A favorite exercise of mine is the single leg Romanian deadlift with dumbbells.
Not only is the single leg Romanian deadlift one of the best leg exercises for the body, it’s the best exercise for the glutes, according to one study by the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy.
I love to pair this exercise with my squats, hamstring curls, lunges, and glute raises.
The single leg Romanian deadlift is generally defined as an isolation exercise, especially when compared to the traditional deadlift.
The best thing about this exercise is you only need one dumbbell to make this an effective exercise.
The single leg Romanian deadlift is not only good for the glutes, it’s great for several other muscles.
The list of muscles worked during the Romanian deadlift with dumbbells include:
- Glutes
- Hamstrings
- Erector Spinae
- Middle and Upper Back Muscles
- Trapezius
The Romanian deadlift can be done using a barbell or a set of dumbbells.
Deciding on which to do is entirely up to you but a combination of both exercises, with both single leg and double leg, is going to give you the most benefit.
A great set of dumbbells to grab are the Bowflex SelectTech 552 Adjustable Dumbbells. These dumbbells range from 5 to 52.5 pounds and let you quickly switch from one exercise and weight to the next, eliminating the need for multiple sets of dumbbells and saving space.
What is the difference between a Romanian deadlift with dumbbells vs. barbell?
The main difference between doing a Romanian deadlift with dumbbells vs. a barbell primarily has to do with form restriction and the amount of weight you can lift in total. Traditionally, you are going to be able to lift quite a bit more with a barbell rather than dumbbells. This is because your body can put most of its effort into lifting the weight, rather than putting supplementary effort into stabilizing the body as with the dumbbells. The biggest problem with a Romanian deadlift with a barbell is your form and joints are going to suffer more. With dumbbells, your body is not restricted in the lift by a set barbell. Your joints have the freedom to move and adjust as they need to, thus reducing stress on your joints.
How to do a Romanian deadlift with dumbbells?
In order to do a Romanian deadlift with dumbbells follow these steps:
- Stand with legs slightly apart and knees slightly bent.
- Keeping your back straight and head in neutral spine, sit your hips back.
- Lower the bar keeping it close to your shins and lower as far as your body comfortably allows.
- Contract and squeeze the glutes extending your hips and standing up
How to do a single leg Romanian deadlift with dumbbells?
In order to do a single leg Romanian deadlift with dumbbells follow these steps:
- Grab either 1 or 2 dumbbells.
- Stand with legs slightly apart and knees slightly bent.
- Keeping your back straight and head in neutral spine, lift one knee straight up in front of you.
- Kick the leg back and keep neutral spine while dropping the weight.
- Make a tabletop and reach the weights just to the outside of the foot that’s on the floor to keep your balance.
- When you are as low as your body comfortably allows, contract and squeeze the glute extending your hips and standing up, lifting your knee back up to starting position.
What’s the difference between a Romanian deadlift and a regular deadlift?
The main difference between a Romanian deadlift and a regular deadlift is the form and muscles used in each lift. The Romanian deadlift is more focused on training the hamstrings and glutes, where the regular deadlift focuses more on the entirety of the leg and back musculature working together to drive the weight up. If you want a complete workout, you should consider doing both within your training regimen.
If you need an awesome article on The Best Exercises for 9 Major Muscle Groups, click HERE.
Summary: How to PROPERLY Do a Romanian Deadlift with Dumbbells (RDL’s)
Even though I don’t see the lift being used as much as I’d like to see in the gym, the single leg Romanian deadlift (RDL) should be included in your exercise routine. The lift is easy to do and all you need is a single dumbbell to complete the lift. Pair it with a squat, deadlift, hamstring curl, calf raise, band walk, and glute raise, and you will have a leg workout you can be proud of.
Have you been doing your single leg Romanian deadlifts? Why or why not? Let me know in the comments!!
