Exercise
DUMBBELL ONE ARM STRAIGHT LEG DEADLIFT
Form cues
About
The Dumbbell One Arm Straight Leg Deadlift is a unilateral hip hinge exercise where a single dumbbell is held in one hand and lowered toward the floor while maintaining a relatively straight leg position. Unlike the Romanian deadlift which allows a slight knee bend, the straight-leg variation maximizes hamstring stretch throughout the movement. The single-arm loading creates an anti-lateral flexion demand on the quadratus lumborum and obliques opposite to the dumbbell.
Instructions
Step-by-step technique
Establish a stable starting stance
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a single dumbbell in one hand at your side. Distribute your weight evenly across your mid-foot while keeping your spine in a neutral, elongated position to prepare for the hip hinge.
engage your coreHinge at the hips slowly
Initiate the movement by pushing your hips directly backward while keeping your knees locked in a straight position. Slowly lower the dumbbell toward the center of your feet, allowing your torso to descend as you feel a deep stretch in your hamstrings.
hips back, knees straightControl the weighted shoulder rotation
Allow the shoulder on the weighted side to rotate slightly forward in a controlled manner to follow the path of the dumbbell. Ensure your opposite hand is placed on your lower back or extended to the side to help maintain balance throughout the eccentric phase.
stay controlledResist lateral torso tilt
Actively engage your obliques and quadratus lumborum to prevent your spine from leaning toward the weighted side. This anti-lateral flexion demand is critical for building stability in the lower back and core musculature during the unilateral loading.
keep torso squareReturn to the standing position
Drive through your hips to return to the upright starting position by forcefully contracting your posterior chain. Finish the movement by squeezing your glutes at the top to ensure full hip extension before beginning your next repetition.
drive the hipsCommon mistakes
What goes wrong — and why
Rounding the lower back at the bottom of the hinge
As the dumbbell nears the floor, limited hamstring flexibility causes the lower back to flex to compensate, loading the passive spinal structures.
Only lower to the point where the lumbar spine remains neutral. For most trainees, this is mid-shin or slightly below the knee on the first attempts.
Holding the dumbbell directly below the shoulder rather than close to the leg
A dumbbell hanging far away from the leg creates a much larger moment arm at the hip, making the exercise unnecessarily harder and harder to control.
Keep the dumbbell close to the leg throughout — it should skim the thigh on the way down. This reduces the hip moment arm and improves control.
Hyperextending at the top to achieve full hip extension
Leaning back past vertical at the top loads the lumbar spine in extension under significant axial load.
Stop at full hip extension with a neutral spine — the body should form a straight line, not a backward arch.
Variations · Progressions · Regressions
Adaptations for every level
Romanian Deadlift (Dumbbell, Both Hands)
Bilateral RDL with slight knee bend. Develops the hip hinge pattern with more manageable load and reduced lateral flexion demand.
Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift (Dumbbell)
Same single-arm pattern but balancing on one leg. Adds balance demand to the unilateral hinge.
Barbell One-Arm Suitcase Deadlift
Hold a barbell at center with one hand and perform the straight-leg deadlift. Greater anti-lateral-flexion demand than a dumbbell.