Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift (Dumbbell)
The Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift with dumbbells is a unilateral lower-body exercise that builds balance and strengthens the posterior chain. It primarily targets the hamstrings and glutes while challenging core stability and coordination.
This exercise requires significant neural drive for balance and coordination, making it sensitive to fatigue. The AI analyzes your HRV and sleep data to determine if your nervous system is ready for high-stability work, potentially adjusting volume if recovery is low. Additionally, by tracking performance on each leg independently, the app can identify strength asymmetries and guide you to correct imbalances before they lead to injury.
Form Cues
- Keep your hips square to the floor throughout the movement
- Maintain a slight bend in the knee of your standing leg
- Hinge at the hips, pushing your glutes straight back
- Keep the dumbbells close to your standing leg
- Squeeze your glute to pull yourself back to standing
- Don't let your floating hip rotate open towards the ceiling
- Don't round your upper back or shoulders forward
- Don't lock out your standing knee completely
- Don't touch the floor with the weights if your back rounds
- Don't rush the descent; control the balance
Common Mistakes
- Rotating the pelvis open to maintain balance
- Rounding the lumbar spine to reach lower
- Turning the movement into a squat by bending the knee too much
- Looking straight ahead instead of keeping the neck neutral
- Using a weight that is too heavy to control
Muscles Worked
This exercise primarily isolates the hamstrings and gluteus maximus through a deep weighted stretch, promoting hypertrophy and functional strength. Because it is performed on one leg, it also heavily recruits the gluteus medius and core stabilizers to prevent rotation and maintain upright balance.
Primary
Secondary
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