Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift

Stand with a dumbbell in each hand in front of your thighs. Keep a soft bend in your knees, brace your back and abs, and keep the dumbbells close to your body.

Push your hips back as you hinge forward, sliding the dumbbells down along your legs. Keep the knee angle mostly unchanged and lower slowly until your hamstrings are stretched.

Drive your hips forward to stand tall. Do not lean back; let your glutes bring your torso upright.

Feel your hamstrings lengthen, then your glutes squeeze hard. The closer the dumbbells stay to your body, the more the work stays in your hamstrings instead of your lower back.

Letting the dumbbells drift away or forcing them to the floor can overload your lower back. Shorten the range if needed, but keep the hip hinge and hamstring tension as your priorities.

Inhale before lowering to brace your torso, then exhale as you rise. Reset your breathing at the top before starting the next rep.

A side-view mirror or video makes it easier to check whether your hips travel far enough back. Lowering the dumbbells slowly creates much more tension than simply adding weight.