Exercise guide
Dumbbell Single Leg Romanian Deadlift
- Intermediate
- Compound
- Rep-based
- Back
- Hips
- Lower legs
This unilateral hinge movement targets the hamstrings and glutes while significantly challenging core stability and ankle balance. It is highly effective for correcting muscle imbalances and improving functional athletic performance through the posterior chain.
Reviewed by the Crucible Fit team · Updated June 2026
Muscles worked
Setup
- Stand tall holding a dumbbell in the hand opposite to your standing leg (contralateral) for better balance, or one in each hand.
- Shift your weight onto your working leg with a soft, 'athletic' bend in the knee.
- Find a focal point on the floor 3-5 feet in front of you to help maintain balance throughout the set.
- Engage your core and pull your shoulders back and down to set a neutral spine.
How to do it
- Inhale and hinge at the hips, sending your non-working leg straight back behind you as a counterbalance while lowering the dumbbell toward the floor.
- Lower the weight until you feel a deep stretch in the hamstring of the standing leg, ensuring your torso stays parallel to the floor.
- Exhale and drive through the heel of your standing leg to return to an upright position, squeezing your glutes at the top.
- Maintain a controlled 3-second eccentric (lowering) phase and a powerful 1-second concentric (rising) phase.
Form checklist
- Keep the dumbbell close to your standing leg throughout the entire range of motion.
- Ensure your hips stay level and square to the ground; do not let the hip of the floating leg rotate upward.
- Maintain a neutral spine from your head to your tailbone, avoiding any rounding of the lower back.
- Keep the toes of your back foot pointed toward the ground to help stabilize the pelvis.
Pro tips
- Focus on 'pushing the floor away' with your standing heel rather than just pulling the weight up to maximize glute recruitment.
- Grip the floor with your toes and the ball of your foot to create a stable 'tripod' base, which improves balance and calf stabilization.
- Think of your body as a see-saw: as your head goes down, your back leg must go up at the same rate.
Make it harder
- Add a 2-second isometric pause at the bottom of the movement where the hamstring is under maximum tension.
- Perform the exercise standing on a slightly elevated platform (deficit) to increase the range of motion.
Frequently asked
- What muscles does the dumbbell single leg romanian deadlift work?
- The dumbbell single leg romanian deadlift primarily targets the calves, glutes, and hamstrings, and also works the erector spinae as secondary muscles.
- What equipment do you need for the dumbbell single leg romanian deadlift?
- The dumbbell single leg romanian deadlift uses dumbbell.
- Is the dumbbell single leg romanian deadlift good for beginners?
- The dumbbell single leg romanian deadlift is rated intermediate. Build a base with simpler variations first, then progress to it with light load and strict form.
Related exercises
- Barbell Band Assisted DeadliftIntermediate · calves, glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and trapezius
- Barbell Paused Sumo DeadliftAdvanced · calves, glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and trapezius
- Dumbbell RDL Death MarchIntermediate · calves, glutes, and hamstrings
- Dumbbell Single Arm DeadliftIntermediate · calves, glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and trapezius