Legs
Front Squat to RDL
A front squat followed by a Romanian deadlift, with the same pair of dumbbells. The squat works the front of your legs, the RDL works the back, so 1 rep covers your whole lower body.
- Works
- Quads, glutes, hamstrings, core
- Equipment
- A pair of dumbbells
- Load
- Medium
How to do it
- 1Stand with your feet between hip and shoulder width apart. Rest one end of each dumbbell on the front of your shoulders, elbows pointing forward.
- 2Squat down with your chest up and your elbows high, then drive back up to standing.
- 3Lower the dumbbells to hang in front of your thighs. Soften your knees and push your hips back, sliding them down your legs until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings.
- 4Drive your hips forward to stand tall, then bring the dumbbells back up to your shoulders. That's 1 rep.
Cues
- Squat goes down, RDL goes back.
- Keep the dumbbells close to your legs on the RDL.
- Elbows high in the squat.
Common mistakes
- Squatting the RDL. Keep a soft bend in your knees and push your hips back, not down. You should feel it in the back of your legs.
- Rounding your back on the RDL. Stop where your back is still flat, even if that's at your knees.
- Swinging the dumbbells up to your shoulders. Stand all the way up first, then bring them up with control. If you have to swing them, go lighter.
Easier
Go lighter, squat down to a bench, and stop the RDL at your knees.
Harder
Take 3 seconds on the way down in both the squat and the RDL.
Try it: 3 sets of 6 to 10 reps, or 30 seconds on and 30 off.
What's the difference between a squat and an RDL?
In a squat your knees and hips bend together and your quads do a lot of the work. In an RDL your knees stay softly bent while your hips push back, so your hamstrings and glutes do most of it.
