Barbell Romanian Deadlift
Legs · Barbell · Intermediate
How to do it
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes pointing forward.
- Hold the barbell with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Bend at the hips, keeping your back straight and your knees slightly bent.
- Lower the barbell towards the ground, keeping it close to your body.
- Feel the stretch in your hamstrings as you lower the barbell.
- Once you feel a stretch in your hamstrings, push your hips forward and stand up straight.
- Squeeze your glutes at the top of the movement.
- Lower the barbell back down to the starting position and repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Muscles worked
Primary: Glutes
Secondary: Hamstrings, Lower Back
Is your Barbell Romanian Deadlift good?
Enter your bodyweight to compare against Buffro's nine strength ranks. The source is Buffro's exercise-specific standards, not a generic chart copied across every movement.
| Buffro rank | Estimated 1RM |
|---|---|
| Beginner | 60 kg |
| Novice | 72.5 kg |
| Intermediate | 85 kg |
| Advanced | 101 kg |
| Expert | 117 kg |
| Veteran | 135.5 kg |
| Elite | 154 kg |
| Master | 174 kg |
| Apex | 194 kg |
These are estimated one-rep-max targets for adults under 40, scaled to bodyweight. Enter the total external load recorded in Buffro. They are training benchmarks, not medical or safety limits.
The table uses the same nine tiers as the Buffro app for Barbell Romanian Deadlift.
Sets and reps
Use an easy load and stop well before failure while you learn the movement.
Finish most sets with 1-3 good reps still available.
Rest 2-4 minutes so each working set stays strong.
Common mistakes
- Adding load before the bar path is repeatable. Use a weight that lets every Barbell Romanian Deadlift rep follow the same controlled path.
- Shortening the range as fatigue builds. Use the largest pain-free range that keeps tension on your glutes.
- Turning the set into a speed contest. Pause briefly in the hardest position, then control the return instead of dropping into the next rep.
Barbell Romanian Deadlift FAQ
What muscles does the Barbell Romanian Deadlift work?
The primary target is glutes. It also involves hamstrings, lower back while you keep the movement controlled.
How many sets and reps should I do for the Barbell Romanian Deadlift?
Start with 3 sets in a repeatable range. Use 6-12 reps for most compound work or 10-15 for smaller isolation work, then add load after you can complete every rep cleanly.
How should I read the Barbell Romanian Deadlift strength standards?
Compare estimated one-rep max, not the weight from an arbitrary rep count. Buffro scales the published target to your bodyweight and sex.
