Glutes · Hip hinge
Romanian Deadlift
The Romanian Deadlift mainly trains your hamstrings and glutes. Also working: lower back.
Both cables
Stable
How to do it
- Stand close to the pulleys, knees very slightly bent
- Push your hips back as if closing a door with your bum, back straight
- Keep the handles close to your legs, down to just below the knee
- Squeeze your glutes and drive your hips forward
Coach’s tip
Picture a drawer you’re pushing shut with your butt. The movement comes from the hips, not from the back.
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
Both pulleys at the bottom
Grip
Single handles or bar
Load
Both cables
Needs two cable towers
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 Romanian Deadlift work?
Mainly the hamstrings and glutes. The lower back help.
How do I set up the cable machine for the Romanian Deadlift?
Pulley: Both pulleys at the bottom. Grip: Single handles or bar.
Can I do the Romanian Deadlift on a single cable tower?
Not like this. The Romanian Deadlift needs both cables at once, so two towers. If you set up DCFT for one tower, the app leaves it out of your plan and uses exercises such as One-Cable Romanian Deadlift and Cable Pull-Through instead.
What can I do instead of the Romanian Deadlift?
For the same movement: One-Cable Romanian Deadlift, Cable Deadlift and Cable Pull-Through. In DCFT you swap with one tap.
DCFT
The 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.