How to do the Single Leg Romanian Deadlift
- Stand tall, holding a dumbbell in each hand, with your feet about hip-width apart.
- Shift your weight to one leg, lifting the other foot slightly off the floor.
- Push your hips back, keeping the dumbbells close to your standing leg.
- Straighten back up, driving through your planted foot to return to standing.
Full technique — 8 steps
- Hold dumbbells at your sides and stand tall with feet hip-width apart.
- Shift your weight onto one leg and keep a slight bend in the standing knee.
- Lift the opposite foot from the floor and reach that leg straight back as a counterbalance.
- Hinge at the hips, letting your torso tip forward while keeping the dumbbells close to your standing leg.
- Lower until you feel a strong hamstring stretch or your torso approaches parallel to the floor.
- Keep hips square to the floor and maintain a long neutral spine throughout the hinge.
- Drive through the planted foot and extend the hip to return to a tall standing position.
- Finish balanced on the same leg, then complete all reps before switching sides.
Common mistakes
- Opening the hips outward
- Turning it into a squat
- Reaching weights away from body
- Rounding through the spine
- Using the back leg to swing
Form cues
- Reach long through back leg
- Keep hips square
- Push hips straight back
- Keep weights close
- Stand tall at top
