Main Benefits – Athletic Development and Safe Lifting

For athletes outside of the iron sports, the single-leg deadlift does a better job preparing the body for your sport. The hip, lumbo-pelvic complex, and core have to work as a unit to keep you from falling while generating force. This is exactly what you need when running, changing directions, and performing the fundamental athletic movements.

Another huge benefit is the elimination of asymmetrical problems faced when doing the conventional, bi-lateral deadlift. While asymmetries don't have to be problematic, they often are. If one side of your body works far less than the other, there'll be compensations in your spine. These can be hard for your lower back, but you can work around and even correct these imbalances with the single-leg deadlift.

The funny thing is that after you've been training this exercise for a while, it becomes your natural way to pick things up from the ground, simply because it feels more efficient and safer for your back.

The video shows a top-down start, but you can use the same movement pattern when lifting from a dead start as well, just like the deadlift.

Technical Focal Points

• Make sure your whole foot is in contact with the ground at all times.
• Start the movement by pushing the free foot backwards, and "push the heel to the wall."
• Contract the glute as you "pull" back to the start position. This is a hinge, not a squat, so limit forward knee movement.