Romanian Deadlift

The Romanian deadlift is the hinge that targets the hamstrings and glutes better than almost anything else. Unlike a conventional deadlift, you don't reset on the floor each rep — you start standing and lower the bar by pushing your hips back with only a soft bend in the knees, keeping the hamstrings loaded and stretched the whole way down before driving your hips forward to stand. Keeping the knees mostly still is what forces the hamstrings and glutes to do the work, which makes it a top choice for building the back of the legs and grooving a clean, controlled hip-hinge pattern that carries straight over to your deadlift and every other pull. The demands are specific: you need enough hamstring flexibility to reach a useful depth without your back rounding, and rounding under load is exactly what puts the lower back at risk. Lower only as far as your hamstrings allow, keep the bar close, and feel the stretch rather than chasing the floor. For posterior-chain strength, it's a staple.