"The Romanian deadlift is a great exercise to load the glutes and hamstrings and is particularly useful if dumbbells are your only option as it requires less weight than conventional or sumo deadlifts," Sanzo explained. Here's how to do it:
- Start standing with both feet shoulder-width apart and a dumbbell in each hand with an overhand grip and your palms facing your thighs. Draw your shoulder blades down and back to push your chest out slightly. Gently draw your pubic bone to your belly button to engage your pelvic floor. This is your starting position.
- Inhale and then bend your knees slightly; maintain this knee bend for the duration of the entire movement. Without changing the angle of your knees, hinge (bend) forward from your hips, allowing the dumbbells to run along the length of your thighs and halfway down your shins.
- Ensure that you maintain a proud chest and that your head is an extension of your spine and not tilted backward or forward. You should feel tension in your hamstrings (the back of your thighs).
- As you reach halfway down your shins, exhale. Push through your heels and, using your glutes and hamstrings, extend your knees and hips to return to the starting position. Ensure that the dumbbells remain in contact with your legs. This counts as one rep.
- Complete a total of 15 reps.
