Intermediate

Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift

The single-leg Romanian deadlift builds hamstring and glute strength one side at a time while forcing the hips to resist rotation and wobble. It exposes and corrects left-right imbalances and sharpens balance for running and jumping. Start bodyweight or with a light dumbbell before adding load.

Equipment
Dumbbell
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
Trapezius Upper

How to do it

  1. 1

    Stand on one leg with a slight bend in the knee, dumbbell in the opposite hand.

  2. 2

    Hinge at the hip and let the free leg extend straight behind you.

  3. 3

    Lower the weight toward the floor while keeping hips square.

  4. 4

    Stop when your torso and rear leg form a near-straight line.

  5. 5

    Drive the standing hip forward to return upright.

  6. 6

    Complete all reps, then switch sides.

Tips

  • Keep the hips level; do not let the rising-leg hip open toward the ceiling.
  • Fix your eyes on a spot ahead to steady your balance.
  • Move slowly so stability, not momentum, controls each rep.

Variations

Common mistakes

  • The free foot taps the floor at the bottom of each rep to steal a little balance, so the standing hamstring gets a break at exactly the point where the work is.
  • The rear leg stays down and the movement becomes a bend at the waist, which is a lower-back exercise wearing a hamstring costume.
  • Reaching the dumbbell across toward the standing foot rotates the trunk and hides the balance problem rather than fixing it; the weight travels straight down beside the leg.
  • The standing knee locks out as you hinge, which jams the joint at its end range and sends the balance job to the ankle; keep a soft bend so the hip does the folding.
  • Once you switch sides, the second leg gets fewer honest reps because you are tired of balancing; start on the weaker leg and match the number of reps, not the effort.

Frequently asked

How many reps of the single-leg Romanian deadlift should you do when you are new to the exercise?
Start with 2 to 3 sets of 8 per leg holding nothing, or a light dumbbell of 4 to 8 kg (about 9 to 18 lb) if your balance is already steady. The wobble decides when weight goes up: while the standing foot is still hunting for the floor, the set is a balance drill and the load stays where it is. When 3 sets of 10 per leg feel solid, add one dumbbell size and expect the reps to feel new again.
What can I use instead of a dumbbell for the single-leg Romanian deadlift?
A kettlebell, a backpack, or a water jug in the opposite hand all do the job; the shape of the object hardly matters. If balance rather than the hamstring is what stops you, the B-stance Romanian deadlift keeps the rear toes down as a kickstand and still loads the front leg hard. Resting the free hand's fingertips on a wall or a rack is a legitimate way to run the exercise while your balance catches up.
What is the single-leg Romanian deadlift good for, and when is it a poor choice?
It builds hamstring and glute strength one side at a time, teaches the hip to resist rotation, and exposes left-right differences that a barbell hides, which makes it useful for runners and for anyone with an obviously stronger side. It is a poor choice when the goal for the day is heavy loading, since balance caps the weight far below what the hamstrings could handle, and a poor choice at the end of a hard leg session, where the wobble usually wins.

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