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Exercises / Compound Intermediate

Exercise demo

Single-leg romanian deadlift

The single-leg RDL trains hamstrings, glutes and the entire chain of small stabilisers around the hip and ankle. For lifters past 40 who want their hips to keep working at 60, this is the most useful exercise on the list.

Primary muscle

Hamstrings

Equipment

Dumbbell

Force

Hinge

Mechanics

Compound

Setup

Hold a dumbbell in one hand. Stand on the opposite leg, soft bend in the knee. The free leg floats just behind you ready to extend. Eyes a metre ahead on the floor, not down at your feet.

How to do it

  1. 1

    Hinge from the hip

    Tip forward from the hips, not the lower back. The torso and the free leg move together like a see-saw: torso down, free leg up.

  2. 2

    Lower the dumbbell

    Bring the dumbbell down toward the floor on the inside of the standing foot. Keep the hips square; do not let the rear hip drift open.

  3. 3

    Pause at full hinge

    Stop when the torso is roughly parallel to the floor or when the standing-leg hamstring stops you going further. Hold for a one-count.

  4. 4

    Stand back up

    Drive through the standing-leg heel and pull the hips back to square. Pause for a beat at the top before the next rep.

Common mistakes

  • • Rounding the lower back rather than hinging at the hip.
  • • Letting the rear hip drift open, which removes the stretch on the standing-leg hamstring.
  • • Bending the knee deeply rather than keeping a soft bend; this turns the lift into a one-legged squat.
  • • Going too heavy before balance is solid.
  • • Watching the dumbbell, which tucks the chin and rounds the upper back.

Variations

Kickstand RDL

Back foot lightly grazing the floor for balance. Removes the balance demand and lets you load heavier. Use it as a stepping stone.

Two-dumbbell single-leg RDL

Dumbbells in both hands once the pattern is solid. Slightly easier on the trunk than a one-side load.

Dumbbell romanian deadlift

Two-legged version. Heavier load, simpler mechanics, less balance demand. Train it alongside the single-leg.

See the dumbbell romanian deadlift page →

FAQ

How heavy? +
Start with a single dumbbell at 8 to 12 kilograms. Most lifters never need to go above 25 kilograms in one hand for this lift. The point is hamstring stretch and balance, not load.
My balance is terrible. Should I skip it? +
Do it anyway. Use a fingertip on a wall or rack for the first three or four sessions. Balance improves quickly once the brain knows what is expected. Skipping the lift skips the benefit.
How many sets and reps? +
Three sets of 8 to 10 per leg, two minutes rest between legs. Train it once or twice a week. The hamstrings recover slowly; do not stack it next to heavy deadlift days.
Does this replace conventional deadlifts? +
No, but for many lifters past 40 it is a smarter primary hip-hinge than a heavy barbell deadlift. The load on the spine is a fraction of the bilateral version, and the balance demand is what most older lifters actually need.

Free tool

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