The single-leg Romanian deadlift (RDL) is a unilateral hip hinge. You stand on one leg, push your hips back, and lower a weight toward the floor while your free leg extends behind you, then squeeze your glute to stand back up. It trains your hamstrings and glutes one side at a time, and it builds hip stability and balance that a two-legged hinge never asks for.
It’s also an annoying lift to load. Balance usually gives out before your hamstrings do, so you end up stuck with weights that are too light to build much. Throw in a bad ankle, a cranky grip, or a gym that’s full of people using the only dumbbells you need, and it’s easy to see why people look for a swap.
Here are the 8 single-leg RDL alternatives I’d actually use. Some keep the one-leg hinge and make it easier to load, some trade the balance demand for a more stable setup, and a couple hit the same muscles from a different angle. If you want the two-legged version, we already have a page on Romanian deadlift alternatives, so this list stays focused on the single-leg lift.
Table of Contents
- 1 The 8 Best Single-Leg RDL Alternatives
- 2 Reasons to Choose a Single-Leg RDL Alternative
- 3 Muscles Worked by the Single-Leg RDL
- 4 FAQs
- 4.1 What’s the best alternative to a single-leg RDL?
- 4.2 Is the single-leg RDL better than the regular RDL?
- 4.3 Why can’t I balance on a single-leg RDL?
- 4.4 What should I do if my ankles or hips bother me during single-leg RDLs?
- 4.5 Can I build hamstrings without single-leg RDLs?
- 4.6 How many reps should I do on single-leg RDL alternatives?
- 5 Key Takeaways
- 6 Other Alternative Exercises
- 6.1 The 9 Best Pendlay Row Alternatives
- 6.2 The 10 Best Glute Bridge Alternatives
- 6.3 The 10 Best Bulgarian Split Squat Alternatives
- 6.4 The 10 Best Dumbbell Pullover Alternatives
- 6.5 The 10 Best Bent Over Row Alternatives
- 6.6 The 8 Best Decline Bench Press Alternatives
- 6.7 The 10 Best Leg Extension Alternatives
- 6.8 The 8 Best Hammer Curl Alternatives
- 6.9 The 9 Best Barbell Row Alternatives
- 6.10 The 10 Best Box Jump Alternatives
- 6.11 The 10 Best Pallof Press Alternatives
- 6.12 The 10 Best Hack Squat Alternatives
- 6.13 The 8 Best Incline Bench Press Alternatives
- 6.14 The 10 Best Front Squat Alternatives
- 6.15 The 8 Best Tricep Dip Alternatives
The 8 Best Single-Leg RDL Alternatives
- B-Stance RDL
- Supported Single-Leg RDL
- Landmine Single-Leg RDL
- Cable Single-Leg RDL
- Single-Leg Hip Thrust
- Single-Leg 45-Degree Back Extension
- Single-Leg Slider Hamstring Curl
- Staggered-Stance Good Morning
1. B-Stance RDL
When to Perform B-Stance RDLs
This is the closest swap I’ve got for a single-leg RDL, and it’s the one I’d try first. Your working leg still does nearly all the hinging, but the back foot touches down behind you like a kickstand and gives you a wide, stable base. You keep the hamstring and glute stretch without spending half your energy trying not to tip over.
Reach for it when balance is the reason your single-leg RDL stalls. If your reps look great at 25 pounds a hand and fall apart at 45, that’s balance talking, not hamstring strength. A B-stance lets you load heavier and finish the rep. I usually run it for 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps per side after my main squat or deadlift work.
How to Perform B-Stance RDLs
- Stand tall holding a dumbbell in each hand, or a barbell at your thighs, with your feet hip-width apart.
- Take a half step back with one foot and rest only the ball of it on the floor, with your heel lifted. Your front foot is your working leg.
- Shift most of your weight onto the front foot, soften the knee, and push your hips straight back.
- Lower the weight along your front leg until you feel a deep hamstring stretch and your back is still flat.
- Drive your hips forward to stand up, squeezing your glute at the top.
Equipment: a pair of dumbbells, a barbell, or a kettlebell.
This video from Onnit shows how to perform the B-stance RDL.
Tips for B-Stance RDLs
- Keep about 80 percent of your weight on the front foot. If you press hard through the back toe, you’ve turned it into a split stance.
- Think about pushing your hips back, not bending over. The weight should stay close to your shin the whole way.
- Stop the descent when your back starts to round, not when the weight hits a certain height.
- Switch sides every set and start with your weaker leg.
If the bilateral version is the lift you really want, our Romanian deadlift alternatives page covers the two-legged options.
2. Supported Single-Leg RDL
When to Perform Supported Single-Leg RDLs
This is just a regular single-leg RDL with one hand resting on a rack, a wall, or a cable column. It sounds like cheating, and in a way it is, but it’s cheating that works. You get the same hinge on the same leg with much less wobble.
