Straight Leg Barbell Romanian Deadlift

In SetGrip: Barbell Romanian Deadlift (Straight Leg)

Secondary muscles
Glutes, Spine
Body part
Upper Legs
Position
Standing
Laterality
Bilateral (both sides together)
Category
Strength

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Straightening the knees almost completely turns the barbell Romanian deadlift into the deepest hamstring stretch in the barbell hinge family. Range gets decided by flexibility, so the bar may stop well above the floor, and loads should drop meaningfully from your bent-knee Romanian deadlift numbers.

How to do the Straight Leg Barbell Romanian Deadlift

  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes pointing forward.
  2. Hold the barbell with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
  3. Bend at your hips and lower the barbell towards the ground, keeping your back straight and your knees slightly bent.
  4. Lower the barbell until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings.
  5. Engage your hamstrings and glutes to lift the barbell back up to the starting position.
  6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Tip: Take a big breath, brace the belly against your belt or hands and pull the slack out of the bar before it leaves the floor.

Muscles worked

Primary

Hamstrings · Legs

The hamstrings extend the hip from the bottom and are the main mover on straight leg and Romanian variations, where you should feel a strong stretch on the way down.

Secondary

  • Glutes — The glutes finish the lift by driving the hips forward to lockout and should be squeezed hard at the top of every rep.
  • Spine — The spinal erectors work isometrically to keep the back flat under load and will be sore the day after a heavy session.

Common mistakes

  • Rounding off the floor — set the back flat before the pull by pulling the chest up and the hips down, and keep it that way until lockout.
  • Hips shooting up first — if the hips rise before the bar leaves the floor, the legs are not driving; think of pushing the floor away rather than pulling the bar.
  • Bar drifting forward — the bar should stay in contact with the legs the whole way, so pull it into you with the lats.
  • Hyperextending at the top — finish tall by squeezing the glutes, not by leaning back and arching the lower back.

Where it fits in a workout

Deadlifts go first in a pull or lower body session while you are fresh, or after squats if both are on the same day. Pair Romanian deadlifts with a leg press or hip thrust for a hamstring and glute block.

How many sets, how heavy and how hard: see what the ACSM position stands support.

Variations and alternatives

Similar exercises

Without barbell

When to talk to someone

  • Chest discomfort, feeling faint or lightheaded, or trouble breathing during or after exercise can be signs of a heart attack. In the US, call 911 right away; elsewhere, call your local emergency number.
  • Heart, metabolic or kidney disease, or symptoms like these when you are active: talk to your doctor before you start or step up training.
  • Pregnant: ask your obstetric care provider which exercise suits you.

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More exercises

Sources

  1. ACSM position stand on exercise quantity and quality (Garber et al., 2011)
  2. ACSM preparticipation health screening (Riebe et al., 2015)
  3. ACOG Committee Opinion No. 804 on exercise in pregnancy (2020)
  4. CDC: About Heart Attack Symptoms, Risk, and Recovery (2024)

Sources checked on October 17, 2026. Full citations are in the exercise library.

Animation and exercise data: ExerciseDB, licensed to SetGrip. General information, not medical or coaching advice.