Dumbbell RDL: How-to and Why It's Important • Rising Tide Fit

Side view of a woman doing a dumbbell rdl in front of a graffiti wall

The Romanian Deadlift, or RDL, is a deadlift technique where the legs are kept straighter than a traditional deadlift, with a slight bend in the knee.

While RDL’s are commonly done with a barbell, using a pair of dumbbells for RDLs can be very beneficial.

A dumbbell romanian deadlift is an excellent exercise for those looking to work their glutes and hamstrings without needing a high level of flexibility or range of motion that the barbell requires.

The purpose of the dumbbell RDL

The dumbbell RDL (which stands for Romanian Deadlift) is a great exercise and an excellent accessory movement that focuses on the muscles responsible for knee and hip extension from the posterior chain (glutes & hamstrings).

Performing the dumbbell RDL will strengthen the posterior chain muscles, including the hamstrings, adductors, erector spinae, and the gluteus maximus.

A strong posterior chain is essential for preventing injuries as well as strengthening the muscles and ligaments necessary for performing more compound movements.

This exercise can create a better balance between your quads and your hamstrings, which will make you a better runner, among other things.

The difference between dumbbell RDL and barbell RDL

There are lots of benefits to the barbell deadlift. However, when you work with a barbell, it can sometimes act as a crutch, masking imbalances you don’t know are there.

Because the barbell is a single piece, your body can easily compensate for issues on one side without you even knowing it.

With the use of dumbbells, you will immediately feel any differences between the left and the right. Things you might notice:

One hamstring might be tighter than the other.
One knee might jut forward.
One side might not feel as strong, or the weight might feel heavier on one side.

By continually practicing the dumbbell RDL, and doing regular dumbbell work, you can correct these minor differences and muscle imbalances over time. The work will translate to the barbell and make you stronger for the barbell romanian deadlift as well!

How to do a dumbbell RDL

To complete a dumbbell RDL with proper form, begin by holding a set of dumbbells in front of your thighs while standing in a hip to shoulder-width stance. This is your starting position. From here, you want to think about pushing your butt back as far as you can.

Start with a light weight and build over time. Working with too heavy of a weight can put excess strain on your low back if you don’t maintain a neutral spine.

Keeping a very slight bend in your knees for protection, the dumbbells will start to lower; once the dumbbells are at your knees, do not bend the knees any further. Continue to push your butt back until the dumbbells reach mid-shin. Do not round your back – keep your shoulder blades pulled back.

Because of how high the hips are during this movement, you may not be able to lower the weights as far down as you can in your conventional deadlift. This is OK!

Hips should stay high, which increases loading in the hamstrings and glutes. If you feel lots and lots of tension in your butt and in the back of your thighs, you’re doing it right – keep going!

As you do this, keep your shoulders pinched together and chest tall so that you maintain a flat back throughout the entire movement. To return to the top, simply drive through your heels, push the floor away from you, and return to a standing position, squeezing your glutes at the top.

This movement is very hamstring focused, so you should feel the stretch and burn in your hammies!

Dumbbell RDL variations

Once you’ve mastered the dumbbell RDL, you can start trying some different variations. My two favorites are the staggered stance dumbbell RDL and the single leg RDL.

Staggered Stance RDL

For a staggered stance RDL, step one foot back behind you, resting on the toes and ball of the foot for balance.

The heel of your back leg should NOT be on the ground. Think of it like a kickstand – you’re using it to keep you steady, while focusing on the front leg for the RDL.

Follow all the same steps above for the RDL – you’re completing it the same way, just on a single leg with the second leg for support.

If you don’t feel like you can go down as far, that’s ok – don’t force it at the expense of rounding out your back. Go only as far as your mobility will allow with good form, then stand. The more you practice, the lower you will be able to go.

The most common mistake is getting too much bend in the knee in the bottom half of the movement. This makes the lower half look more like a squat, which is incorrect. Knees back! You should be able to wiggle your toes through the entire movement. If you can’t, that means your weight is shifted too far forward.

Single-leg RDL

For a single leg RDL, you’ll be allowing the back foot to come off the ground. This is going to challenge your balance!

Move slowly and carefully the first time you try these. When I coach them, I always tell people to think about that dipping bird toy: as his head goes down, his tail goes up.

Same goes for you. As your head goes down, your leg goes up. Think of them like one, long straight line that moves together.

Keep a slight bend in the front knee. When you’ve reached the end range of motion for lifting the back leg, do not try to continue to dip.

Stop where you are. This is your end range of motion (EROM), or lowest point, for today. Over time, continue to practice these, and your EROM will get better and better.

If you’re not sure if you’re performing these right, consult a training program or personal trainer. RDL’s are a great way to improve athletic performance as well as lower your risk of injury. If you’re still working on learning hip hinge movement, try working on some good mornings to help you focus on cueing the back of your leg and gluteal muscles before switching to weight.

Body weight is a great place to start for novice lifters, building up to a lighter weight as you go. Before long, you’ll be surprised at the hip strength, hip flexion, and hamstring flexibility you develop. You’ll likely also notice a big difference in other lifts and your lower body strength overall.