I like it for two groups of people. First, anyone new to single-leg work who needs to learn the hip hinge on one leg before adding load. Second, lifters with a cranky ankle or hip who get thrown off by a wobbly foot. Use it for 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps per side, and drop the support as your balance improves.
How to Perform Supported Single-Leg RDLs
- Stand next to a power rack upright, a wall, or a cable column and place one hand lightly on it. Hold a dumbbell in the other hand if you’re using weight.
- Lift the leg closest to the support off the floor and keep a soft bend in the standing knee.
- Push your hips back and let your free leg extend straight behind you as your torso tips forward.
- Lower until you feel a strong stretch in the hamstring of your standing leg, with your hips square to the floor.
- Squeeze your glute to bring your torso back up, and touch the free foot down only between reps if you need to.
Equipment: a rack, wall, or cable column for support, plus an optional dumbbell or kettlebell.
This video from VP Movement Library shows how to perform the supported single-leg RDL.
Tips for Supported Single-Leg RDLs
- Use the support hand as a guide, not a crutch. If you’re pulling on it, you’re doing a different exercise.
- Hold the weight in the hand opposite your standing leg, which is the same loading you’ll use once you go unsupported.
- Keep your hips level. If the free-leg side of your pelvis rotates up, shorten the range.
- Wean yourself off by using just a fingertip on the rack for the last few reps of each set.
3. Landmine Single-Leg RDL
When to Perform Landmine Single-Leg RDLs
The landmine gives you something a dumbbell can’t: a fixed arc. The bar travels in a path that’s already set, so you’re not also fighting to keep a dumbbell or kettlebell lined up with your shin. That takes a real chunk of the coordination out of the lift.
It also puts a slight forward pull on you, which many lifters find helps them feel the hamstring stretch. Pick it when your grip gives out before your hamstrings do, or when you’ve got a landmine in the corner of your gym that nobody uses. I’d run 3 sets of 8 to 10 per side.
How to Perform Landmine Single-Leg RDLs
- Load the end of a landmine with plates and stand sideways to it, about an arm’s length from the bar.
- Pick up the end of the bar with the hand opposite your working leg, then stand tall so the bar hangs in front of your thigh.
- Lift the leg closest to the landmine off the floor, soften your standing knee, and push your hips back.
- Hinge until you feel a deep stretch in the hamstring, letting the bar swing slightly forward and down.
- Drive your hips forward and stand tall, keeping the bar close to your body.
Equipment: a landmine attachment or a barbell wedged into a corner, plus plates.
This video from Human Kinetics shows how to perform the landmine single-leg RDL.
Tips for Landmine Single-Leg RDLs
- Hold the bar end with both hands on top of the sleeve if one hand feels weak.
- Stand far enough away that the bar can travel without bumping your leg.
- Because the load comes in at an angle, you’ll probably use less weight than with a dumbbell. That’s fine.
- If your gym has a landmine with a rotating sleeve, use it. A fixed one makes your wrist work harder.
4. Cable Single-Leg RDL
When to Perform Cable Single-Leg RDLs
A cable keeps constant tension on your hamstrings and glutes, including at the top of the rep where a dumbbell gets easy. It also pulls your hips back toward the stack, which gives your body a built-in cue for the hinge.
This one is a good fit when your wrists or grip give out on dumbbells, or when you want a smoother feel than free weights. It’s also easy to adjust in small jumps. I’d use it for 3 sets of 10 to 12 per side, usually late in a session once my heavy lifts are finished.
How to Perform Cable Single-Leg RDLs
- Adjust a cable pulley to the lowest position with a single handle attached.
- Face the stack and grab the handle with the hand opposite your working leg, then step back until there’s tension.
- Lift your free leg and soften the knee of the standing leg.
- Push your hips back and reach the handle toward the floor along your standing leg.
- Squeeze your glute to stand up, keeping the cable path close to your shin.
Equipment: a cable machine with a handle.
This video from NORTHSTAR FITNESS shows how to perform the cable single-leg RDL.
Tips for Cable Single-Leg RDLs
- Step far enough back that the cable has tension even at the top of the rep.
- Keep your shoulders square to the machine. If the cable twists you, lower the weight.
- Go lighter than you think you need to. Cables feel harder than the plates suggest.
- Hold the top of each rep for a one-second squeeze before the next descent.
5. Single-Leg Hip Thrust
When to Perform Single-Leg Hip Thrusts
This is my pick when the part of the single-leg RDL you want is the glute work and balance is the only thing standing in your way. Your back is on a bench, so there is no falling over. You still train one glute at a time and still expose any left-to-right difference in strength.
It’s a good fit for lifters with tweaky ankles or hips that can’t tolerate standing on one leg under load. You won’t get the hamstring stretch an RDL gives you, so I pair it with a curl or a back extension. Run 3 sets of 10 to 12 per side.
