What is the single-leg romanian deadlift?
The single-leg Romanian deadlift is a hip-hinge performed standing on one leg, with the free leg extending behind for balance and the torso lowering toward the floor. You hold a dumbbell or kettlebell in one or both hands, hinge from the hip until the torso is parallel to the floor, then drive back to standing. It targets the hamstrings, glute max and erectors of the working side while challenging hip stability through the gluteus medius. It exposes weak ankles and asymmetric hips with surgical precision.
How to do the single-leg romanian deadlift
- 1
Stand on one leg, soft knee
Plant the working foot, soft bend in the knee. Hold one dumbbell in the opposite hand (or one in each) and lift the free leg slightly off the floor.
- 2
Hinge from the hip
Push the hips straight back, lowering the torso while the free leg extends behind. Torso and free leg move as one straight line.
- 3
Lower until the torso is parallel
Stop when the torso reaches roughly parallel to the floor, or earlier if the lower back rounds. Hips stay square, no rotation.
- 4
Drive hips through to stand
Squeeze the glute of the working side and drive the hips forward to stand. Don't crash the free leg down between reps.
Pro tip
Pretend a tray of glasses sits on the small of your back. The cue keeps the hips level, the spine neutral, and stops the working hip from rotating open.
Common mistakes
Rotating the hip open.
Letting the free-leg hip rotate skyward cheats the hinge. Keep both hips pointing at the floor at all times.
Squatting instead of hinging.
Bending the working knee deeply turns it into a one-leg squat. Push the hips back, knee stays soft and roughly fixed.
Going too low.
Chasing depth past flat-back means the spine rounds. Stop at parallel or wherever your hamstrings cap clean form.
Wobbling at the ankle.
If the ankle is shaking, the load is too heavy or the balance isn't there yet. Drop weight, fix balance first, then build load.
Variations and progressions
Easier
Kickstand RDL
Keep the toes of the free leg lightly on the floor behind you. Same hip-hinge bias, way more stable.
Harder
Deficit single-leg RDL
Stand on a 5-10 cm plate or step. Extends the range, brutal for hamstring stretch and stability.
No dumbbells?
Bodyweight single-leg RDL
Hands behind the head or reaching forward. Master the pattern unloaded before you add weight.
How to program it
Three protocols by goal. Pick one per cycle and aim for progression on load or distance.
| Goal | Sets × distance | Load | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strength / balance | 4 × 6 / side | Heavy DB | 90-120 s |
| Hypertrophy | 3 × 10 / side | Moderate DB | 75-90 s |
| Runner's pre-hab | 3 × 8-12 / side | Light-moderate | 60 s |
Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift FAQ
Why is this exercise so important for runners?
Running is a series of single-leg hinges under load. The single-leg RDL trains that exact pattern: posterior chain power, hip stability and ankle control on one side at a time. It's one of the cleanest ways to prevent hamstring strains and to expose the side-to-side asymmetries that limit pace.
How heavy can I go on single-leg RDL?
Lighter than you think. Stability is the bottleneck, not strength. Most intermediates max out around 22-30 kg per hand for sets of 6-8. Past that, form usually breaks before the muscle is challenged. If you want more load, switch to the standard Romanian deadlift on both legs.
How do I stop falling over?
Three fixes: fix the eyes on a point 2 m in front of you, grip the floor hard with the toes of the working foot, and slow the rep down. Most balance failures come from going too fast. If you still wobble, run the kickstand version for 2-3 weeks to build the pattern, then return to the full single-leg.
