Romanian Deadlift from Deficit

Starting position:

Choose a barbell of appropriate weight based on your fitness level. Grab the barbell using an overhand grip at shoulder width. Take an upright stance on the elevated deck with your feet a little less than shoulder-width apart and your toes pointing forward. Fix your torso, avoiding swayback at the waist.

Exercise:

From the starting position move your pelvis backwards by flexing at your hip joints and not changing the bend of your spine. As you move your pelvis backwards, make a deep bow forward to make your firmed up spine parallel with the floor. Your crus (lower legs) stay fixed perpendicular to the floor throughout. Keep the barbell as close as possible to your legs. Complete the movement by stretching up and pushing your pelvis forward without changing the bend of your spine and keeping your pelvis in a neutral position. Inhale in the starting position and while returning the barbell down. Hold your breath throughout the motion and keep your torso fixed, then exhale when you are in the starting position and start another repetition while inhaling again. Do the required number of repetitions using the same technique.

Note:

Make sure your body has the correct posture: fixing your torso, keeping your pelvis in a neutral position and eliminating lordotic swayback at the waist. Your shoulder blades point down and towards each other.

Keep your knees in the direction of your toe tips throughout the entire movement and avoid swinging them either direction when you overcome the resistance. Also make sure your knees do not cross the vertical plane of your toes and keep them perpendicular to the floor throughout the entire movement.

Keep your heels on the platform at all times. Do not overestimate your abilities when choosing the weight. Avoid moving your arms upwards as only your hands are needed to grab the barbell. Take into account your breathing while doing the exercise and avoid dynamic motion.

Recommendation:

Stand with your side to a mirror to watch if your technique is correct. When choosing the weight, put emphasis on using perfect technique. If the exercise is done incorrectly, lower back injuries may occur and that is why it is important to use correct technique and a correctly-activated internal stabilization system.

Stand on a platform so that you have total stability (standing on a bench is not safe).

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Lift the barbell to the starting position. The legs should be somewhat closer to each other than the shoulder width. Use overhand grip and start the movement by moving the hips backwards.

The barbell should be lowered as close to the body as possible. This is the difference between the Romanian deadlift and stiff-legged barbell deadlift: in the later you do not move your hips backwards but only lower your upper body with legs slightly bent in your knees. The barbell is thus further away from your legs when lowered.

Do not lower your back forcefully. Do not round your back at any stage of the movement. Do not lift the barbell fast and do not use explosive force in this exercise.

Also, do not hit the floor with the barbell and do not bounce back – all such movements can cause severe back injuries.