Beginner

Cable Romanian Deadlift

Anchoring to a low pulley keeps tension on the hamstrings through the whole range, including the top where a barbell RDL goes light. The horizontal pull from the cable also strongly cues the hips to travel back. It is an excellent way to feel the hinge and a joint-friendly option for higher-rep hamstring work.

Equipment
Cables
Body part
Glutes, Hamstring
Type
Strength
Browse by movement
Hinge
Muscles worked
Target
Biceps Femoris, Semitendinosus, Gluteus Maximus
Secondary
Erector Spinae
Tertiary
Adductor Magnus

How to do it

  1. 1

    Attach a straight bar or handle to a low pulley and grip it with an overhand grip.

  2. 2

    Step back to load the cable, standing with feet hip-width and knees soft.

  3. 3

    Set a tall chest and shoulders back, holding the handle at your thighs.

  4. 4

    Push your hips back and let the cable draw your hands down your legs.

  5. 5

    Lower to a deep hamstring stretch with a flat back, then drive your hips forward to stand.

  6. 6

    Squeeze the glutes at the top against the cable's pull. Inhale down, exhale up.

Tips

  • Stand far enough from the stack that the cable pulls slightly forward at the bottom.
  • Fight the cable's forward pull by keeping the bar close to your legs.
  • Use the constant tension to pause and feel the stretch at the bottom.

Variations

Common mistakes

  • The plates touch down at the bottom of each rep, which means you set up too close to the stack and the tension you came for vanishes exactly where the hamstrings are longest.
  • The whole body creeps backward a step at a time across the set, so by rep eight the cable angle is nothing like the one you started with; reset the feet if you feel it.
  • The arms row the handle in toward the hips as you stand, which hides how much of the rep the hamstrings actually did.
  • A straight-bar attachment sits low enough to bang the shins at the bottom, and people shorten the hinge to avoid it; a rope or a single handle leaves room to pass the knees.
  • Because the cable pulls horizontally you can hinge deeper than a barbell allows, and the extra depth usually gets paid for by the upper back rounding at the bottom.

Frequently asked

How many sets and reps of the cable Romanian deadlift should a beginner do?
Twelve to fifteen reps for three sets, since constant tension is the whole point and the stack is easy to adjust between sets. Add a one-second pause at the bottom before you add weight, because the stretched position is where the cable earns its keep. If the stack runs out before your hamstrings do, switch to one leg rather than going looking for a heavier machine.
What can I use instead of a cable machine for the Romanian deadlift?
A resistance band anchored low gives the closest feel at home, though its tension rises as you stand rather than staying even. Dumbbells or a barbell load the bottom of the range better but go light at the top. If the cables are all taken, a seated leg curl or a back extension covers hamstring work from a different angle until one frees up.
What is the cable Romanian deadlift good for, and when is it not the right choice?
It keeps the hamstrings loaded through the entire range, including the top where a barbell goes light, which makes it strong for higher-rep hamstring work and for anyone who struggles to feel the hinge. It is not the right choice when you want to move real weight, since most stacks top out below what a hinge can handle, and a poor way to train the bracing and balance a free bar teaches. Keep the back flat: the cable's forward pull at the bottom will find a lazy spine.

Related exercises

Other movements among FitRay's 2,000+ exercises that load the same target muscle — same equipment and level first.

All Glutes exercises