Strength · Level 1
Romanian deadlift
Hip hinge with weights, sliding along the thighs with a neutral back.
- Suggested dose
- 3 × 10 rep · 75s rest
- Equipment
- Dumbbells · or · Kettlebell · or · Weight plate
- Works
- Hamstrings, Glutes, Lower back
- Pattern
- Hip hinge
How to do it
- Stand with the weights in front of your thighs, knees slightly bent.
- Push your hips back sliding the weights down your legs.
- Lower until you feel tension in the hamstrings (below the knee).
- Come back by driving your hips forward and squeezing your glutes.
Key points
- Hips go back, not down
- Long, neutral back
Common mistakes
- Rounding your back
- Turning it into a squat
Why it helps your tennis
The hamstrings brake every sprint: strength that prevents strains.
Source: Complete Conditioning for Tennis, ch. 8 (RDL)
Related exercises
- Straight-leg kick (Frankenstein)Straight-leg raise toward the opposite hand, under control.
- Hamstring pendulumSingle-leg hinge reaching the other leg back, body in a straight line.
- Single-leg deadliftSingle-leg hinge holding the weight in the opposite hand.
- Glute bridgeHip raise from lying on your back, squeezing glutes at the top.