Romanian Deadlift (RDL)

Authors

Affiliations

Nate Yomogida, B.S., SPT

Doctor of Physical Therapy

B.S. in Kinesiology

Chloë Kerstein, B.S., SPT

Doctor of Physical Therapy

B.A. in Neuroscience

The Romanian deadlift (RDL) is a deadlift variation where the hip and knee move together from the active tall extension position into a deadlift pattern. At about 50% into a deadlift pattern, the knee becomes static and the hip continues into a full deadlift.

I do not employ this deadlift variation clinically since you are building a movement pattern where the hip and knee do not have coordinated sequencing and you should just perform a standard deadlift for sequence patterning. In addition, this deadlift variation involves dynamic knee and hip movement, thus is not as good at isolating the hip as the modified deadlift.