For glute growth
For glute growth, Romanian deadlift rates higher on our research criteria: more stretch, easier to progress.
Cable glute kickback is easier on the joints.
Both are good choices, and they train the glutes differently. Using both across your week covers more of the muscle than either alone: in studies, varied exercises grew parts of a muscle that one exercise missed. (Fonseca et al., 2014; Costa et al., 2021)
The research score comes from these, scored by hand from the studies. Lifter scores appear once an exercise has 10 ratings. How scores work
Cable Glute Kickback. Steady cable tension on one glute at a time. Joint-friendly, but lighter than compound lifts.
Romanian Deadlift. Loads the glutes and hamstrings at the bottom of the hinge, where both are stretched. Heavy sets tax the lower back.
For glute growth, Romanian deadlift rates higher on our research criteria: more stretch, easier to progress. Cable glute kickback is easier on the joints. Both are good choices, and they train the glutes differently. Using both across your week covers more of the muscle than either alone: in studies, varied exercises grew parts of a muscle that one exercise missed.
Cable glute kickback is easier: it’s easy to learn, while Romanian deadlift takes some practice.
Cable glute kickback needs a cable station, so for most people it’s a gym exercise. Romanian deadlift needs a barbell, so for most people it’s a gym exercise.
Cable glute kickback: it rates Excellent for joint and recovery cost in our research rubric, against Good for Romanian deadlift.