If you're a gym-goer or looking to train for strength, you might want to do some pulling exercises. Romanian deadlifts and deadlifts are often the first choices for strength training. So which of these two exercises is right for you?
No training program is complete without deadlifts. This exercise is about lifting weights, and it helps you build lower body muscles, such as the glutes, trapezius, core, and grip strength. And it's one of the most comprehensive compound exercises you can do.
The deadlift is a powerful exercise that builds strength, muscle, and pulling power. It performs differently than the Romanian deadlift, but it's an excellent pulling exercise. The deadlift starts and ends on the platform, while the Romanian deadlift drops to the height of the lifter's calf and then pulls the bar back up.
Few exercisers would disagree that the deadlift is a must-have exercise in a training program. But more people debate which deadlift should be your first choice for fitness. This exercise is a powerful workout that works muscles that traditional deadlifts can't.
Which exercise you decide to use deserves your attention? Deadlift vs. Romanian deadlift, which one is better? Thankfully, we have professional fitness trainers here to analyze both exercises and give you an idea of which one is better for you and your training goals.
Related Article: Barbells vs. Dumbbells: Which is Better for Strength Training
What Is the Difference Between the Standard Deadlift and Romanian Deadlift?
The standard deadlift and Romanian deadlift (RDL) are both excellent exercises for building strength, particularly in the posterior chain (the muscles along your back, glutes, and hamstrings). While they share similarities, especially in terms of muscle groups targeted, there are key differences in form, movement patterns, and muscle activation.
The standard deadlift is a full-body movement that targets the posterior chain (hamstrings, glutes, lower back), as well as the quadriceps, core, and upper back. The deadlift is considered a compound movement that recruits many muscle groups, including the forearms, traps, and shoulders, to stabilize the weight. Because the movement involves both knee and hip extension, it engages a wider variety of muscle groups compared to the Romanian deadlift.
The Romanian deadlift primarily targets the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back (erector spinae). Because the knees remain slightly bent and the movement is focused on the hip hinge, the RDL isolates the hamstrings and glutes to a greater extent than the standard deadlift.The RDL places more emphasis on the hip flexion and hamstring stretch and is often used as an accessory exercise to strengthen the posterior chain for movements like squats and the conventional deadlift.
Both exercises are valuable for building posterior chain strength, but they serve different purposes and can complement each other in a well-rounded strength training program. The standard deadlift is ideal for building overall strength and power, while the Romanian deadlift is excellent for targeting the hamstrings and improving flexibility and form in the hip hinge.
What Are the Benefits of Romanian Deadlifts?
Strengthening the Posterior Chain
The RDL is a hip-dominant movement, meaning it primarily targets the muscles responsible for hip extension. This makes it one of the most effective exercises for strengthening the posterior chain—a term used to refer to the muscles of the back, glutes, hamstrings, and lower back.
Improving Hip Hinge Mechanics
The Romanian deadlift is one of the best exercises for teaching and improving the hip hinge movement pattern, which is critical for many functional and athletic movements. Learning the proper hip hinge form (where the movement comes primarily from bending at the hips rather than the spine or knees) is vital for exercises like deadlifts, kettlebell swings, and squats.
Building Hamstring Flexibility
As you lower the barbell in an RDL, you’re forced to stretch the hamstrings in a controlled manner, making it an excellent exercise for improving hamstring flexibility. The greater the range of motion (ROM) you achieve while maintaining proper form, the more stretch you put on the hamstrings, which can contribute to better flexibility over time.
Improving Athletic Performance
RDLs are a key exercise for enhancing athletic performance, particularly in sports that require a powerful hip extension (e.g., sprinting, jumping, football, and Olympic lifting).
Injury Prevention
Strengthening the muscles of the posterior chain (especially the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back) is crucial for injury prevention, particularly for common issues like lower back pain and hamstring strains.
Core Stability and Control
While the Romanian deadlift primarily targets the lower body, it also requires a strong core to maintain spinal stability throughout the movement. Engaging the core during the lift helps prevent rounding of the back and promotes a neutral spine position.
