Beginner

Landmine Romanian Deadlift

The landmine RDL guides the bar on an arc that naturally cues your hips back, making it one of the easiest hinges to coach. Holding the loaded sleeve keeps the weight in front and slightly braced by the pivot, so beginners groove clean mechanics while still loading the hamstrings and glutes. It is a great teaching tool and a solid accessory.

Equipment
Barbell, Landmine
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

    Load one end of a barbell into a landmine anchor and grip the sleeve just below the plates with both hands.

  2. 2

    Stand facing the anchor with feet hip-width, soft knees, and a tall chest.

  3. 3

    Push your hips back and let the bar's end travel down along its arc.

  4. 4

    Lower until you feel a strong hamstring stretch with a flat back.

  5. 5

    Drive your hips forward to stand tall and squeeze the glutes.

  6. 6

    Reset and repeat. Inhale down, exhale up.

Tips

  • Stand close enough that the arc keeps the load near your body.
  • Let the hips lead back; do not turn it into a squat.
  • Keep your arms straight and let your hips do the lifting, not your shoulders.

Variations

Common mistakes

  • The arc brings the bar end back toward your legs as it drops, and if the knees push forward to meet it the hinge turns into a squat; let the hips travel back so the bar passes the knees and your weight stays over the middle of the foot.
  • The very end of the sleeve gets gripped, so the plates ride down onto your fingers on every rep; take the hold right under the collar with both hands.
  • The anchor end was never seated properly and hops out of its holder mid-set, which is worth checking before the first plate goes on.
  • One shoulder sits ahead of the other because the hands are stacked on the sleeve, and that twist shows up as an uneven stretch between the two hamstrings; swap the top hand between sets.
  • The arc lightens the load near the top, so the last third of the rep gets rushed and the glute squeeze at the finish never actually happens.

Frequently asked

How many sets and reps of the landmine Romanian deadlift should a beginner do?
Start with the bar and one small plate for three sets of 10, since the sleeve end of a barbell already weighs something; add weight in the smallest plates the gym has. When rep 10 looks like rep 1, add a plate and drop to sets of 8. This is a good candidate for two sessions a week, because the guided arc keeps technique honest even when you are tired.
What can I use instead of a landmine for the Romanian deadlift?
Wedge one end of a barbell into a corner with a towel around it, or hold a heavy dumbbell vertically by one end for a similar feel. A kettlebell held at the chest also keeps the load in front and cues the hips back. If the coaching effect rather than the equipment is what you want, a dowel held along the spine during a dumbbell Romanian deadlift gives you the same feedback about back position.
What is the landmine Romanian deadlift good for, and when is it a poor choice?
It is a teaching tool first: the arc pulls your hips back for you, so beginners groove a clean hinge while still loading the hamstrings and glutes, and the front-loaded position suits people who find a bar at their sides awkward. It is a poor choice for heavy work, since the sleeve is hard to grip once plates stack up and the arc reduces the load near the top. It is also a poor pick if the only anchor available is a corner where the bar can slide.

Related exercises

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

All Glutes exercises