Traditional Or Romanian: Which Deadlift Variation Is Better For Building Strength?

Which type of deadlift is best for strength training.. (Photo via Alora Griffiths/Unsplash)

Deadlift variations are an important part of strength training. The compound exercise allows you to engage your entire lower body and push the muscle fibers to become stronger with each rep.

While not all variations work on the same muscle group, they have some impact on all the groups.

Two of the most sought-after variations are traditional and Romanian. It's believed that both variations are important for a workout routine, but they have their own strengths and weaknesses.

To do a traditional deadlift

Place a barbell with weights in front of you, and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
Drop your hips backwards, and flare your chest.
Bend forward from the hips to grab the barbell, with your feet firmly on the ground.
To lift, grab the barbell firmly, and push with your feet while moving your hips forward.
At the top of the motion, the barbell should be right below your hips and legs; back, and knees should form a straight line.
Return to the starting position by pushing your hips backwards and squatting.
Repeat for at least 5-6 reps for 3-4 sets.

To do a Romanian deadlift

Hold the barbell in front of you using an overhand grip.
The back and spine must be straight, and shoulders drawn backwards.
Push your hips backwards, and lower the barbell towards your feet.
To get back up, push your hips forward, and steadily move back up to the starting position.
Do at least 7-8 reps for 3-4 sets.

Traditional or Romanian: which is better for strength training?

It’s important to remember that the traditional variation works on strengthening the entire lower body - back, abs, glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, hips, and even traps. Meanwhile, Romanian deadlifts work on the hamstrings, glutes, and forearms.

Therefore, to decide which variation is better for strength training, you must know your goals. If your goal is to develop overall lower body strength, you should opt for traditional deadlifts.

However, if your goal is to strengthen your hamstring, a Romanian deadlift is the way to go. Alternatively, you can decide which variation is suitable for you based on lower back pain.

If you have lower back pain, it’s better to do a Romanian deadlift, as it’s less stressful for the lower back. However, if you want to specifically strengthen your lower back, traditional is a better option.

Bottom Line

Usually, traditional deadlifts are used more often than Romanian deadlifts, but both variations are useful for strength training.

However, before doing the exercise for strength training, you must ensure that you’ve mastered the form. Ideally, you should use lower weights to master the form while building a strong muscle-mind connection. As you increase the weight, an established muscle-mind connection will help you to engage the correct muscle groups.

Finally, deadlifts have other variations apart from traditional and Romanian, such as stiff-legged (hamstrings), sumo (quads), dumbbell (dumbbell variations), and others. Each of them will enable you to build strength. However, you must know which muscle group you’re aiming for or if you’re aiming for overall lower body strength development.