Training7 min readIntermediate
Landmine RDL vs barbell RDL: is there any real difference?
The landmine Romanian deadlift has spread through commercial gyms fast: one end of the barbell in a floor sleeve, the other held in both hands, hinging back along an arc instead of straight down. Plenty of coaches prefer it, plenty of lifters find it easier to balance. Almost nobody has compared it directly with the ordinary barbell version. One study did.
The short answer
In a within-subject comparison of 16 trained adults lifting an 8RM load, the traditional and landmine Romanian deadlift produced no significant differences in muscle activation in the middle trapezius, latissimus dorsi, erector spinae, gluteus maximus or biceps femoris, and no significant difference in hip or lumbar flexion. The authors concluded the two can be used interchangeably (McCurdy and Koldenhoven, 2025).
- Nothing about spinal loading, shear force or safety was measured, so neither version can be called safer.
- Choose whichever you can load and repeat consistently — on this evidence, either is a legitimate choice.
Is the landmine RDL as good as the barbell RDL?
7 kg), each with at least six months of resistance training, completed three repetitions of each variation. Surface electromyography recorded the middle trapezius, latissimus dorsi, erector spinae, gluteus maximus and biceps femoris, normalised to each lifter's own maximum voluntary isometric contraction, while inertial sensors tracked trunk and hip motion (McCurdy and Koldenhoven, 2025).
| Measure | Result |
|---|---|
| Middle trapezius, latissimus dorsi, erector spinae activation | No significant difference in either phase |
| Gluteus maximus and biceps femoris activation | No significant difference in either phase |
| Hip flexion range of motion | No significant difference |
| Lumbar flexion range of motion | No significant difference |
| Load used | An 8RM for each variation, so relative intensity was matched |
What this study cannot tell you
A finding of “no significant difference” is genuinely useful, but it is narrow, and most claims made online about the landmine version go well beyond it.
- It did not measure spinal compression or shear, so it cannot show that either variation is easier on your back.
- It did not study anyone with back pain, and nothing here is advice for a painful back.
- It did not measure muscle growth. Activation recorded in one session is not a measurement of hypertrophy.
- It compared three repetitions at an 8RM load, not months of training.
- Sixteen participants is a small sample, so small real differences could go undetected.
So which should you actually do?
On this evidence the choice comes down to practical factors rather than muscle recruitment. Both are hip hinges, both load the hamstrings and glutes, and both ask your back to hold position.
Step 1
Pick the one you can set up reliably
If your gym's landmine is always free and the barbells are not, that alone is a good reason — a session you actually complete beats a better exercise you skip.
Step 2
Pick the one you can balance
Some lifters find holding one end of the bar in both hands easier to control than a bar in front of the shins.
Step 3
Check you can load it heavily enough
A landmine takes plates on one end only, so the weight you feel is not the weight on the bar. Judge it by effort, not by the plates.
Step 4
Keep the same standard on both
Hinge from the hips, keep your back in one position, and stop the repetition where your hips stop moving back.
Step 5
Stick with your choice long enough to progress it
Changing variation every few weeks makes it impossible to tell whether you are getting stronger.
If a machine or a rack is taken, swapping to a comparable movement is usually better than dropping the exercise, and this study is a rare case where a swap is backed by a direct comparison rather than an assumption.
How to load and progress either version
Romanian deadlifts are usually trained in moderate repetition ranges as assistance work rather than as a maximal lift. , 2021).
- Sets of roughly 6 to 12 repetitions suit both variations as assistance work.
- Stop with one to three repetitions in reserve rather than grinding to failure with a loaded spine.
- Add a small amount of weight, or a repetition, once every set is completed with your back held in position.
- Record which variation you used, so your numbers stay comparable week to week.
Grip and attachment choices on smaller exercises have been measured in the same way, with the cable triceps pushdown being the clearest example.
People also ask
Is the landmine RDL better than the barbell RDL?
On the only direct comparison available, neither was better. Muscle activation in five muscles and hip and lumbar range of motion were not significantly different between them.
Does the landmine RDL work the hamstrings as well?
In that study, biceps femoris activation did not differ significantly between the landmine and traditional versions at a matched 8RM load.
Is the landmine RDL easier on your lower back?
The study measured lumbar range of motion, not spinal load, and found no significant difference. It cannot show that either version is easier on the back.
How do you work out the weight on a landmine RDL?
You cannot read it off the bar, because only one end is loaded and the other pivots on the floor. Judge the load by the effort of the set and record what you used.
Can you use the landmine RDL as a straight swap?
On this evidence, yes — the authors state the two exercises can be used interchangeably at a similar relative intensity.
Scientific References & Evidence
- McCurdy, K.W. and Koldenhoven, R.M. (2025) 'Comparison of muscle activation and range of motion between the traditional and landmine Romanian deadlift', International Journal of Strength and Conditioning, 5(1). doi: 10.47206/ijsc.v5i1.370. Available at: https://doi.org/10.47206/ijsc.v5i1.370
- Schoenfeld, B.J., Grgic, J., Van Every, D.W. and Plotkin, D.L. (2021) 'Loading recommendations for muscle strength, hypertrophy, and local endurance: a re-examination of the repetition continuum', Sports, 9(2), article 32. doi: 10.3390/sports9020032. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/sports9020032
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Educational information for adults aged 18 and over. It does not diagnose, treat or manage any medical condition. If you have a health condition, or symptoms that worry you, speak to your doctor or a health professional.