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If you've ever looked at a workout program and wondered whether you should be doing Romanian deadlifts (RDLs) or conventional deadlifts, you're not alone. While these two exercises look similar, they serve different purposes and train your body in different ways.
The good news? Neither exercise is better than the other. They simply have different goals, and both deserve a place in a well-rounded strength program.
The conventional deadlift is a compound exercise. It is one of the best full body exercises you can perform as it requires multiple muscle groups.
1. Stand with your feet about hip-width apart.
2. Keep your toes pointing forward. Maintain three points of contact with the ground on each foot (heel, base of the big toe, and base of the little toe).
3. Hinge at your hips to grab the bar just outside your knees.
4. Drive your shoulder blades into your back pockets by engaging your lats.
5. Brace your core by breathing in a 360-degree breath.
6. Press the floor away to stand up.
Instead of thinking about pulling the bar upward, think about pushing the floor away with your feet. This helps create a stronger, more efficient lift.
The conventional deadlift is considered a compound, full-body movement because it involves multiple muscle groups at once.
Primary muscles include:
Supporting muscles include:
Although your quads help initiate the movement, the deadlift is not considered a quad-dominant exercise.
The Romanian deadlift is a supporting or accessory exercise for other compound lifts or training purposes.
If you’re starting the lift from the floor, you’ll need to do a conventional deadlift to get into the starting position. Alternatively, you can set the bar on the rack at about hip height and start your set up from there.
1. Stand tall with feet hip-width apart.
2. Grip the bar just outside of your hips.
3. Keep your toes pointing forward. Maintain three points of contact with the ground on each foot (heel, base of the big toe, and base of the little toe)
4. Brace your core by breathing in a 360-degree breath.
5. Send your hips back as you hinge.
6. Keep your knees relatively fixed over your ankles.
7. Drive your hips back underneath you to return to standing.
The Romanian deadlift places much more emphasis on the posterior chain.
Primary muscles:
Supporting muscles:
Unlike the conventional deadlift, your quads contribute very little during an RDL because your knees remain relatively fixed throughout the movement.
Although both lifts are hip hinge exercises, there are several key distinctions.
1. Starting Position
Conventional Deadlift
- Starts from the floor.
- Each repetition begins from a complete stop.
Romanian Deadlift
- Starts from standing.
- Focuses on the lowering (eccentric) portion of the lift.
2. Knee Position
Conventional Deadlift
- Knees move slightly forward to create a positive shin.
- More knee bend allows greater involvement from the quads.
Romanian Deadlift
- Knees stay over the ankles.
- The movement comes primarily from sending the hips backward.
3. Muscle Emphasis
Conventional Deadlift
- Glutes
- Hamstrings
- Core
- Lats
- Some quad involvement
Romanian Deadlift
- Hamstrings
- Glutes
- Core
- Lats
4. Weight Used
Most people can lift more weight during a conventional deadlift than during an RDL because more muscle groups contribute to the movement.
That doesn't mean the RDL is less effective, it simply has a different purpose.
Both deadlift variations challenge your grip strength.
As the weight gets heavier, you may choose to use:
- A double overhand grip
- A mixed (switch) grip
- Alternating which hand is underhand each set to help maintain balance over time
Developing grip strength can improve performance in many other lifts as well.
A conventional deadlift is often the better choice if your goal is to:
- Gain full body strength
- Improve power production
- Lift the heaviest weight possible
- Increase overall athletic performance
Because it recruits more muscle groups, it's an excellent foundational and functional strength exercise.
Romanian deadlifts are an excellent option if your goal is to:
- Build stronger hamstrings and glutes
- Increase muscle hypertrophy
- Support running and endurance performance
For runners and hybrid athletes especially, strong hamstrings and glutes can improve running efficiency while helping reduce injury risk.
Conventional deadlifts and Romanian deadlifts may look similar, but they train your body in different ways.
If you're looking to build overall strength and power, the conventional deadlift is an excellent choice. If your goal is stronger hamstrings, better posterior chain development, or improving performance as a runner or hybrid athlete, the Romanian deadlift deserves a spot in your routine.
Rather than asking which exercise is better, ask which exercise is better for your current goal.
A well-rounded strength program often includes both.
At Kathletics, we build strength programs that support your running, hiking, and performance goals without sacrificing sustainability. Whether you're training for your first 5K or your next big hike, our programs combine strength and endurance in a way that helps you stay consistent and continue making progress for the long term.
Explore our coaching programs to find the right fit for your goals.
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