How many reps of the single-leg posteromedial reach should you do when you are new to the exercise?

Six controlled reaches per leg for two sets works well, since this direction usually produces the longest reach of the three and can tempt you into rushing it. Add a third set once every rep ends with a light tap and a clean return to standing.

How do I adjust the difficulty of the single-leg posteromedial reach?

Reduce the crossing distance and keep the reps slow if the standing knee wobbles as the free leg crosses the midline. To progress, extend the reach, add a brief pause at the tap, or perform the reach with your arms crossed over your chest instead of on your hips.

What does the single-leg posteromedial reach train, and who should skip it?

It loads the standing hip and hamstring while the gluteus medius resists both rotation and a pelvic drop, and it typically produces the longest reach of the Y-Balance directions, reflecting posterior-chain control on one leg. It's a strong addition to a single-leg training or screening program, but avoid it during an acute hip or hamstring strain, since the hinge and rotation both stress that exact tissue.

Intermediate

Single-Leg Posteromedial Reach

The posteromedial spoke sends the free foot back and across the midline, loading the standing hip and hamstring while the gluteus medius fights rotation and a pelvic drop. It typically yields the longest reach of the three directions and reflects posterior-chain control on one leg. Use it alongside the other two reaches to build a complete single-leg stability profile.

Equipment: Body Weight
Body part: Glutes, Hamstring
Type: Balance, Functional
Browse by muscle: Gluteus Medius

How to do it

1
Balance on one leg with hands on the hips and the knee slightly bent.
2
Push the standing hip back into a shallow hinge to free the reaching leg.
3
Sweep the free foot behind and across your midline toward the opposite corner.
4
Tap the floor gently at your longest controlled distance, keeping hips square.
5
Draw the free leg back to standing without shifting weight onto it.
6
Repeat for reps, then switch legs and compare distances.

Tips

Keep both hip bones facing forward; letting the pelvis open turns this into a twist, not a reach.
Hinge from the hip so the standing hamstring shares the load with the glutes.
Keep the standing arch lifted and the heel planted as you cross the midline.
Reach only as far as you can return smoothly to a tall stance.

Variations

Common mistakes

Real weight lands on the reaching foot at the bottom of the tap instead of a feather-light touch, briefly turning a single-leg drill into a two-leg stance.
The reach sweeps so far across the midline that the whole body rotates past the target corner, trading control for extra distance.
The standing knee drifts inward as the free leg crosses behind and across, adding rotational stress to a knee that's already working hard to stabilize.
Rushing back to standing without fully controlling the return skips the second half of the balance challenge this reach is built to test.

Frequently asked

How many reps of the single-leg posteromedial reach should you do when you are new to the exercise?: Six controlled reaches per leg for two sets works well, since this direction usually produces the longest reach of the three and can tempt you into rushing it. Add a third set once every rep ends with a light tap and a clean return to standing.
How do I adjust the difficulty of the single-leg posteromedial reach?: Reduce the crossing distance and keep the reps slow if the standing knee wobbles as the free leg crosses the midline. To progress, extend the reach, add a brief pause at the tap, or perform the reach with your arms crossed over your chest instead of on your hips.
What does the single-leg posteromedial reach train, and who should skip it?: It loads the standing hip and hamstring while the gluteus medius resists both rotation and a pelvic drop, and it typically produces the longest reach of the Y-Balance directions, reflecting posterior-chain control on one leg. It's a strong addition to a single-leg training or screening program, but avoid it during an acute hip or hamstring strain, since the hinge and rotation both stress that exact tissue.

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