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Exercise library / One-Arm Single-Leg Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift

One-Arm Single-Leg Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift

Suggestions, not prescriptions. Exercises here pass automated checks. They have not been clinically reviewed, and no exercise is right for everyone. Adjust to your comfort and ability.

A more challenging exercise. Make it a goal if you like. “Show alternatives” below lists easier steps toward it.

A single-leg RDL holding a dumbbell in one hand — usually the hand opposite the working leg (contralateral). Loads the hamstrings and glutes of the standing leg while demanding heavy anti-rotation from the core.

Main focus
Strength
Level
Advanced
Equipment
Dumbbells
Load
Free weight
Stability
Unstable: single leg, suspended or on a ball
Balance type
Dynamic balance

Keep something steady within reach: a counter, wall or sturdy chair.

Before you start
  • Warm up first with a minute or two of easy walking or marching in place, and cool down the same way after.
  • Wear flat, closed shoes with a good grip, or go barefoot on a non-slip floor if that feels steady to you.
  • Clear the floor around you. Keep a sturdy chair, counter or wall within reach for any move you do standing.
  • Build up slowly. Add repetitions or minutes over weeks, not days. If you take a break, work back up gradually.

Talk with a doctor or physical therapist before you start if you have not been active for some time, if you have a health condition or a worry about exercise, if you have fallen or fear falling, or if a clinician has told you to limit activity. This library is general information, not medical advice.

What you need

A pair of dumbbells, or one, in a weight you can lift with control.

How to do it

  1. Stand on one leg holding a dumbbell in the opposite hand.
  2. Free arm out to the side for balance, free leg hovering just off the floor.
  3. Hinge at the standing hip, pushing it back while the free leg extends behind to counterbalance.
  4. Keep the hips square to the floor — do not open them to the side.
  5. Lower the dumbbell toward the foot of the standing leg, feeling a deep hamstring stretch.
  6. Drive the hip forward to return to standing under control.
  7. Complete all reps on one side, then switch.

How much

No amount is given; use your own programming.

How it should feel: The muscles you are working should feel the effort. The last repetitions should be hard but controlled, never shaky or painful.

Make it easier

Use the other ways to do this movement below.

Make it harder

Use the other ways to do this movement below.

Tips

  • Start lighter than you think — balance and anti-rotation demands are the limit, not hamstring strength.
  • If you rotate open, pause and reset; a shorter clean ROM beats a full ROM with rotation.
  • Eyes on a fixed spot on the floor a few feet in front helps balance.

Safety

  • Warm up first, and keep your breathing steady. Breathe out on the effort and in as you ease off. Do not hold your breath.
  • Move with control. Do not lock your joints straight at the end of a movement.
  • Choose a version, load and number of repetitions you can finish with good form. The last few should feel hard but not shaky.
  • Pick up and put down dumbbells by bending your knees, with a straight back.
More safety notes
  • Choose a weight you can lift for the planned repetitions with good form.
  • Keep your wrists straight and your grip firm.
  • Keep your back long and neutral. Do not round your lower back under load.
  • Brace your abdominal muscles gently before you lift and keep the load close to your body.
  • Use a lighter load until your form is steady, and add weight slowly.
  • Keep stable support within reach, such as a counter, rack or wall, until the movement feels steady.
  • Clear the floor around you and wear shoes with a good grip.
  • Go slowly, and make the movement smaller if you feel unsteady.

From the source

  • Keep the hips square to the floor — do not open them to the side.

When to stop

  • Stop and rest if you feel dizzy or lightheaded, sick to your stomach, or unusually short of breath.
  • Stop if you feel sharp, sudden or joint pain. Muscles working hard is expected. Pain is a signal to stop.
  • Stop and sit down if you feel unsteady and cannot settle yourself right away.
  • Call your local emergency number for chest pain or pressure, fainting, or sudden weakness, numbness or trouble speaking.
  • After any of these, do not repeat the exercise until you have talked with a doctor or physical therapist.
  • A weight slips or you cannot control it.
  • You feel pain in a wrist, elbow or shoulder.
  • You feel pain in your lower back, or your back rounds and you cannot correct it.
  • You feel pain, tingling or numbness that spreads into a leg.
  • You feel unsteady and support does not settle you.
  • You feel dizzy or lightheaded.

Other ways to do this movement

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Where this comes from

Steps and tips are from an open exercise dataset named below. Starting amounts, equipment and safety notes are Fitafter50's general guidance. Nothing here is clinically reviewed.

Steps and tips: Exercise data by RepDB (repdb.co). License: RepDB Free Tier License v1.0: personal or commercial use inside applications, visible attribution, no redistribution as a dataset or API. All credits.

    This is general information, not medical advice. It does not diagnose anything or tell you whether an exercise is right for you. Adjust to your comfort and ability.