How to Perform Single-Leg Hip Thrusts
- Sit on the floor with your upper back against the edge of a bench and your knees bent.
- Rest a dumbbell on your hips if you’re using weight, and plant one foot flat on the floor about a foot from your glutes.
- Lift the other leg so the thigh is roughly in line with your working leg’s thigh.
- Drive through your planted heel and lift your hips until your torso is flat and your shin is close to vertical.
- Pause with your glute squeezed, then lower your hips until they almost touch the floor.
Equipment: a bench, plus an optional dumbbell or plate.
This video from Live Lean TV Daily Exercises shows how to perform the single-leg hip thrust.
Tips for Single-Leg Hip Thrusts
- Tuck your chin and keep your ribs down. If your lower back arches at the top, you’ve gone too far.
- Place your foot so your shin is vertical at the top. Too close and your hamstring cramps, too far and your quad takes over.
- Do the weaker side first, then match its reps on the stronger side.
- Once bodyweight is easy, put a dumbbell across your hip crease and pad it with a towel.
If you like the glute-bridge family, our glute bridge alternatives page has more options.
6. Single-Leg 45-Degree Back Extension
When to Perform Single-Leg Back Extensions
The 45-degree bench is the closest thing to a machine version of the single-leg RDL. The pad locks your hips in place, so you get the hamstring and glute work of a hinge with essentially zero balance demand.
It’s what I’d use for high reps and chasing a pump. Your spine isn’t taking a bar’s worth of load, and you can push a set to near failure without worrying about form falling apart in a risky way. Do 3 sets of 10 to 15 per side at the end of a leg or posterior chain day.
How to Perform Single-Leg Back Extensions
- Adjust the pad of a 45-degree bench so it sits just below your hip bones, and hook one foot behind the roller. Let the other leg rest on top or hang free.
- Cross your arms over your chest, or hold a plate against it for added load.
- Lower your torso until you feel a stretch in your hamstring, keeping your back flat.
- Squeeze your glute and drive your hips into the pad as you rise.
- Stop when your body forms a straight line from shoulder to ankle.
Equipment: a 45-degree back extension bench, plus an optional plate or dumbbell.
This video from Bret Contreras Glute Guy shows how to perform the single-leg 45-degree back extension.
Tips for Single-Leg Back Extensions
- Don’t hyperextend at the top. A straight line is the finish, not an arch.
- Round your upper back slightly if it helps you target glutes more, but keep your lower back neutral.
- Hold the plate against your chest, not behind your head. It’s easier on your neck.
- If the single-leg version is awkward at first, begin with both feet on the roller and add the single-leg work later.
We have a full list of back extension alternatives if your gym lacks the bench.
7. Single-Leg Slider Hamstring Curl
When to Perform Single-Leg Slider Hamstring Curls
This is the wildcard on the list. It’s not a hinge, since your knee bends instead of your hip, but it hits the same hamstrings from the other direction, and it costs you nothing. A pair of furniture sliders or even a towel on a hardwood floor is all you need.
I’d pick it when you’re traveling, training at home, or you want to train your hamstrings one leg at a time without any balance demand at all. It’s harder than it looks. Most people need to start with the bridge halfway and build up. Run 3 sets of 6 to 10 slow reps per side.
How to Perform Single-Leg Slider Hamstring Curls
- Lie on your back with one heel on a slider or towel and the other foot in the air.
- Press through the heel to lift your hips into a bridge, with your body in a straight line from shoulder to knee.
- Slowly slide your heel away from you, extending the leg while keeping your hips up.
- Pause when your leg is almost straight, then pull the heel back toward your glutes.
- Lower your hips with control and repeat.
Equipment: sliders, a towel, or paper plates on a smooth floor.
This video from Core Blend Training shows how to perform the single-leg slider hamstring curl.
Tips for Single-Leg Slider Hamstring Curls
- Keep your hips high the whole time. If they sag, the rep is over.
- Make the lowering phase slow, about 3 seconds. That’s where most of the hamstring stimulus comes from.
- Start with both feet and shift to one leg when you can do 10 clean reps.
- Press your hands into the floor if you need help with stability.
For more hamstring options, see our lying leg curl alternatives.
8. Staggered-Stance Good Morning
When to Perform Staggered-Stance Good Mornings
Think of this as a barbell B-stance. You put a bar on your back, stagger your feet, and hinge over the front leg. It’s a good middle ground between a regular good morning and a single-leg RDL, and it lets you use a barbell, which is easier to load in small jumps than dumbbells.
I’d use it when you want to train the hinge heavy and one-sided without running out of dumbbell weight. It’s also a good option for a lifter who is comfortable with a good morning already. Keep it light at first. 3 sets of 8 to 10 per side is plenty.
