I’m always one to like trying new exercises. I came across the one leg deadlift on T-Nation. Been trying it once a week for about 6 weeks now. It didn’t give much of a description only the start position and ending position in pics
I tried with light weights to work on proper form and well it just feels really out place when I do it. I don’t feel it’s working anything really and the form itself feels really akward when I do it.
I’ve taken it out of the routine for obvious reasons but I still would like to know a little more about it so I can do it right just because I hate doing something with bad form and like learning new things even if I very well might never use it in a routine again.
why not just do regular deadlifts?
These have never made much sense to me. Consequently, I don’t do them. I see no functional benefit in them.
Maybe they make it easier to retrieve the golf ball from the hole?
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It’s a unilateral exercise, and so is useful for correcting/preventing strength imbalances.
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It’s a great exercise for strengthening the hamstrings that is not a max effort exercise (like the conventional deadlift), and so is easier to implement and can be performed more frequently, and doesn’t significantly impair recovery from other work.
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It places much less stress on the back than do squats or deadlifts, and so reduces risk of injury.
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It requires multiplanar stabilization and balance.
Besides that, you’re right. I can’t think of any benefit they provide.
I’m a fan of 1-leg DB RDLs. I usually do them for higher reps; sometimes I go as low as 6 but usually 12-15. It took me a few sessions to get the balance down but it isn’t really a problem for me. I typically use somewhere between 70 and 100 pound dbs. I find it’s a way to work the lower back, glutes and hamstrings with less total load. I never do conventional deads for high reps and prefer to keep good mornings in the 4-6 rep range.
So for higher rep posterior chain stuff I like the 1-leg RDLs, GHRs and back raises. I did the 45-degree back raises for a while but felt like I needed a switch. I did 1-leg RDLs every week this summer and I feel like it helped get my lower back stronger and thicken up the glute-ham tie in. My deadlift had been stuck for a few months but I feel like this movement helped me push it over 500 pounds.
I mean, if you’re doing them with 100lb db’s in each hand, that’s pretty similar to doing reps with 400lbs on deadlifts. I find it’s pretty similar on the muscles on way less draining overall. Plus holding on to heavy dbs for the amount of reps to do both legs in a row is a pretty good grip workout.
[quote]rmccart1 wrote:
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It’s a unilateral exercise, and so is useful for correcting/preventing strength imbalances.
-
It’s a great exercise for strengthening the hamstrings that is not a max effort exercise (like the conventional deadlift), and so is easier to implement and can be performed more frequently, and doesn’t significantly impair recovery from other work.
-
It places much less stress on the back than do squats or deadlifts, and so reduces risk of injury.
-
It requires multiplanar stabilization and balance.
Besides that, you’re right. I can’t think of any benefit they provide.[/quote]
Supposedly. It has done none of that for me. But feel free to do them yourself, since they work for you.
dude, ur posting this in the BEGINNER forums…do regular deadlifts for about 10 years…then if you feel the urge to do 1 leg, do it. Dont forget ur 1 arm preacher dumbell isolation cable curls too.
I do regular dealifts it’s one of my favorite exercises. reason I put this in the beginner forum was since I completely haven’t a clue how to do one leg deadlift I figure it belongs here.
I just want to know how to properly do them doesn’t mean I focus on them over other exercises. I like to learn everything and at the moment that is something i’m clueless about.
Keep the weight on the heels. The cue I use for the kids I train is to actually have them curl or crunch their toes up. That forces you to have the weight on the heels. Then initiate the entire movement with the hips. Push the hips back. Focus on putting the butt back rather than the weight down. Keep your body tight.
Another cue I use is “stomach to your thighs.” This keeps you tight, helps you get the right depth and also tends to prevent too much rounding. On the concentric portion, focus on using the glutes and driving the hips forward.
It takes a little practice to get a movement down, but honestly, if you spend 6-8 session on it and still don’t feel like you’re getting anything out of it, go to a different movement. Try pull-throughs or weighted back raises.
[quote]Blacken wrote:
I do regular dealifts it’s one of my favorite exercises. reason I put this in the beginner forum was since I completely haven’t a clue how to do one leg deadlift I figure it belongs here.
I just want to know how to properly do them doesn’t mean I focus on them over other exercises. I like to learn everything and at the moment that is something i’m clueless about.[/quote]
Thanks Jtrinsey and Nate that explains a lot in what I was doing wrong. My focus is a few years from now become a pysical trainer. I’ve been helping a lot of people it seems lately get into shape that seem to come to me for advice.
It’s a thrill to see people progress. I see to many bad pysical trainers so every little thing I can learn is really important to me so I don’t end up like one of those bad clueless trainers.
Explanation in this video @6:00
I like the exercise and I think it’s very appropriate for some beginners to use it - depends on goals, of course and if your goal is “TO GET FOOOKING HEEYUUUGE!”, then it’s probably not the best exercise for that - doesn’t mean it’s useless.
Do them in your off week after you spend 4-6weeks doing conventional DLs.
Thats what I do and it has helped with my balance (remember use flat sole shoes, or socks/barefeet). Plus it also helped get my left leg up to par to my right. I do the same with for my squats with bulgarian-split squats.
