Body & Balance Studio

Single-Leg Deadlift

strengthenhipintermediateactive

Content last reviewed: 2026-07-14

Single-Leg Deadlift — view 1 of 3

How to do it

  1. Hold a dowel vertically along the spine with one hand at the neck and the other at the lower back so it contacts the head, upper back and tailbone.
  2. Stand on one leg with a soft bend in the knee, keeping all three points of contact with the pole.
  3. Hinge at the hip, sending the free leg back while maintaining whole-foot tripod pressure and stopping before the pelvis rotates open.
  4. Return to standing by squeezing the glute and driving the hip forward, then repeat and switch legs.

Form cues

  • Use a wall or release one hand from the dowel for balance while learning.
  • Do not force the torso parallel to the floor.
  • Keep the pelvis facing the floor and return before spinal or pelvic control is lost.

Dosage

3 × 10 reps per side

Muscles worked

gluteus maximus — anatomical illustration
gluteus maximusAnatomical illustration derived from BodyParts3D, © The Database Center for Life Science, licensed under CC BY-SA.
gluteus medius — anatomical illustration
gluteus mediusAnatomical illustration derived from BodyParts3D, © The Database Center for Life Science, licensed under CC BY-SA.
hamstrings — anatomical illustration
hamstringsAnatomical illustration derived from BodyParts3D, © The Database Center for Life Science, licensed under CC BY-SA.
core stabilizers — anatomical illustration
core stabilizersAnatomical illustration from Z-Anatomy (derived from BodyParts3D), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Strengthens: gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, hamstrings, intrinsic foot muscles, core stabilizers

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