How to get more out of your single leg deadlift
Single-leg deadlifts can be a great exercise to build glute/hamstring strength and improve your hinge pattern. The single-leg component allows you to shift and load into one of your hips which can help improve your body’s ability to rotate and create motion on one side relative to the other. To accomplish this you need to be able to stack your body weight over the leg you are working while also maintaining that position as you hinge your hips back to perform the movement. This will ensure you are working the muscles you are targeting and executing the intention of the exercise.
Typically this exercise is performed with one leg off the ground which can make it difficult to get the loading position of the hips we are looking for. The exercise becomes more of you trying to keep your balance instead of loading and strengthening your glutes/hamstrings in a more stable position.
Single Leg Deadlift with the back leg off the ground…
Typically this exercise is performed with one leg off the ground which can make it difficult to get the loading position of the hips we are looking for. The exercise becomes more of you trying to keep your balance instead of loading and strengthening your glutes/hamstrings in a more stable position.
Hips are facing straight ahead and body weight shifted over toward the front leg
A variation we like to use to make it easier to shift and load into the hip you are working is a kickstand variation with your back leg on the ground/against the wall and the weight in your opposite hand (see picture below). Having your back leg in this position allows you to have more control over your hips to achieve a good loading position during the exercise. The weight in your opposite hand helps drive this execution as well.
Once you are set up, you want your hips facing straight ahead and shifting toward the front side with your knees slightly bent (you can confirm this by putting your hand on the side of your front hip and pushing into it to feel your body move over toward that side). Once you get into this position, you maintain it and bring your hips back toward the wall then back up to the starting position.
A common mistake will be to have your hips turn away from the front leg or shift away from the front leg to offload that side. This would decrease how much you are truly shifting into the front hip and how much you can load/strengthen your glute/hamstring on that side.
Left: Maintaining hips facing forward and body weight stacked over the front leg. Loading and shifting into the front hip.
Right: Hips are turning away from the front leg and body weight is moving away from the front leg.
After you find this position and perform the movement you will naturally feel your glute/hamstring working. You won’t have to squeeze/activate anything since the muscles are already in the right position to do their job and you will be able to focus on building that single leg strength. From here you can progress the exercise by increasing the weight, having weights in both hands, or performing other single-leg variations where you have less support from the back leg.