Why a single leg Romanian deadlift changed my training for good
I've tried plenty of accessory lifts over the years, but few have stuck around as long as the single leg Romanian deadlift. It started as a small change in my weekly program and quietly became one of the most useful movements I do. Three years later, I still make space for it almost every session.
For anyone juggling sport, work and a long commute across cities like Brisbane or Perth, finding exercises that pay off in multiple ways is half the battle. The single leg RDL earned its place by training strength, balance and posterior chain control all at once. Here is what it did for me and why it remains a fixture in my week.
A clumsy start at the local gym
The movement first came onto my radar during a group class in a small studio in Collingwood, Melbourne. The coach paired it with some kettlebell swings and I felt uncoordinated the whole way through. My standing leg wobbled, my back arched and I nearly lost balance three times in a single set.
Rather than binning the exercise, I asked the trainer to slow it down with me. We dropped the dumbbell to a light pair of six-kilo weights and walked through the hip hinge step by step. By the end of the week the awkwardness had softened into something repeatable, and that patience is the main reason it survived in my program.
Balance and proprioception on uneven ground
Australia is full of surfaces that challenge ankle stability: grass ovals in winter, sandy stretches along Bondi, gravel paths through the Adelaide Hills. Training on flat gym floors is convenient, but it does not always prepare the body for what weekend sport actually asks of it. The single leg RDL forces the smaller stabilising muscles around the ankle, knee and hip to switch on while the load moves through a long lever.
After a few weeks of consistent work I noticed my footing felt more secure when playing touch footy in Parramatta. Hopping between gaps and pivoting for a pass stopped feeling like a juggling act, and the carryover was bigger than I expected for a movement I had originally picked up as a basic strength accessory.
Protecting the hammies for weekend sport
Hamstring strains are a familiar complaint in rugby league, soccer and AFL, and I had my own brush with one during a social match on the Gold Coast. Eccentric loading, where the muscle lengthens under tension, is widely accepted as one of the better ways to bullet-proof the back of the thigh, and the single leg RDL delivers exactly that. If you want to go deeper on eccentric work for the posterior chain, I wrote up my notes on Nordic curls for hamstring health as a companion piece.
The single leg version is also useful because it exposes left-right imbalances. Most people have a stronger and more coordinated side, and a unilateral hinge quickly shows which leg is lagging. Training the weaker side first, before matching reps on the stronger leg, has been a quiet game changer for me.
How I slot it into a busy week
Time is the constraint that decides whether any new exercise stays in my program. I usually train three mornings a week at an Anytime Fitness near my place, which fits around a typical Aussie work schedule and gets me out before peak-hour traffic turns ugly. A flat white beforehand is non-negotiable, then a quick warm-up and straight into the work.
The single leg RDL sits in my second or third exercise of the session, after a main compound lift and before any accessory work. I rotate through three sets of eight repetitions per side, resting around ninety seconds between sets. Coaches accredited through ASCA tend to favour a similar rep range for unilateral posterior chain work, and the numbers have held up well for my goals.
Mistakes I made along the way
The first error was treating it like a regular deadlift and trying to go heavy too early. The single leg variation exposes any sloppiness in the hip hinge, so loading up with a heavy dumbbell just hides bad mechanics behind a stiff lower back. I now keep the weight moderate and focus on a clean hinge pattern.
I also used to bend the standing knee far too much, which turned the movement into a strange sort of split squat. A slight bend is fine, but the working leg should stay long enough that the hamstring actually does the work. Cueing the hip crease back toward the wall behind me helped clean things up quickly.
How it compares to similar movements
Plenty of exercises train the posterior chain or challenge balance. Below is a rough snapshot of how the single leg RDL lines up against three common alternatives I have used in the past. Rep ranges and load are based on my own training, not a universal prescription.
| Exercise | Main focus | Balance demand | Typical load | Best suited for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single leg Romanian deadlift | Hamstrings and glutes, eccentric strength | High | Light to moderate dumbbell or kettlebell | Unilateral strength, sport prep, rehab |
| Nordic curl | Hamstrings, pure eccentric | Low | Bodyweight (often assisted) | Hamstring injury prevention |
| Walking lunge | Quads and glutes | Moderate | Dumbbells or barbell | Single leg strength, conditioning |
| Back squat | Quads, glutes, full posterior chain | Low to moderate | Barbell, heavier loads | Overall strength, hypertrophy |
Of the four, the single leg RDL is the one I would reach for first when I want balance and hamstring work in the same lift. The Nordic curl wins for raw eccentric loading, the walking lunge is great when conditioning matters, and the back squat covers the heaviest strength work. They sit comfortably side by side in a balanced program rather than replacing each other.
The single leg Romanian deadlift earns its place because it does several things at once without needing a complicated setup. It loads the hamstrings through a long range, sharpens balance, exposes asymmetries and carries over to the kind of sport and outdoor activity that fills most Australian weekends. Three short sets twice a week is usually enough to feel the difference within a month.
The lesson, if there is one, is patience with the learning curve. Treat the first fortnight as movement practice, keep the weight honest and let the pattern settle before chasing load. Built that way, the single leg Romanian deadlift quietly improves almost everything else in the program without ever needing to be the star of the session.