Exercise Tutorial: Single Leg Deadlift Barbell
Table of Contents
What Is the Single Leg Deadlift Barbell
The Single Leg Deadlift Barbell (also known as Single Leg Romanian Deadlift) is a unilateral exercise that is often underrated for developing coordination and balance while incorporating the lower body and the musculature of the posterior chain. Due to the barbell, the hand cannot move independently and therefore the Single Leg Deadlift Barbell will put more demand on the balance of the lift.
The Single Leg Deadlift Barbell can be a useful warm-up to loosen up a stiff body from sitting all day. The Single Leg Deadlift Barbell can also be loaded with heavier weights and can be treated as a muscle/strength-building exercise.
How To Do Single Leg Deadlift Barbell
It is advised to perform the Single Leg Deadlift Barbell barefoot as this will aid in the balance and strengthening of the foot. Follow these simple steps to learn the Single Leg Deadlift Barbell:
Select one leg to remain in contact with the ground, and the other to be elevated as you deadlift the bar. Breath into the diaphragm before deadlifting the bar up as normal.
Have a soft bend in the planted leg. Slowly kick the inactive leg straight back keeping the foot pointed down as your torso bends forward. Simultaneously lower the weight straight down in line with the active leg for balance. Keep the inactive leg straight as if you were reaching as far back as possible with the heel. Additionally, keep the spine long and straight, and brace the core. There’s no need to rush, take your time and perform this exercise slowly to achieve the proper form.
While the inactive leg is being kicked back do not let the hips turn out, keep both hip bones facing the ground. Bend at the hips until the torso is as horizontal as possible or until a stretch in the Hamstrings occurs. Beware of jeopardizing your form, for most people this means the range of motion will be quite small.
To reverse the movement exhale and slowly bring the inactive leg back beside the other leg. Make sure the spine is straight and that the weight of the barbell doesn’t cause the spine to round. Keep the glutes squeezed the entire time, this will aid in balance.
Single Leg Deadlift Barbell Form
Maintaining the proper form is crucial when performing the Single Leg Deadlift Barbell. Be sure to follow these cues while doing this exercise:
Keep the hips parallel to the floor (Avoid turning out the hips)
Brace the core
Maintain a straight, neutral spine
Avoid rotating the bar
Maintain balance in the midfoot
Keep the knee in line with the ankle
Single Leg Deadlift Barbell Muscles Worked
The Single Leg Deadlift Barbell will engage the following muscles:
Calves
Single Leg Deadlift Barbell Benefits
The Single Leg Deadlift Barbell is beneficial because it forces the user to consciously use all the muscles needed to go through the regular deadlift form without allowing any faults. If the exercise was performed out of alignment or balance the user will topple right over, making the Single Leg Deadlift Barbell great for queuing proper form.
The barbell will also allow the exercise to closely resemble the regular deadlift, which means the Single Leg Deadlift Barbell will help improve the regular deadlift more than other variations would. The Single Leg Deadlift Barbell also will allow the user to use a heavier load than would be possible with a dumbbell variation. With both hands on the bar, more power can be put into the exercise which will result in more hypertrophy and strength gains.
Why Is the Single Leg Deadlift Barbell Useful
Anytime the body is working unilaterally, the quality of the stimulus on the targeted muscles will be greater as the focus becomes pinpointed on only the one side. When working bilaterally, some muscles can overcompensate for others and create muscular imbalances. A unilateral style of training is great for making sure both sides are working correctly before trying exercises that use both sides together.
Single Leg Deadlift Barbell Variations
Walking Single Leg Deadlift
The Walking Single Leg Deadlift is a great variation of the Single Leg Deadlift Barbell if the goal is to warm up the posterior chain and improve stability and balance. Instead of kicking the inactive leg back (as in prior described form), take a small step either forward or backwards, making sure to keep the load on the front leg. Just like any deadlift, the hips are pushed back and the core is braced, stand back up and go into the next step, staying consistent with moving either forward or backward. The addition of walking will mean that the leg being balanced on will switch back and forth, this will in turn increase the demand for balance and stability through the entire lower body and feet.
Single Leg Deadlift
The Single Leg Deadlift is the bodyweight version of the Single Leg Deadlift Barbell. This variation can be useful if you are just starting to deadlift and want to learn the proper form first. To learn how to perform the Single Leg Deadlift, as well as more variations such as a Kettlebell Single Leg Deadlift, or Dumbbell Single Leg Deadlift, click here.
Revised by Stephanie Zaban