The Single Leg Deadlift (SLDL) is a powerful unilateral movement that strengthens the body and significantly improves balance and coordination. This exercise requires supporting your entire body weight on one leg, which exposes and addresses muscle imbalances that bilateral movements often mask. Mastering the proper technique is essential for building resilient strength and enhancing athletic stability. The focus must be on controlled movement and maintaining precise body alignment.
Foundational Purpose: Muscles Engaged
The Single Leg Deadlift primarily targets the muscles of the posterior chain. The gluteus maximus and the hamstring muscle group (biceps femoris, semitendinosus, and semimembranosus) are the main movers responsible for the hip extension that completes the movement. These muscle groups lengthen under tension during the downward phase and contract powerfully to return the body to a standing position.
Numerous secondary muscles are recruited to stabilize the body on one leg. Core muscles, including the abdominals and the erector spinae, engage intensely to maintain a neutral spine and prevent rotation. Hip stabilizers, particularly the gluteus medius and minimus, work to keep the pelvis level and prevent the standing knee from collapsing inward. The smaller muscles of the ankle and foot also play an active role, constantly making micro-adjustments to manage the balance challenge.
Execution: The Step-by-Step Guide
Begin by standing tall with your feet hip-width apart. Shift your weight onto the standing leg, maintaining a soft bend in the knee to avoid locking the joint. Distribute your weight evenly across the foot’s tripod: the heel, the base of the big toe, and the base of the pinky toe.
Initiate the movement by pushing your hips backward, performing a hip hinge rather than bending at the waist. As your torso lowers, the non-working leg should extend straight back behind you, acting as a counterbalance. The goal is to create a straight line from the head through the torso to the heel of the extended leg.
Continue the descent until you feel a stretch in the hamstring of the standing leg, or until your torso and the extended leg are nearly parallel to the floor. Keep the shoulder blades pulled down and back to maintain tension across the upper back. Fix your gaze on a spot on the floor a few feet in front of you to help keep the neck in a neutral alignment.
To reverse the motion, drive through the heel of the standing foot and forcefully squeeze the glute to return to the starting position. The movement should be controlled, particularly the eccentric (lowering) phase, taking about two to three seconds to descend. Move the body as a single, rigid unit, avoiding sudden jerking motions to maintain balance and muscle tension.
Troubleshooting: Identifying and Correcting Common Errors
A frequent error is allowing the hip of the lifted leg to rotate upward, often called “opening the hip.” This rotation shifts the muscular work away from the gluteal stabilizers and reduces the exercise’s effectiveness. To correct this, imagine you have “headlights” on your hips that must remain pointed directly down toward the floor throughout the movement.
Another common breakdown is rounding the lower back, or losing the neutral spinal position during the hinge. This happens when the hamstrings are tight or the core is not adequately braced, placing undue stress on the lumbar spine. To fix this, consciously brace your abdominal muscles as if preparing for a punch and focus on maintaining the slight natural arch in your lower back.
A third challenge is a significant loss of balance, often manifesting as wobbling of the standing ankle. This instability can be caused by a lack of focus or weak foot and ankle musculature. To improve stability, actively grip the floor with your toes and fix your gaze on a non-moving object ahead of you. If the wobble is extreme, slow down the eccentric lowering phase and reduce the range of motion until better control is established.
Scaling the Movement: From Bodyweight to Added Load
Before adding external weight, the exercise can be scaled by using a touchpoint for balance. Beginners can stand next to a wall or pole and lightly place one or two fingertips against it to assist with stability, allowing them to focus entirely on the hip hinge mechanics. Alternatively, the non-working foot can be lightly tapped on the floor for momentary balance checks, known as a kickstand deadlift.
Once the bodyweight movement is mastered with perfect form, the exercise can be progressed by adding load. A single dumbbell or kettlebell can be held in the hand opposite the standing leg (contralateral load), which further challenges hip stability and core anti-rotation strength. This offset load increases glute activation on the standing side.
For a greater challenge, a weight can be held in each hand, or in the hand on the same side as the standing leg (ipsilateral load). Advanced trainees can also increase the time under tension by slowing down the eccentric phase to a count of four to five seconds. Increasing the range of motion by standing on a small platform allows the weight to travel lower, demanding greater mobility and strength from the hamstrings and glutes.