Strength exercise
Single-leg Romanian deadlift
A hip hinge on one leg while the other leg reaches straight back. It builds strength in the back of the hips and legs and challenges balance.
Also called: single leg RDL, single leg deadlift bodyweight
- Type
- Strength
- Equipment
- No equipment
- Area
- Lower back
- Level
- Intermediate
- Starting dose in Remedy
- 3 sets of 8 per side
How to do it
- Stand on one leg with a soft knee. Hold a wall or chair for balance if you need it.
- Hinge forward at the hip while the free leg reaches straight back.
- Keep your back long and your hips square to the floor.
- When you feel the hamstring of the standing leg, drive back up to standing.
- Finish your reps and switch legs.
Form cues
- Hinge at the hip, not the waist.
- The free leg reaches straight back; keep the back long.
Common mistakes
- Opening the hip of the free leg toward the ceiling.
- Rounding the back to get the hands lower.
Easier and harder versions
- Easier: Hip hinge
- Harder: Dumbbell Romanian deadlift
Why it helps a sore back
It loads one hip at a time with no equipment, which makes it a useful step up for people training at home.
How Remedy uses it
In the app it is called Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift. Remedy is more likely to pick it if you say your back is bothered by bending or lifting or working out. A typical starting dose is 3 sets of 8 per side, and the program adjusts reps as the weeks go on. Every exercise in the app has a demonstration video.
General fitness information, not medical advice. Stop any exercise that causes sharp pain, or pain, numbness, or tingling spreading down a leg.
Get a back program you can actually keep
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