Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift

Setup

1. 01Stand tall with a dumbbell in each hand resting against the front of the thighs.
2. 02Set feet around hip width and soften the knees.
3. 03Brace and pull the shoulders down with the lats.
4. 04Use a neutral grip and keep the dumbbells close before hinging.

Execution

1. 01Push the hips back while the dumbbells slide down the front of the legs.
2. 02Lower until the hamstrings are strongly stretched without losing back position.
3. 03Keep the knees slightly bent but do not turn it into a squat.
4. 04Drive the hips forward to stand tall.

Checkpoints

• -Shins stay nearly vertical.
• -The dumbbells track close to the legs.
• -Hamstrings control the bottom range.
• -Lockout comes from hip extension, not leaning back.

Common mistakes

• -Bending the knees too much and squatting the weight down.
• -Letting the dumbbells drift away from the legs.
• -Rounding the back to chase extra depth.
• -Losing lat tension and shrugging the shoulders up.