How to do a Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift to Shrug
Reviewed by JP Michelsen, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology
About Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift to Shrug
Target muscles worked
Instructions for Proper Form
The Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift to Shrug combines the hamstring and glute focus of the RDL with upper back strengthening via a shrug. Executing a hip hinge with dumbbells, followed by a shoulder shrug at the top, this exercise effectively targets the posterior chain and traps. It's an efficient way to enhance lower body strength and upper back muscle definition in one movement.
- Grasp a dumbbell in each hand.
- Stand with your feet just wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Hold the dumbbells in front of your thighs, palms facing you.
- Engage your core, straighten your back, and keep your chest up to maintain proper form.
- Hinge your hips back and fold forward to lower the dumbbells until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings—the dumbbells should be in front of your shins.
- Perform the next steps in one fluid motion.
- Extend your legs and drive your hips forward by engaging your quads, glutes and hamstrings.
- Engage your calves to explosively raise yourself onto your toes.
- Simultaneously engage your traps to raise your shoulders towards your ears.
- Hold this position for a moment.
- Return to the starting position.
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Alternative Exercises to Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift to Shrug
1. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift
97.6 mSCORESWAPPED 4,620 TIMESThis exercise is a variation on Romanian Deadlifts. Like other Romanian Deadlifts, this is a compound exercise that primarily targets your hamstrings and glutes. The use of dumbbells can help with some limitations in mobility, and is a great starting point for anyone working towards performing Deadlifts or Romanian Deadlifts with a barbell.
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2. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift to Bent Over Row
67.9 mSCORESWAPPED 2,334 TIMESThe Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift to Bent Over Row is a compound exercise that effectively targets the posterior chain, including the hamstrings and glutes, followed by the upper back and lats during the rowing component. Beginning with a dumbbell in each hand, you hinge at the hips to lower the dumbbells towards the ground, keeping your back flat. Once in the bent-over position, you perform a row by pulling the dumbbells towards your torso, then return to the standing position. This combination exercise enhances lower body strength and flexibility while simultaneously improving upper body muscle definition and back strength, making it a comprehensive and efficient workout option.
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3. Dumbbell Good Morning
63.8 mSCORESWAPPED 2,073 TIMESThe Dumbbell Good Morning is a strength exercise that focuses on the posterior chain, including the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back. Holding a dumbbell at chest level or placing two dumbbells on the shoulders, you hinge at the hips and lean forward with a straight back, then return to the starting position. This movement emphasizes hip mobility and back strength, improving posture and stability. It's a versatile exercise suitable for all fitness levels, offering a low-impact alternative to enhance lower back and hamstring flexibility and strength.
- Beginner
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4. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift to Calf Raise
63.1 mSCORESWAPPED 1,625 TIMESThe Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift to Calf Raise is a compound exercise that effectively combines the hamstring and glute activation of the Romanian Deadlift (RDL) with the calf-strengthening benefits of a calf raise. Holding dumbbells, the movement starts with an RDL, hinging at the hips to lower the weights while keeping the back straight, then transitions into a calf raise by lifting onto the toes at the stand-up phase. This exercise not only targets the posterior chain but also improves lower leg strength and balance, making it ideal for those looking to enhance lower body power and stability in a single, efficient movement.
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5. Seated Leg Curl
98.8 mSCORESWAPPED 1,084 TIMESSeated Leg Curl is a weighted, isolation exercise that targets the hamstrings. Because a vast majority of lower body exercises tend to be compound movements, this exercise is a great way to isolate the hamstrings for building muscle mass, and developing strength. The use of a machine restricts your range of motion, and adds stability, allowing you to focus on exertion more than stabilizing the movement.
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6. Dumbbell Stiff Legged Deadlift
89.2 mSCORESWAPPED 1,071 TIMESDumbbell Stiff Legged Deadlift is a variation on the more standard Romanian Deadlift. The use of dumbbells allows for a bit less stability than a barbell variation, while also giving you more freedom in your range of motion. This is a great exercise for anyone looking to improve or work towards Romanian Deadlifts.
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7. Dumbbell Clean
88.6 mSCORESWAPPED 1,017 TIMESDumbbell Clean is a variation on the more standard Clean. Like other Clean variations, this is a compound, explosive movement that targets a wide range of muscle groups. The use of dumbbells makes this exercise much more accessible to anyone unfamiliar with Cleans in general as you can use lighter weight. In addition dumbbells can help more advanced lifters build stability, as well as identify and address imbalances between sides.
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8. Single Leg Romanian Deadlift
80.8 mSCORESWAPPED 902 TIMESSingle Leg Romanian Deadlift is a variation on the more standard Romanian Deadlift. Like other Romanian Deadlift variations, this is a compound movement that primarily targets the glutes and hamstrings. Performing this exercise on one leg, is a great way to identify, and help address, discrepancies in mobility, strength, and stability between sides. This is a great exercise for anyone looking to improve their ability to perform a large number of other compound lower body movements like Squats, Lunges, or even Olympic lifts.
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9. Single Arm Kettlebell Deadlift
37.9 mSCORESWAPPED 672 TIMESA unilateral variation of the deadlift focusing on strength and stability. Holding the kettlebell in on hand add some instability to the movement, and increases the demand for core in order to stabilize your upper body. This exercise targets the posterior chain, particularly the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back.
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10. Kettlebell Sumo Squat
87.3 mSCORESWAPPED 581 TIMESKettlebell Sumo Squat is a squat variation. Like other squat variations, this exercise is a compound movement that targets the hamstrings, glutes and quads. Positioning your feet wider than you would for a standard squat helps to recruit the inner thigh, as well as help individuals with mobility limitations.
- Intermediate
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