Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift: Muscles Worked and How to Do It
TL;DR
The single-leg Romanian deadlift is a hamstring-focused hip hinge: your hamstrings control the descent and drive the hip back up, while your glutes extend the hip and your lower back braces to keep the spine steady through the added single-leg balance challenge of this exercise.
- Primary muscle:
- Hamstrings
- Secondary muscles:
- Glutes, Lower back
Muscles worked
Your hamstrings are the prime mover, lengthening under control as you hinge forward and then contracting to pull your hip back to standing. Balancing on one leg increases the demand on the working leg compared to a two-leg deadlift.
Your glutes work alongside the hamstrings to extend the hip back to the top of the movement. Your lower back braces isometrically to keep your spine in a neutral position while you balance and hinge on a single leg.
Log Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift in PR Streak
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How to do it
- Hold a kettlebell by the handle in one hand. Stand on one leg, on the same side that you hold the kettlebell.
- Keeping that knee slightly bent, perform a stiff legged deadlift by bending at the hip, extending your free leg behind you for balance.
- Continue lowering the kettlebell until you are parallel to the ground, and then return to the upright position.
Form tips
- Keep a soft bend in your standing knee instead of locking it out.
- Hinge at the hip, not the waist. Keep your back flat as your torso tips forward.
- Let your free leg extend behind you for balance and to counterbalance your torso.
- Keep the kettlebell close to your standing leg rather than letting it drift forward.
- Go only as low as you can while keeping your hips square and your back flat.
Exercise details
| Equipment | Kettlebell |
|---|---|
| Level | Intermediate |
| Mechanic | Compound |
Used by lifters following PPL, 5x5, upper/lower, and more.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the point of doing a deadlift on one leg?
It adds a balance and stability challenge on top of the normal hip hinge, and it trains each leg's hamstrings and glutes evenly instead of letting a stronger side take over, which can happen on two-leg deadlifts.
How much weight should I use for single-leg RDLs?
Start lighter than you'd expect. Balancing on one leg limits how much load you can control safely, so most lifters use a moderate weight for 6-12 reps per leg rather than chasing a heavy single-leg max.
What's a good two-leg alternative that trains the same muscles?
A sumo deadlift also trains the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back, but from a stable, two-footed stance that lets you load more weight.
More hamstrings exercises
Exercise instructions and photos come from the free-exercise-db library, public domain, the same library used inside the PR Streak app.
