Romanian Deadlift (RDL)

The following is an exclusive excerpt from the book Exercise Technique Manual for Resistance Training-3rd Edition with Online Video, published by Human Kinetics. All text and images provided by Human Kinetics.

Starting Position

• Grasp the bar with a closed, pronated grip. This can be done using the clean grip or the snatch grip.
• Follow the starting position and upward movement guidelines of the deadlift exercise (see exercise 2.4) to get in the correct starting position for this exercise, but with one important exception: The knees are slightly flexed and remain in this position throughout the downward and upward movements.
• All repetitions begin from this position.
• Begin the downward movement by lowering the bar slowly, making sure that the bar remains as close as possible to the body.
• As the bar is lowered, the hips flex and move backward.
• Keep the arms straight and relaxed to allow the lower body to handle the load.
• The knees remain slightly flexed as the hips move backward.
• The shoulders move forward as the hips move backward and remain directly over, or in front of, the bar.
• The balance of the foot (center of mass) starts in the midfoot and, as the bar is lowered, begins to move toward the heel.
• Lower the bar just below the knees to the tibial tuberosity, or until a neutral spine cannot be maintained.
• Once the bar reaches its lowest point, extend the hips to begin the upward movement.
• The bar should remain as close to the body as possible.
• The hips move forward as they extend, while the shoulders move backward as the torso moves toward the vertical position.
• Keep the arms straight and relaxed to allow the lower body to handle the load.
• The balance of the foot (center of mass) starts in the heel, and as the bar is raised, begins to move toward the midfoot.
• Continue the upward movement until the body reaches the starting position.

Downward Movement

Upward Movement

Exercise Technique Manual for Resistance Training, Third Edition with Online Video, explains 70 resistance training exercises with step-by-step instructions, photos, and online video demonstrations. The book is available in bookstores everywhere, as well as online at the NSCA Store.