Benefits of the One-Legged Romanian Deadlift

The Romanian deadlift is a challenging exercise for your glutes and hamstrings. You can increase the difficulty and benefits of the deadlift by performing it one leg at a time. Not for the weak, the one-legged Romanian deadlift requires balance and focus to get the most out of this lower-body strengthening exercise.

  1. Deadlift

    • You typically use dumbbells as the resistance for the one-legged Romanian deadlift but the exercise may be performed with other resistance types, including a barbell, kettlebell or resistance band. Hold onto the resistance in one or both hands with your palms facing you. Position your feet at hips-distance apart and then shift your weight onto your right leg. Lift your left foot slightly behind you. Bend forward from the waist and lower the weights toward the floor as you keep them as close to you as possible. Once you've gone as far down as you can while keeping your left leg straight, exhale and return to the standing position.

    Hip Extension

    • The movement in your lower body during the single-leg Romanian deadlift is a hip extension. When you return to a standing position from the forward fold, your glutes and hamstrings contract to extend your hips. You challenge these muscles with the added resistance of the free weights. One to three sets of eight to 12 deadlifts on each leg improves the strength and tone of your backside and the backs of your upper legs. You'll also see improvement in the strength of your lower back as your erector spinae contracts to stabilize your torso during the deadlift.

    Flexibility

    • The flexibility in your legs improves as a result of the one-legged deadlift. Each time you fold forward and lower the weights toward the floor, you stretch your glutes, hamstrings and lower back. The more often you perform the deadlift, the lower to the floor you'll be able to move the weights. Your hip range of motion improves and carries over into daily activities such as walking, bicycling and sport play.

    Balance

    • Other than being able to focus on one leg at a time and contracting the glutes as you return to a standing position, the main difference between a double-leg and single-leg Romanian deadlift is in the balance. With the single-leg Romanian deadlift, you support all the weight of your body on one leg, which increases the strength-training benefit but also requires balance. If you are unable to balance, you may not be able to do the single-leg deadlift. The more you practice balancing on one foot, the better your balance becomes.