Hamstrings · Compound movement
Trap Bar Romanian Deadlift
A compound exercise for the hamstrings, with the glutes and back working too. You need a trap bar.
Primary muscle
Hamstrings
Secondary muscles
Glutes, Back
Equipment
Barbell
Difficulty
Intermediate
How to perform the Trap Bar Romanian Deadlift
- Stand inside the trap bar and grip the neutral handles at the sides with a tall posture.
- Because the load sits at your sides rather than in front, the bar path stays closer to your center of mass.
- Soften the knees and push the hips back, lowering the handles down the outside of the legs.
- Use the more upright torso the centered load allows to keep stress off the lower back.
- Descend to a strong hamstring stretch with a flat back, then reverse the hinge.
- Drive the hips forward to stand tall, squeezing the glutes at the top.
Suggested working range: 8–12 reps. Default progression: double progression.
Common mistakes
- •Squatting the weight down because the neutral handles tempt a knee-dominant pattern.
- •Rounding the back despite the friendlier centered load position.
- •Setting the hips too low at the start so the hamstrings never reach a stretch.
- •Standing off-center in the trap bar so the load tips toward one side.
Variations & alternatives
Swap in one of these when the equipment is taken or the main lift has stalled.
Use this exercise in a program
The Trap Bar Romanian Deadlift fits into hypertrophy and strength splits that prioritize hamstrings volume.
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