Glutes · Hip hinge
One-Cable Romanian Deadlift
The One-Cable Romanian Deadlift mainly trains your hamstrings and glutes. Also working: lower back and forearms.
One cable
Stable
How to do it
- Stand close to the pulley, feet hip-width, the cable runs between your shins
- Push your hips back, knees slightly bent, back straight
- Slide the bar down close to your thighs to just below the knee
- Squeeze your glutes and drive your hips forward
Coach’s tip
On one cable, a deadlift only works with a bar that hangs from its center. The closer you stand to the pulley, the more vertical the pull and the less it drags you forward. If the stack bottoms out before you’re all the way down, stand on a plate or a step.
Noticeably loads the lower back. If you tell DCFT that this joint bothers you, the app leaves exercises like this one out and picks a better supported alternative.
Setup
Pulley
Pulley at the bottom
Grip
Short bar or EZ bar, overhand grip, clipped in at the center
Load
One cable
You need
one of: Short straight bar, EZ bar
Stability
A bench, the floor or the frame takes the counterforce, or the cable pulls straight up or down. Good for heavy sets.
Alternatives
Other exercises for the same movement (hip hinge). In DCFT you can swap with one tap, and the app only offers what your equipment allows.
Questions about this exercise
What muscles does the One-Cable Romanian Deadlift work?
Mainly the hamstrings and glutes. The lower back and forearms help.
How do I set up the cable machine for the One-Cable Romanian Deadlift?
Pulley: Pulley at the bottom. Grip: Short bar or EZ bar, overhand grip, clipped in at the center.
What can I do instead of the One-Cable Romanian Deadlift?
For the same movement: Romanian Deadlift, Cable Deadlift and Cable Pull-Through. In DCFT you swap with one tap.
DCFT
The One-Cable Romanian Deadlift in DCFT
In the app this exercise comes with your weight: the plate to pin, what you lifted last time and a rest timer that starts by itself.
Free on the App Store for iPhone. Pro is a one-time purchase with no subscription.