If you are looking to add some variation to your workout routine or work on muscle imbalances in your glutes/ hamstrings.
Then you might want to consider doing some B-stance RDL's or B-stance Romanian deadlifts.
This partially unilateral movement can significantly enhance your lower body strength and stability and will target your hamstrings, glutes, and lower back.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through the proper technique, benefits, and common mistakes to avoid. Let’s dive in!
What is a B-Stance Romanian Deadlift?
To be clear, a Romanian deadlift is a variation of the regular deadlift. With a regular deadlift, you have bent knees and straighten them as you pull the weight up.
However, with a Romanian deadlift, your legs stay virtually straight, and your knees don't really bend at all, while the motion comes all from your hips.
Also, a Romanian deadlift starts from a standing position and the weight doesn't touch the floor while performing each rep.
Now, what you're probably wondering is what this B-stance refers to. The B-stance relates to how you position your legs so they are staggered.
In other words, here you have one leg slightly in front of the other, and this acts as the working leg.
The working leg takes most of the weight, whereas the back leg, the supporting leg, is just there for balance more than anything else.
That said, this is not a 100% unilateral movement. Your supporting leg does still do a bit of the work. However, due to the staggered B-stance, it is your front leg doing most of the work.
Interestingly enough, the B-stance deadlift is often seen as a great alternative to the Romanian deadlift because the motion is almost the same.
However, we propose taking things one step further and doing a B-stance Romanian deadlift, which combines the position and movement of the B-stance with the Romanian deadlift variety.
Related Post: Stiff Leg Deadlift Vs RDL: What's the Difference?
What Muscles Does the B-Stance Deadlift Work?
To know when to use B-Stance RDLs, you need to have a good understanding of the muscles worked by RDLs.
Romanian deadlifts are a fantastic leg exercise that primarily focuses on your glutes, spinal erectors and hamstrings. Plus, there are a wide range of secondary muscle groups engaged in your upper back and your arms as you grip the weight.
With a B-Stance RDL, the same muscles are being worked but loaded slightly differently as this is a unilateral movement.
It's a great movement to do if you have muscle imbalances or want to prevent muscle imbalances from occurring, as it lets you work out your legs individually, more or less.
It's a bit more challenging than a regular Romanian deadlift, but also less challenging than a single-leg deadlift which requires more balance as you don't have the supporting leg.
The Benefits of Doing a B-Stance RDL
Now that you know what a B-stance Romanian deadlift is, let's take a look at some of the biggest benefits of doing them.
A Great Lower Body Strengthening Exercise
The simple fact is that this type of deadlift is a great one to strengthen the muscles in your lower body.
Whether we're talking about your glutes, your hamstrings, quadriceps, or your calves, and even your lower back to a certain degree, the B-stance Romanian deadlift is a top contender.
Start loading up a serious amount of weight, and you should start seeing a good deal of muscle growth.
Ideal for Training Balance and Mobility
What also stands out about this specific type of deadlift is that it helps to train your balance and mobility.
Being forced to put most of the weight on one leg means that you are being forced to balance. Just like with growing muscles, you can train your balance simply by balancing.
The more you balance, the better it gets, and this will become especially useful in your old age.
A Partially Unilateral Exercise
Something else you might appreciate about the B-stance Romanian deadlift is that it is a partially unilateral exercise.
Once again, it's not totally unilateral, because you're still using your other leg for support and to hold a bit of the weight.
However, your front leg takes 80% or even more of the weight, and this therefore makes the B-stance Romanian deadlift a great way to train one leg at a time. It’s a good way to prevent or treat muscle imbalances.
A Good Workup to Single-Leg Deadlifts
Also worth noting is that this type of deadlift is easier to do than the single-leg deadlift. So, if the single-leg deadlift is still too difficult for you, start off with the B-stance Romanian deadlift and then work your way up.
Related Post: What are Gorilla Rows?
How to do a B-Stance Romanian Deadlift
As you're about to see, doing a B-stance Romanian deadlift is not all that difficult, but you do need to use the proper form to avoid injuries.
- Start by selecting a barbell and an appropriate weight. If this is your first time doing this exercise, we recommend using only the barbell alone, as 45 lbs is more than enough to practice your form. You can always increase the amount of weight you are lifting as you go.
- Start off by standing with your feet at shoulder width and your toes pointed straight forward.
- If you feel stable you can shift most of your weight onto a foot of your choosing, let's say the right foot, and then take a small step back with your left foot. You want the toes of your left or supporting foot to be just behind the heel of your right or working foot.
- To increase the difficulty level, lift up the heel of your left or supporting foot so that only the ball of the foot is on the ground. This will ensure that most of the weight is being placed on your working foot.
- Start by standing upright with your torso vertically. Hold the barbell using an overhand grip so that your knuckles are facing you. Make sure to puff your chest outwards and squeeze your shoulder blades together. Now that you are totally set up, you can do the deadlift.
- Slowly lower down by hinging at the hips until the barbell is just above your ankles, at around the middle of your shins. Make sure that the motion is coming from your hips, and that you aren't bending your knees. The whole point of a Romanian deadlift is for the hinging to come from your hips, not your knees.
- Make sure to keep your core activated during the whole exercise. Once you reach the bottom, you can then push the heel of your working foot into the ground like you are trying to push the floor away from you. Push your hips forward and return back to the original position.
- Repeat this exercise for up to 15 repetitions and for up to three sets.
Related Post: How to do Dumbbell Pullovers?
Rounding Up
At the end of the day, if you're looking for a new and challenging leg workout or want to work on any muscle imbalances then the B-stance Romanian deadlift is certainly a great one to try.
Just remember to use proper form and to take your time!
