Everything You Need to Know About the Single-Leg Kettlebell Deadlift

Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift: Benefits, Mistakes to Avoid, and How to Do It

The single-leg Romanian deadlift is likely to be one of the most important exercises in your regime, though it is underused. It’s challenging, too. It targets your glutes, hamstrings, and lower back muscles, building strength and improving mobility. Oh, and it’s lots of fun.

This kettlebell lift is great for beginners as well as those experienced with kettlebell routines. If you haven’t added the single-leg Romanian deadlift to your exercise regime, then read on to discover why you should and how to perform it.

How will you benefit from the single leg kettlebell Romanian deadlift?

Kettlebell exercises deliver a huge range of benefits to your body, and a single leg Romanian deadlift with a kettlebell is no exception. 

Performing the single-leg deadlift is strength training at its best for the core muscles of your posterior chain ─ the muscles you can’t see when you look in the mirror. They run from your head down to your heels, and they give you a huge part of your power.

Your posterior chain comes into play every time you sit down and get up, when you’re jumping, or if you pick something up from the ground. A strong posterior chain will help to protect your back and knees from injury – for example, while running to get into shape.

A one kettlebell deadlift single leg routine targets muscles that include your glutes, hamstrings, calves, back extensors, and quadriceps, helping you to:

• Improve your whole-body functional movement

• Strengthen foot intrinsic and calf muscles

• Increase single-leg stability

It challenges your body’s three primary balance systems ─ visual, vestibular, and proprioceptive. How important is this? We know that older people are more prone to falls ─ according to the CDC, one in four over-65s suffer at least one fall each year, and one in five of these results in a serious injury. But it’s not only over-65s who fall:

• In 2019, more than 1,100 workers in the construction industry died because of fatal injuries ─ and 418 of these were caused by falls, trips, and slips.

• In 2018, almost 13 deaths per 100,000 population were caused by falls.

Yep, if you master the single leg Romanian deadlift with kettlebell it could save your life.

How do you perform an effective single leg Kettlebell Romanian deadlift?

To reap all the benefits from this kettlebell exercise, it’s crucial that you perform it correctly. Here is our step-by-step guide to the single-leg deadlift, Romanian style.

• Stand straight, balancing on your right leg while holding a kettlebell in your left hand in front of your left thigh.

• Sit your hips back as if you were being pulled by a rope attached to your waist, and allow your right knee to bend slightly.

• Keep your left leg straight and aligned with your body throughout the rep.

• With a straight, flat back, bend at the waist until the kettlebell is at about mid-shin height.

• Drive through your heel and push your hips forward to stand up to the starting position.

• Repeat.

Watch our Single Leg KB Deadlift video

Common mistakes to avoid when doing the one kettlebell single deadlift

As with any exercise, and especially those you do with weights, there are some mistakes that even seasoned professionals might make. To avoid the risk of injury, and to make sure you max those benefits, you must avoid:

●       Rounding or arching your spine

●       Bending your un-standing leg as it raises

●       Opening the hip

●       Losing your balance

●       Letting your head tilt upward, thus allowing your eyes to look forward

You should feel your glutes activated during this exercise.

Precautions to take

As well as the standard precautions you should take before training with kettlebells (e.g., make sure that you have suitable core and shoulder strength), there are also some specific precautions to take when performing single leg deadlifts:

• Always start slowly. After an injury, start with no weight. Increase slowly as your movement becomes easier.

• Ensure that you have the correct position and posture throughout each rep. Focus on this, as poor posture is a major contributor to injury while exercising.

• Never overextend yourself. While this exercise should challenge you, it is a mistake to work outside of your personal range of motion and ability.

• If you feel any sharp pain, stop the exercise.

• Ensure that you perform the single-leg Romanian deadlift in a place where you can reach out for support if you feel unbalanced.

Get the help you need with Reload PT

The single-leg RDL is a whole-body, functional exercise. It can be used for many reasons, including rehabilitation, strength, and conditioning.

There are some variations, but we don’t recommend you try these without first mastering this form of the single-leg deadlift. 

We would also recommend that you seek the aid of a personal trainer when first starting out with this exercise. You’ll want to get this exercise right to avoid injury and maximize its potential benefits, and a personal trainer will ensure you do.

A personal trainer will also help you by personalizing the exercise at each step so that it works most effectively for your individual and unique range of motion, strength, and flexibility.

Where do we start? With a full-body evaluation to make certain that the exercises we recommend to you are building blocks to long-term fitness and body strength, whatever your level of expertise or the injuries that you have suffered.

Take the first step to a pain-free you – book an appointment with Reload for a comprehensive 90-minute body evaluation.