Exercise
Dumbbell Single Leg Deadlift
How to Perform - Dumbbell Single Leg Deadlift
- Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in your right hand with a firm grip by your side, maintaining a neutral spine.
- Shift your weight onto your left foot, slightly bending the knee while keeping your torso tall and shoulders pulled back.
- Begin hinging at the hips while simultaneously lifting your right leg straight behind you, keeping your hips square to the floor.
- Lower the dumbbell toward the floor by extending your right arm down, allowing it to hang vertically as you inhale during the descent.
- Continue the movement until your torso is nearly parallel to the floor and you feel a stretch in your standing leg's hamstring, maintaining a flat back throughout.
- Pause briefly at the bottom position, ensuring your supporting knee remains slightly bent and your hips stay level.
- Exhale as you drive through your left heel to return to the starting position, engaging your glutes and hamstrings to pull your torso upright.
- Control the movement as your right leg returns to the floor, then repeat for the prescribed repetitions before switching to the other side.
Important information
- Keep your back flat throughout the entire movement – avoid rounding your spine even when fatigued.
- Start with a lighter dumbbell until you master the balance requirements of this exercise.
- If balance is challenging, position yourself near a wall or sturdy object for support if needed.
- Focus on hip hinging rather than bending from your lower back – imagine your hips moving backward like closing a door with your butt.
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The Dumbbell Single Leg Deadlift stands as a remarkably effective unilateral exercise that deserves a prominent place in any well-rounded fitness regimen. This intermediate-level movement primarily targets your posterior chain, with particular emphasis on the glutes and hamstrings, while simultaneously engaging your core as a stabilizer.
When incorporated into bodybuilding routines, this exercise helps create balanced lower body development and addresses potential muscular imbalances between your dominant and non-dominant sides. The single-leg variation intensifies the demand on each glute and hamstring individually, fostering greater muscle activation than traditional bilateral deadlifts at similar weights.
For HIIT enthusiasts, the Dumbbell Single Leg Deadlift serves as an excellent high-intensity option that elevates your heart rate while building functional strength. The balance component adds another dimension of difficulty, making it an efficient movement that delivers cardiovascular and strength benefits simultaneously.
From a strength perspective, this exercise builds remarkable unilateral power and stability. By working one leg at a time, you're forced to develop the stabilizing muscles that might otherwise remain undertrained in conventional two-legged movements. This translates to improved athletic performance, enhanced joint integrity, and reduced injury risk during both everyday activities and more demanding physical pursuits.
The beauty of this exercise lies in its versatility and efficiency. With just a single dumbbell and enough space to hinge forward, you can deliver an intense stimulus to your posterior chain that rivals much more equipment-intensive alternatives. As you progress, you'll notice improvements not only in lower body strength but also in balance, coordination, and core stability—all valuable physical attributes that extend far beyond aesthetic benefits.
Remember that mastering form before increasing weight is crucial with unilateral exercises like this one, as they inherently challenge your proprioception and balance systems while delivering powerful strength-building benefits.
FAQ - Dumbbell Single Leg Deadlift
The dumbbell single leg deadlift primarily targets your posterior chain, with major emphasis on the glutes and hamstrings of the working leg. It also engages your core muscles extensively as stabilizers and recruits the lower back, calves, and even the standing leg's quadriceps for balance.
For an easier version, perform the movement while touching your non-working toe to the ground for balance or use a lighter weight. To increase difficulty, use a heavier dumbbell, slow down the eccentric (lowering) phase, extend your range of motion, or add a row at the bottom position.
The three most critical errors are allowing the hips to sag (losing the pike position), shoulders rolling forward (compromising joint safety), and excessive body wobbling due to poor core bracing. Focus on maintaining a straight line from hands to hips, keeping shoulders packed away from ears, and engaging your core throughout the movement.
While the single leg deadlift can actually help strengthen the back when performed correctly, those with existing back issues should consult a healthcare provider first. Start with bodyweight only to master form, keep your spine neutral throughout the movement, and focus on engaging your core to protect your lower back.
Include single leg deadlifts 1-2 times weekly with at least 48 hours between sessions to allow for adequate recovery. They work well as part of a lower body or posterior chain focused workout, and 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps per leg is typically sufficient for most fitness goals.
