Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift
The single-leg Romanian deadlift is a hip hinge on one leg: you tip your body forward from the hip while the free leg reaches straight back, then stand tall again. It works the hamstrings and glutes of the standing leg and trains balance and control of the hips on one leg.
Also called: Single-Leg DB RDL, Dumbbell Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift, Single-Leg RDL, SL RDL · Equipment: bodyweight · Pattern: hinge
Step by step
- Stand tall on one leg with a slight bend in that knee, hands on your hips or hanging in front of your thighs. Fix your eyes on a spot on the floor a little way ahead.
- Brace your trunk and keep the slight bend in the standing knee fixed for the whole rep.
- Push your hips back and tip your chest forward from the hip, letting the free leg reach straight back in line with your body.
- Keep both hips square to the floor, with the toes of the free leg pointing down, so your pelvis does not twist open.
- Hinge until you feel a strong stretch in the back of the standing thigh, with your back flat. The stretch sets the depth, not reaching the floor.
- Drive the standing heel into the floor and squeeze the glute to bring your hips forward and stand tall, bringing the free leg back under you.
- Complete all reps on one leg, then switch. A light fingertip touch on a wall or rack helps while you learn the balance.
- Hinge until you feel the hamstring stretch
- Stack hip, knee and toe, no twist, no drift
- Hips square, free-leg toes pointing down
- Fix one spot on the floor and move slowly
- Drive the standing heel down to stand tall
In VALDA, these cues are one tap away on the exercise while you train.
What it trains
| Muscle | Role | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Hamstrings: biceps femoris (long head) | Prime mover | B |
| Gluteus maximus | Prime mover | B |
| Hamstrings: semimembranosus | Prime mover | B |
| Erector spinae | Stabiliser | C |
| Obliques (internal/external) | Stabiliser | C |
| Tibialis anterior | Stabiliser | D |
| Gluteus medius/minimus | Dynamic stabiliser | C |
Evidence grades: A = strong research base · B = good · C = limited · D = coaching consensus.
What goes wrong, and the fix
Hips twisting open
Fix: Keep both hips square to the floor with the free leg's toes pointing down.
Reaching for the floor
Fix: Hinge only as far as the hamstring stretch, keeping your back flat.
Turning it into a squat
Fix: Set a slight knee bend at the start and keep it fixed through the rep.
Standing knee drifting inwards
Fix: Keep the standing knee in line with your middle toes.
Rushing the rep
Fix: Fix your eyes on one spot and move slowly; touch a wall lightly while learning.
What the research says
Rehab & prehab · first choiceSport performance · first choiceGeneral fitnessEndurance
- Muscle activity — A study comparing 10 hamstring exercises found hip-extension movements worked the long head of the biceps femoris more selectively, while knee-bending exercises such as the Nordic curl favoured the inner hamstrings. This describes activation, not growth.
- Single-leg transfer — A meta-analysis of 14 training studies found single-leg training carried over more to single-leg jumping, and two-leg training more to two-leg strength, with no clear edge either way for change of direction.
- Team sports — A 2026 meta-analysis of 15 team-sport trials, including ice hockey, found no overall difference between single-leg and two-leg training, with single-leg training ahead only on single-leg tests.
- Load — Bodyweight is a light load for trained lifters, so many use this version for balance, control and warm-ups, and move to a dumbbell or kettlebell version when they want more resistance. A common approach is 2–3 sets of 8–12 slow reps per leg.
Swap it mid-workout
- Kettlebell Single-Leg Deadlift
- Kettlebell Single-Arm Swing
- Cable Pull Through
- Clean Pull
- Conventional Deadlift
- Deficit Deadlift
With VALDA Pro, FLEX offers alternatives like these when you swap an exercise mid-workout.
The studies behind this guide
Graded A (strongest: trials and reviews) to D (coaching consensus). What each study found, in brief.
- B
Hip-extension hinge patterns recruit the biceps femoris long head (activation, not hypertrophy outcome).
Bourne et al. (2017) · British Journal of Sports Medicine
- C
Unilateral training transfers more to unilateral jump and bilateral to bilateral strength; no clear difference for unilateral strength, change of direction or speed.
Liao et al. (2022) · Biology of Sport
Log the single-leg romanian deadlift in VALDA, with these cues one tap away while you train and your history for it in one place.
Get started freeGeneral information about exercise technique, not medical advice. If you have an injury or a health condition, your healthcare provider is the right person to ask.