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Phoenix recommended equipment
strength · dumbbells / barbell

Romanian Deadlift

The single best hamstring and glute builder for most lifters.

3–4 × 8–10 12 minrest 90s

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Included in "Lower Body Builder" — 5 guided exercises with a rest timer.

Equipment
dumbbells, barbell
Rest
90s between sets
Primary muscles
hamstrings, glutes
Also works
lower back, core

How to do it

  1. Stand holding dumbbells or a barbell in front of your thighs, feet hip-width apart.
  2. Soften the knees to a small unlocked bend — hold that angle throughout.
  3. Hinge at the hips, sending your butt straight back.
  4. Slide the weight down the front of your legs until you feel a strong hamstring stretch (usually below the knee).
  5. Drive your hips forward to stand tall, squeezing glutes at the top.

Form cues

  • ✓Long spine from crown to tailbone
  • ✓Bar close to shins
  • ✓Feel it in hamstrings and glutes, not lower back

Common mistakes

  • ✗Turning it into a squat
  • ✗Rounding the lower back
  • ✗Hyperextending at the top

Progressions

  • Bodyweight hip hinge → dumbbell RDL → barbell RDL → single-leg RDL

Workouts that include this

Legs & Glutes
Lower Body Builder
30 min · 5 exercises
Compound
Full Body Strength
40 min · 6 exercises

More muscle building exercises

Goblet Squat
3–4 × 8–12
Dumbbell Bench Press
3–4 × 8–12
One-Arm Dumbbell Row
3–4 × 8–12 per side
Standing Overhead Press
3–4 × 6–10
All muscle building exercises