How to Perform Staggered-Stance Good Mornings
- Put a barbell on your upper back like a low-bar squat, and unrack it.
- Step one foot back about half a foot length so only the ball of that foot touches the floor.
- Shift your weight onto the front foot and soften the knee.
- Push your hips back and lower your chest until your torso is near parallel to the floor.
- Drive your hips forward to stand up tall.
Equipment: a barbell and a rack.
This video from Catalyst Athletics shows how to perform the staggered-stance good morning.
Tips for Staggered-Stance Good Mornings
- Use less weight than you do on a regular good morning. The one-sided stance feels shaky under a heavy bar.
- Put safety pins in the rack, just in case.
- Keep your chin tucked slightly and your eyes on a spot a few feet ahead.
- If your lower back is the limiting factor, switch to one of the supported options above.
If you want to explore the bilateral version, our good morning alternatives list is a good place to start.
Reasons to Choose a Single-Leg RDL Alternative
None of these is a downgrade. Each one still trains your hamstrings and glutes, and a few let you load heavier than a free-standing single-leg RDL ever will.
- Balance is your limiter. The B-stance RDL, supported single-leg RDL, and staggered-stance good morning all give you a wider base so your hamstrings, not your ankle, decide how hard you can go.
- Your grip fails first. The landmine and cable versions take dumbbell grip out of the picture, and straps help on the rest.
- You want heavier loading. The B-stance and staggered-stance good morning let you use more weight than a pure one-leg stance allows.
- You have an ankle or hip problem. The single-leg hip thrust and slider curl take your standing-leg stability out of the equation.
- You train at home. The slider curl, single-leg hip thrust, and a dumbbell B-stance RDL need very little equipment.
- You want a higher-rep finisher. The 45-degree back extension is one of the easiest ways to get hamstring and glute volume without grinding your form down.
Muscles Worked by the Single-Leg RDL
The single-leg RDL is mostly a hamstring and glute exercise with a big stabilizer component. Everything in the list above covers the same posterior chain, with a different split between those muscles.
- Hamstrings: the main target. They lengthen under load as you hinge, then shorten as you stand. The B-stance RDL, cable and landmine variations, and the slider curl load them hardest.
- Glutes: extend your hip at the top of every rep. The single-leg hip thrust and back extension target them most directly.
- Erector spinae: hold your back flat while you hinge. They work isometrically on the RDL versions and dynamically on the back extension.
- Gluteus medius and hip stabilizers: keep your pelvis level on the one-leg versions. This is the stability piece, and it’s the reason the single-leg RDL feels so different from the two-legged lift.
- Adductors: help control the hinge and stabilize the hip, particularly in the B-stance and staggered stance.
- Calves and foot muscles: work hard to keep you upright on one foot, and they’re the reason balance gives out before the hamstrings do.
If your goal is mostly knee-dominant leg work to go alongside these, take a look at our Bulgarian split squat alternatives and step-up alternatives pages.
FAQs
What’s the best alternative to a single-leg RDL?
The B-stance RDL. It keeps the hamstring stretch and the one-sided focus of a single-leg RDL, and the kickstand foot means you can load it much heavier. If you only try one swap from this list, make it that one.
Is the single-leg RDL better than the regular RDL?
Not better, just different. A regular RDL lets you move more total weight and is easier to progress. The single-leg version trains balance and hip stability, and it exposes strength differences between your legs. I like to run both, with the bilateral lift as the heavy one.
Why can’t I balance on a single-leg RDL?
Most of the time it’s a lack of practice under load, not a flaw in you. Start with the supported single-leg RDL or the B-stance, keep your gaze fixed on one spot on the floor, and work toward the free-standing version over a month or two.
What should I do if my ankles or hips bother me during single-leg RDLs?
Pick something that takes the standing leg out of the equation. The single-leg hip thrust, 45-degree back extension, and slider curl all let you train your hamstrings and glutes while you sit or lie down.
Can I build hamstrings without single-leg RDLs?
Yes. Hamstrings grow from being loaded through a long range with enough volume. The B-stance RDL, back extension, and slider curl all do that. Aim for 8 to 12 hard sets a week across all your hamstring work.
How many reps should I do on single-leg RDL alternatives?
For the loaded hinge versions, 8 to 10 reps per side is a good range. For the back extension, hip thrust, and slider curl, go a bit higher, 10 to 15 reps, and keep a couple of reps in reserve.
Key Takeaways
If you want the closest swap, start with the B-stance RDL. If balance is the problem, add the supported single-leg RDL and wean off the support over a few weeks. If your ankle or hip is the problem, go with the single-leg hip thrust or the slider curl. And if you just want hamstring and glute volume without any fuss, use the 45-degree back extension. Run one hinge and one stable option for a month, and add weight when the reps get easy.
Other Alternative Exercises
If you enjoyed this post, check out our other roundups of the best alternatives for other exercises.
