One of the most important aspects of putting on mass is developing a good lower body. If you are aiming to build bigger and stronger legs, we strongly suggest you to add Romanian Deadlift to your work out plan. Using a weight barbell, it stands out as one of the best compound lifts for overall muscle growth, we can even say that it is the secret to powerful legs. So, what makes the Romanian Deadlift worthy of inclusion in your leg-day routine? Let’s discover in detail some of its benefits and explore why it is so effective.
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Benefits of Romanian Deadlifts
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How to get bigger and stronger legs
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What makes the Romanian deadlifts the key
Benefits of Romanian Deadlifts
The Romanian deadlift (RDL) is a traditional barbell lift used to develop the strength of the posterior chain muscles, including the erector spinae, gluteus maximus, hamstrings and adductors.
When done correctly, the Romanian Deadlift (RDL) is an effective exercise that strengthens both the core and the lower body in a single movement.
Unlike traditional barbell deadlifts and other quad-dominant exercises, such as leg presses, which place significant load on the anterior portion of the knees, the RDL focuses the physical work on the muscles responsible for hip and knee extension from the posterior. This emphasis on the posterior chain—primarily targeting the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back—offers a significant benefit.
How to do Romanian deadlifts
We use usually the weight barbell to accomplish this task but if you are good at control your muscles and are familiar with this movement, you may use weight dumbbells as well. What matters the most is that, instead of using the lower back, the RDL teaches people how to lift from the hips:
Starting Position:
- Hold the barbell at hip level with your palms facing down.
- Keep your shoulders pulled back and up, maintaining a slight arch in your back.
- Ensure your knees are slightly bent.
Execution:
- Initiate the movement by pushing your hips back, as if you're trying to touch something behind you.
- Lower the barbell while keeping your head up and looking forward.
- Maintain the position with your shoulders pulled back throughout the movement.
- As you lower the bar, you'll feel tension building in your hamstrings.
- Lower the bar until it reaches just below knee level.
Hip Drive:
- Once the barbell reaches just below knee level, engage your hamstrings and glutes to drive your hips forward.
- Stand tall, ensuring your back remains slightly arched.
- Finish the movement with your hips fully extended and the barbell held at hip level.
How to get bigger and stronger legs
The key to building bigger, stronger legs is to focus primarily on compound leg exercises, which target multiple muscle groups at once under a greater load. Examples of compound leg exercises include squats, deadlifts, and lunges, and they're essential for building strength and muscle.
Besides, since leg muscles are comprised of the hamstrings, quads, glutes, and calves. Our best leg exercises guide covers the best movements to target each of these muscles in your leg workout.
The hamstrings, located at the back of the thighs, play a vital role in stabilizing knee joints and generating power for activities like running and jumping. One of the most effective exercises for hamstrings is the Romanian deadlift, which involves hinging at the hips and lowering a barbell to your shins while keeping a straight back, thereby targeting the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back.
Given that compound hamstring exercises often require handling heavy barbells, lifting accessories such as iron kettlebells can facilitate grip, allowing you to concentrate on the muscles being trained rather than your grip strength.
What makes the Romanian deadlifts the key?
The Romanian deadlift primarily targets the posterior chain muscles, including the hamstrings, glutes, back, calves, and grip. These muscles are crucial for overall leg strength and power.
Unlike some other leg exercises that emphasize the quadriceps, the RDL emphasizes the hamstrings and glutes, which are often underdeveloped in many lifters. The hamstrings, which run down the back of the thigh, are the main movers in this exercise, stretching during the lowering phase and contracting as you return to standing. The glutes are also engaged, especially when the hips are pushed far behind the heels with a slight knee bend, keeping the shins vertical. The calves, as part of the posterior chain, act as secondary movers, helping to support the fixed knee position. Additionally, as the load increases, so does the demand on grip strength, making this exercise beneficial for enhancing grip strength.
What’s more, the movement pattern of the RDL imitate lots of activities in real world, which makes the strength gained from this exercise highly functional and transferable to daily tasks and sports performances.
You can also do variations such as the single-leg Romanian deadlift, the glute-ham raise, or good mornings, which are as well great ways to learn how to hip-hinge efficiently.
In summary, the Romanian Deadlift is a highly effective exercise for building bigger, stronger legs due to its focus on the posterior chain, ability to induce hypertrophy and strength through eccentric loading and progressive overload, enhancement of core stability, and overall versatility. Incorporating RDLs into your legs routine can lead to significant gains in muscle size, strength, and functional performance.
Q&A
Question: How many deadlifts should I do?
Answer: The number of deadlifts you should do depends on the amount of weight you’re using. But correct form is always more important than the number of sets. Perform deadlifts no more than 2 to 3 times per week, allowing muscles ample time to rest in-between workouts.
Question: What's the difference between a deadlift and a Romanian deadlift?
Answer: Their positions are different. The Romanian deadlift starts from a standing position with the bar in your hands while the conventional deadlift starts from a bent over position with the bar on the floor.
Question: Shall I bend my knees in RDL?
Answer: your knees should be unlocked at the top but not by much since the range of motion for the RDL is defined by hamstring extensibility. However, once slightly unlocked, your knees should not move until you are ready to re-rack the bar.
References
https://www.maxinutrition.com/training/body-parts/Big-Legs-Workout/
https://www.menshealth.com/uk/building-muscle/a29202950/romanian-deadlift-beginners-guide/
https://central.gymshark.com/article/grow-bigger-legs-the-ultimate-guide-to-the-best-leg-exercises
https://www.boostcamp.app/blogs/romanian-deadlift-vs-deadlift