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Romanian deadlift form check: a live coach on your phone
The Romanian deadlift (RDL) trains the hamstrings and glutes through a hip hinge. The hips go back, the knees stay softly bent and the back stays flat as the torso hinges toward parallel.
No equipment needed. Practise at home. Just do the rep properly in front of your phone. Bodyweight squats, push-ups and lunges need nothing at all, and you can check the hinge and press patterns with a very light weight or none: the coach judges your movement, not your kit.
What good looks like
- Stand tall with the weight at your thighs and your knees softly bent.
- Push your hips back, keeping the weight close to your legs and your back flat.
- Lower until you feel a stretch in the hamstrings, about mid-shin for most people.
- Drive the hips forward to stand tall, squeezing the glutes at the top.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
Squatting it
The knees bend too much. Keep them softly bent and send the hips back.
Rounding the back
Stop the descent when the back starts to round.
The weight drifting away
Keep it close to your legs throughout.
What Formanti checks on your romanian deadlift
The top of every rep, judged the same way.
- Hips: 158–186°. hips fully through at the top
- Knees: 155–186°. legs straight at the top
- Back angle: -12–12°. tall, no leaning back
Your hinge
The low point of every rep, judged against the guide ranges.
- Hips: 55–115°. hinge back until your hamstrings stretch
- Knees: 135–178°. knees stay softly bent and don't change: it's a hinge, not a squat
- Back angle: 35–88°. torso hinges toward parallel with a flat back
What you hear and see when you are off
Push your hips back further
The coach says: “Hips back more”
On screen: Push your hips back further.
Drill: Wall hinge: stand a foot from a wall and push your hips back to touch it with your knees soft, then add the weight.
Keep your knees softer than a squat: hinge, don't sit
The coach says: “Don't squat it”
On screen: Keep your knees softer than a squat: hinge, don't sit.
Drill: Tempo RDLs: 3 seconds down, keeping the same small knee bend from top to bottom.
Hinge forward more
The coach says: “Hinge more”
On screen: Hinge forward more.
Drill: Hands-on-thighs hinge: slide your hands down your thighs as you push your hips back.
Stand all the way up, squeezing your glutes
The coach says: “Finish tall”
On screen: Stand all the way up, squeezing your glutes.
Drill: Pause at the top of every rep for 1 second, glutes tight.
Straighten your legs at the top
The coach says: “Legs straight”
On screen: Straighten your legs at the top.
Drill: Pause at the top and check both knees are straight.
Don't lean back at the top
The coach says: “Don't lean back”
On screen: Don't lean back at the top.
Drill: Film from the side and check your shoulders stack over your hips at the top.
Drills you can do alone
- Wall hinge: stand a step in front of a wall and push your hips back to touch it, keeping the knees soft.
- Light RDLs filmed from the side to check the hinge and the back angle.
- Single-leg RDL with a very light weight, for balance and control of the hip hinge.
How to set up your phone
Phone at hip height, 2 to 3 metres to your side, whole body in view. Dumbbells, a bar, or no weight at all. Film from the side: back and hip angles cannot be judged head-on. It all runs on your phone and nothing is uploaded.
New: ranges from standard coaching references, not yet checked against real lifters.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an RDL and a deadlift?
An RDL starts from standing and keeps the knees softly bent, so it is a hip hinge. A deadlift starts from the floor and uses more knee bend.
How low should I go on an RDL?
As far as you can keep a flat back and feel the hamstrings stretch, usually about mid-shin.
More lifts to check
Deadlift · Squat · Push-up · Lunge · Overhead press · Bent-over row