What You Need

All you need for the single leg barbell RDL is a standard barbell in your power rack and enough open space behind you to hinge freely. No specialty equipment required, though straps or a mixed grip can be useful as the weights get heavier — more on that in a moment.

Muscles Worked

The single leg barbell RDL primarily targets the glutes and hamstrings, with a strong emphasis on the eccentric (lowering) phase of the movement. Eccentric strength in the posterior chain is critical for injury prevention, sprint mechanics, and overall lower body power development. Beyond the primary movers, the exercise demands significant contribution from the hip stabilizers and core, as you’re constantly working to control your position on a single leg throughout each rep.

How to Perform the Single Leg Barbell RDL

Walk up to the barbell and grip it with a double overhand grip if possible. As the weight increases, don’t hesitate to use lifting straps or switch to a mixed grip — use whatever allows you to focus on the movement rather than fighting to hold on.

Unrack the bar, walk back a few steps, and set your stance. Stand tall with your chest up. From here, lift the foot of your non-working leg off the ground and begin the hinge by pushing your hip back and sliding the barbell down your thighs. Keep your chest up and your back in a neutral position as you descend. The free leg reaches back behind you as you hinge forward, creating a long, extended line through your body. Lower as far as your mobility and control allow — ideally reaching just at or slightly below knee height with the bar — and then drive your hip forward to return to the starting position.

The key technical points to lock in are keeping a tall, neutral spine throughout, maintaining a smooth bar path close to the thighs, and controlling the movement all the way down rather than letting gravity do the work. The posterior chain should be under tension for the entire range of motion.

Managing the Balance Challenge

The biggest hurdle with the single leg barbell RDL is the stability demand. Balancing on one leg while managing a loaded barbell requires time and practice to dial in. That said, one major advantage this variation has over dumbbell or kettlebell single leg RDLs is that the barbell is held with both hands, which creates a more symmetrical load and slightly reduces the lateral stability challenge. You can load this variation more aggressively over time compared to single-arm implements, making it a great bridge between lighter single leg work and heavier bilateral pulling.

Expect a learning curve of a few weeks as your nervous system and stabilizers adapt to the movement pattern. Don’t rush the loading process early on — getting the mechanics clean is far more valuable than adding weight too quickly.

Programming the Single Leg Barbell RDL

For most people, two to four sets of five to ten repetitions per leg works extremely well. Staying at five reps or above is recommended — going below that rep range tends to compromise both technique and stability as fatigue sets in and the grip and balance demands compound on each other. Moderate rep ranges allow you to maintain quality movement while still accumulating enough training volume to drive adaptation in the glutes and hamstrings.

Plug this exercise into your lower body or posterior chain training days as a primary accessory lift. It pairs well with conventional deadlifts, Romanian deadlifts, or hip thrusts and can serve as a unilateral complement to any of your heavier bilateral pulling work.