A Romanian deadlift starts from standing with a slight knee bend, hinging at the hips and focusing on the hamstrings, while a conventional deadlift starts from the floor with more knee bend.
Conventional deadlift
- Start from the floor.
- Knees bend more.
- Targets back, glutes, hamstrings and quads.
Romanian deadlift (RDL)
- Start from standing.
- Knees slightly bent, hips hinge back.
- Bar stays near legs and doesn’t touch the floor between reps.
- Targets hamstrings and glutes.
Weight
You usually lift less on an RDL.
Form tip
Keep a flat back.
Starting position
In a conventional deadlift, the bar starts on the floor each rep, and you lift it by extending the knees and hips. In the Romanian deadlift (RDL), you start standing with the bar, then lower it by pushing the hips back with soft knees, and return to standing. The bar stays near the legs, and does not touch the floor between reps.
Muscles worked
- Conventional: quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, back, traps and grip. It’s a full body lift.
- RDL: emphasizes hamstrings and glutes, with the lower back as stabilizer.
Range and weight
RDL uses less weight than a conventional deadlift, usually 60% to 80% of your conventional deadlift max, because of the greater stretch on the hamstrings and no help from the floor start.
Form for RDL
- Hold a barbell or dumbbells at hip level.
- Keep knees slightly bent.
- Push the hips back, keeping the back neutral.
- Lower until you feel a stretch in the hamstrings, usually to mid shin or just below the knee.
- Drive the hips forward to stand.
Form for conventional deadlift
- Feet hip width apart with the bar over mid foot.
- Grip just outside the legs.
- Brace your core, chest up, back flat.
- Push the floor away, and lock out the hips.
Reps and sets
Conventional deadlift: 1 to 5 reps for strength. RDL: 6 to 12 reps for hypertrophy.
Injury prevention
Do not round the lower back, and use a weight you can control. A weightlifting belt can help.
Records
The world record raw deadlift is 501 kilograms (1,104 pounds) by Hafthor Bjornsson in 2020.
Programming
Many programs use the conventional deadlift once a week and RDLs as an accessory exercise.
Which lifter should use which
The conventional deadlift starts from the floor with each rep, while the Romanian deadlift starts standing with the bar at the hips, lowers to about mid shin with a slight knee bend and a hip hinge, then returns. The RDL targets hamstrings and glutes with greater time under tension and typically uses lighter loads, often 50 to 70 percent of a lifter’s conventional deadlift max. The conventional lift involves more quadriceps and total body strength.
Technique cues and safety
Keep the spine neutral, shoulder blades set, bar close to the legs and gaze slightly ahead. For hypertrophy, 3 to 4 sets of 6 to 12 reps are common for RDLs, while strength work for conventional deadlifts often uses 1 to 5 reps. Warm up with lighter sets, and avoid rounding the lower back. The world record raw deadlift is above 500 kg by Hafthor Bjornsson (501 kg in 2020), which no beginner should use as a benchmark.
Based on data from the National Strength and Conditioning Association and the American Council on Exercise
