Stop at the deepest range you can reach through the hips without rounding the back or losing balance.

  • Letting the weights drift forward

    A larger gap increases the demand on the back and makes the hinge harder to control. Let the dumbbells skim close to the thighs and shins.

Where it fits in a session

Use it as the main hinge in a dumbbell session or as hamstring-focused work after squats or heavier deadlifts.

Choose a load that lets the hips set the depth on every rep. Straps can help when grip fails before the hamstrings, but they do not change the movement.

Muscles worked

Front
Front — Schematic surface view. Some muscles are partly visible or not shown.
Back
Back — Schematic surface view. Some muscles are partly visible or not shown.

Primary

Secondary

Select a muscle name to locate it.

Schematic surface view. Some muscles are partly visible or not shown.

The hamstrings and gluteus maximus extend the hips, while the spinal erectors help hold the trunk steady during the hinge.

Variations

  • Two frames of the same anatomical figure, a woman, performing a barbell Romanian deadlift, shown from the side against white. Left: the bottom of the rep, hips pushed back, torso close to horizontal, knees clearly bent rather than locked, arms hanging straight with the bar at about knee height just in front of the shins. Right: the finish, standing tall and upright with the bar held at the hips. The barbell carries one plate a side. Highlighted in red on both frames are the glutes and the hamstrings down the back of the thigh, with the shading continuing into the calf; in the standing frame the fronts of the thighs and the forearms are shaded as well. The lower back is left unshaded in both.
    Barbell Romanian deadliftUses one bar in front of the thighs, allowing both hands to share a single load.
  • Single-leg Romanian deadlift — Performs the hinge mainly on one leg and adds a larger balance demand.
  • Kettlebell Romanian deadlift — Holds one or two kettlebells while keeping the same hip-hinge pattern.

Related tools

Frequently asked questions

What muscles do dumbbell Romanian deadlifts work?

The hamstrings and gluteus maximus are the main targets. The spinal erectors help keep the trunk steady while you hinge.

How low should the dumbbells go?

Lower until the hamstrings limit the hinge or your back position would change. The right depth depends on your proportions and mobility, not on touching the floor.

Should the knees bend during a dumbbell Romanian deadlift?

Yes, but only slightly. Set a soft knee bend and keep it fairly steady as the hips move back.

Sources

  1. Hu Y, Raja A. Anatomy, Bony Pelvis and Lower Limb, Hamstring Muscle. StatPearls. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK546688/
  2. Elzanie A, Borger J. Anatomy, Bony Pelvis and Lower Limb, Gluteus Maximus Muscle. StatPearls. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK538193/
  3. Henson B, Kadiyala B, Edens MA. Anatomy, Back, Muscles. StatPearls. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537074/

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