Low Risk of Injury
Since the Romanian deadlift is a relatively simple movement compared to other heavy lifts like the squat or conventional deadlift, it poses a lower risk of injury when performed correctly.
What Are the Benefits of Standard Barbell Deadlifts?
The standard barbell deadlift is one of the most effective and functional exercises you can perform, offering a wide range of benefits for strength, athleticism, and overall fitness. It is a full-body exercise that targets multiple muscle groups, improving both strength and power while offering benefits that carry over into many other movements and activities.
Total-Body Strength
The barbell deadlift is a compound movement that engages nearly every major muscle group in your body. It is one of the best exercises to build overall strength, especially in the posterior chain (the muscles along the back of your body).
Posterior Chain Development
A strong posterior chain is essential for overall athletic performance and injury prevention.
By strengthening the posterior chain, deadlifts improve your posture, help reduce the risk of lower back pain, and contribute to greater power in athletic movements like sprinting, jumping, and lifting.
Improved Functional Strength
The deadlift is a functional exercise, meaning it mimics natural movements that you use in daily life, such as bending over to pick something up. This makes it an extremely practical lift, improving your ability to perform everyday tasks with better efficiency and reduced injury risk.
By regularly performing deadlifts, you increase your ability to generate force in real-world situations, which can improve your functional strength in nearly every aspect of life.
Core and Spinal Stability
Deadlifts are excellent for building core strength and improving spinal stability. While the deadlift primarily targets the lower body, maintaining a neutral spine throughout the lift requires significant core activation.
A strong core and stable spine are crucial for overall health, performance, and injury prevention, and deadlifts are one of the most effective ways to develop both.
Grip Strength
The standard barbell deadlift requires substantial grip strength to hold onto the bar throughout the movement, particularly as the weight increases. This makes it an excellent exercise for building and improving forearm and hand strength.
As grip strength improves through regular deadlifting, you’ll notice better overall performance in activities that rely on hand and forearm strength.
How to Do the Standard Barbell Deadlift
The standard barbell deadlift (often referred to as the conventional deadlift) is one of the most effective compound exercises for building overall strength, particularly in the posterior chain (hamstrings, glutes, lower back, and upper back). Proper technique is critical to ensure safety, maximize strength gains, and prevent injury.
How to Do It:
1. The barbell should be placed directly over the middle of your feet. Your feet should be about hip-width apart (slightly narrower or wider depending on personal preference), with your toes pointing straight ahead or slightly outward.
2. Reach down and grip the bar with both hands. Your hands should be just outside of your knees. Both palms facing toward you.
3. Before lifting, set your body into the proper position by hinging at the hips. Take a deep breath into your diaphragm (not your chest), and brace your core as if you’re about to get punched in the stomach. This creates intra-abdominal pressure, which helps stabilize your spine during the lift.
4. To prevent your shoulders from rounding forward and pulling you out of position, actively engage your lats (the muscles on the sides of your back) by "pulling" the bar into your body. Think of it like you're trying to bend the bar or "crack it" by pulling the bar outward with your arms.
Sets and Reps: If you’re a beginner, start with 3 to 4 sets of 6 to 8 reps.
How to Do the Romanian Deadlift
The Romanian Deadlift (RDL) unlike the conventional deadlift, the RDL focuses more on the hip hinge movement and requires less knee bend, making it an excellent exercise for strengthening the posterior chain and improving mobility.
How to Do It:
1. Start by standing with your feet about hip-width apart, with the barbell resting in front of your thighs.
2. Reach down and grab the barbell with an overhand grip (palms facing towards you), about shoulder-width apart. You can also use a mixed grip if you are lifting heavier weights. The bar should be hanging just in front of your thighs with your arms fully extended.
3. This helps stabilize your spine throughout the movement. Keep your spine neutral (not rounded) throughout the movement. This means keeping your head, neck, and back in alignment. Avoid looking up or excessively down.
4. To begin the lift, push your hips back as if you're closing a car door with your hips. Keep a slight bend in your knees but don’t squat—your legs should remain fairly straight with a soft knee bend.
5. Keep the bar close to your body as you lower it.
Sets and Reps: Aim for 3 to 4 sets of 6 to 8 reps
