At SSP, we’re all about movements that give you the most bang for your buck. One of our absolute favorites? The Single Leg Deadlift.
The way we coach this is more akin to a Romanian Deadlift (RDL) where we are starting from a standing position and hinging our hips back towards a wall. You can watch Coach Natalie break this exercise down on Instagram here.
But here’s why we love it:
- Stability & Balance: Training on one leg challenges your ability to stay controlled, forcing your body to build greater tension in order to stabilize.
- Posterior Chain Power: Hamstrings and glutes all get lit up in a way that translates directly to stronger, healthier movement. Training and building strength on a single leg also helps build a stronger bilateral (both legs) deadlift.
- Movement Patterning: Practicing this hinge on one side builds body awareness and cleans up your overall deadlift mechanics.
- Athletic Performance: Whether you’re sprinting, jumping, or changing direction, single leg strength is critical. This movement builds the foundation for moving powerfully in and out of the gym.
It’s a move that’s humbling at first but incredibly rewarding as you improve.