Intermediate

Single-Leg Deadlift Balance

The bodyweight single-leg deadlift teaches the hip hinge on one leg, loading the hamstrings and glutes while the hip and ankle stabilizers fight rotation. It is the balance-focused precursor to the loaded single-leg deadlift and a great fix for left-right imbalances. Master the pattern here before adding a dumbbell or kettlebell.

Equipment
Body Weight
Body part
Glutes, Hamstring
Type
Balance, Strength
Browse by movement
Hinge
Muscles worked
Target
Biceps Femoris, Semitendinosus, Gluteus Maximus
Secondary
Gluteus Medius, Erector Spinae
Tertiary
Fibularis Longus, Tibialis Anterior, Vastus Lateralis

How to do it

  1. 1

    Stand on one leg with a soft knee and the arms hanging or reaching forward.

  2. 2

    Hinge at the hip, sending the chest forward and the free leg straight back.

  3. 3

    Keep the hips square to the floor and the spine long, not rounded.

  4. 4

    Lower until the torso and rear leg are roughly parallel to the floor.

  5. 5

    Drive the standing-leg hip forward to return to standing.

  6. 6

    Complete the reps, then switch legs.

Tips

  • Move slowly and treat balance, not depth, as the goal.
  • Keep the standing hip from opening to the side to protect the pattern.
  • Reach the back heel toward the wall behind you to keep the leg engaged.

Variations

Common mistakes

  • The chest drops toward the floor while the hips stay put, which is a toe-touch, not a hinge; the hips travel backward as the chest goes down.
  • The back leg lifts higher than the torso, and that extra height comes from arching the low back rather than from the hip folding further.
  • Without a weight pulling you forward, the range often stops short: the standing hamstring should feel a real stretch at the bottom, and if it does not, the hips have not gone back far enough.
  • The toes of the standing foot claw the floor for the whole set, which means the weight has slid forward off the middle of the foot.
  • The finish carries past upright into a small lean back, so the last part of every rep is done by the low back instead of the glute.

Frequently asked

How many reps of the bodyweight single-leg deadlift balance should you do when you are new to the exercise?
Two to three sets of six to eight reps per leg, taking three seconds to lower and pausing for one at the bottom. Start each set on the less steady leg and give the other one the same number, not the same effort. When three sets of eight are smooth with a pause, the next step is a light dumbbell, which turns this into the loaded single-leg Romanian deadlift.
How do I make the single-leg deadlift balance easier or harder?
For an easier version, leave the back toes on the floor behind you as a kickstand, or rest the free hand's fingertips on a wall while the hips learn the path. To make it harder, pause for three seconds at the bottom of each rep, hold the arms overhead so the trunk works more, or slow the lowering to a five count.
What is the single-leg deadlift balance for, and when should I do something else?
It teaches the hip hinge one leg at a time with no load to hide behind, which makes it a useful movement drill before leg work and a practical way to feel which side rotates or wobbles. It stops being the right choice once the pattern is clean and your hamstrings need real work, because bodyweight alone will not push them; add the dumbbell and treat this version as a preparation drill from then on.

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