How to Do a Single-Leg Deadlift—and Why They're a Functional Strength Staple

Deadlifts are considered an essential exercise for a reason. They train your body to pick up things off the floor—a skill that’s invaluable in daily life. That’s why there are almost too many variations of the deadlift to count.

One of those is the single-leg deadlift, “an exercise that gives you a huge bang for your buck,” says Schuyler Archambault, physical therapist and owner of Arch Physical Therapy and Fitness. Though this strength exercise comes with plenty of benefits, it demands a lot in return; it’s easy to mess up the hip hinge (the movement pattern at the heart of the exercise), and balancing on one leg is no easy feat. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to modify, so you can reap the rewards—and without falling over. 

Here’s your guide to single-leg deadlifts, including how to do them properly.

What Are Single-Leg Deadlifts?

Single-leg deadlifts are exactly what they sound like: a deadlift done on one leg at a time. The non-working leg lifts up behind you as a counterbalance, so you end up in a sort of Warrior 3 shape. You can do them with just your body weight or with weight in either or both hands, which you lower along your standing leg.

The Differences Between RDLs and Single-Leg Deadlifts

Romanian deadlifts (aka RDLs) are bilateral, meaning they work both legs at the same time, says Peloton instructor Jess Sims. Meanwhile, single-leg deadlifts are, naturally, done on a single leg. Compared to single-leg deadlifts, you’ll likely be able to lift heavier with RDLs, since they don’t have a balance component, Archambault says. However, that lack of a balance challenge means RDLs don’t work your foot, ankle, and hip stabilizer muscles as much as single-leg deadlifts do.

Single-Leg Deadlifts vs. Staggered-Stance Deadlifts

With staggered-stance deadlifts (aka split-stance or kickstand deadlifts) you stand with the majority of your weight on one leg, but you keep the other foot on the ground just behind you for balance. It’s a great single-leg deadlift modification; there’s less of a balance challenge, but you still working your leg and core muscles in a similar way. “Staggered deadlifts require you to maintain balance while performing the movement, so your core is more involved, [just like] in the single-leg deadlift,” Jess says.

Muscles Targeted by Single-Leg Deadlifts

“Single-leg deadlifts primarily work your hamstrings and glutes, but also strengthen your ankles and calves as you work to stabilize yourself during the movement,” Jess says. Your core, back extensors, and hip stabilizers are also key players, Archambault says—especially your gluteus medius and gluteus minimus, two glute muscles on the side of your hips. “Both are used to stabilize the pelvis and maintain your knee position,” Archambault says. Research shows that single-leg deadlifts are particularly great at activating the biceps femoris (a hamstring muscle) and the glute medius compared to regular deadlifts.

The Benefits of Single-Leg Deadlifts

Single-leg deadlifts may seem like a move for advanced athletes, but it drills important skills for anyone who wants to move well through life. “Single-leg deadlifts are great for the general population to work on balancing and picking up objects from the floor,” Archambault says. Because they strengthen foot, ankle, and hip stabilizers, she often uses them with clients recovering from foot, ankle, knee, and hip injuries.

They’re also valuable because they’re a unilateral exercise, meaning they work one side of the body at a time. Unilateral work is really important to include in your workout routine because it exposes weaknesses and where your body might be overcompensating—that is, “where your stronger side essentially picks up the slack for the weaker side and then is often overworked and prone to injury,” Jess explains.

Runners, especially, have a lot to gain from adding single-leg deadlifts to their routine. “When you run, you’re never on both legs at the same time, so it's crucial to work the legs individually,”  Jess says. Ditto for anyone who plays sports with any sort of single-leg demands, Archambault says, from soccer and pickleball to skiing.

How to Do a Single-Leg Deadlift

Here’s how to master the bodyweight single-leg deadlift, with step-by-step instructions courtesy of Jess.

4 Form Tips For Single-Leg Deadlifts

First, master the hinge. “Make sure you learn how to perform a hip hinge or Romanian deadlift before trying the single-leg variation,” Archambault says. This ensures you’re not arching or rounding your back, but moving at the hip joint—which you’ll need to do to recruit your glutes and hamstrings effectively.

Stay square. As you hinge forward, keep your shoulders, ribs, and hips parallel to the floor, not allowing your hip to rotate open, Archambault says. If your hips are tilting because you’re having trouble balancing, try keeping your gaze fixed on one point on the floor about one or two feet ahead of you. Alternatively, you can place one hand onto a bench or wall to support, she says. 

Start small. You can reap the benefits of a single-leg deadlift even if you’re not getting your leg up to parallel. While you’re improving your balance and getting stronger, “start with a shortened range of motion to get used to where your body is in space and gradually increase,” Archambault says.

Adjust your depth accordingly. “When performing single leg deadlifts, you want to pause and come back up at either the point where you can no longer maintain balance and need to use your other foot for support or when you hit the lowest position you can while keeping your back flat,” Archambault says. If you’re using weights, start with a goal of lowering the weight to your knee, and aim to reach mid-shin once you’re familiar with the move.

Single-Leg Deadlifts: Variations and Modifications

To tweak single-leg deadlifts to make them easier or harder, you can keep a foot on the floor, use two dumbbells, one dumbbell in either hand, and even hold the bottom position and move the dumbbell from one hand to the other to create more instability so your hamstrings, calves, ankles, and feet have to work harder to maintain balance, Jess says. Try these three variations, listed in order of increasing difficulty: 

Staggered-Stance Deadlift

As mentioned above, the staggered stance deadlift is a great modification of the single-leg deadlift if you’re having trouble with balance.

Dumbbell Single-Leg Deadlift

To level up, try using two dumbbells, one in each hand, Jess says. 

Contralateral Single-Leg Deadlift

Contralateral single-leg deadlifts—when you hold a weight in the hand opposite your standing leg—have been shown to activate the glutes more than when you put weight in your other hand, Archambault says. 

Mistakes to Avoid When Doing Single-Leg Deadlifts

A common mistake people make is doing single-leg deadlifts before they're ready, Jess says. You need to have a certain level of flexibility to get in and out of this position properly, without rounding your back. Drill traditional RDLs, staggered-stance deadlifts, and single-leg deadlifts with a limited range of motion until you have those down pat. 

Another thing to avoid is bending too much at the knees, Jess says, as this will change the muscles worked. Similarly, Archambault says not to lock out your knee; keep the standing leg just slightly bent.

Finally, avoid opening up your hips to the side, Jess says. This would mean you’re not properly working the hamstring of the standing leg—and that’s exactly where you want to feel the burn.

Takeaway

Single leg deadlifts are a challenging yet effective way to build functional strength and work on unilateral training. However, they do require a good amount of flexibility and range of motion to do them effectively. To get there, you can work on your mobility and foundational moves first, such as traditional RDLs and deadlifts, (and the other exercises mentioned above) before trying this more advanced move. If you want some help getting there, try Mobility and Flexibility classes on the Peloton App to help improve your range of motion, and try Lower Body Strength classes to help you build up the strength you need to master this challenging move.