Legs
B-Stance RDL
A Romanian deadlift with your back foot as a kickstand, so most of the weight goes into your front leg. It builds your hamstrings and glutes one side at a time, without the balance challenge of a full single leg RDL.
- Works
- Hamstrings, glutes, lower back
- Equipment
- A pair of dumbbells
- Load
- Medium to heavy
How to do it
- 1Stand tall with a dumbbell in each hand in front of your thighs. Set one foot a half step back with just the ball of that foot down, toes about level with your front heel.
- 2Soften your front knee and push your hips back, sliding the dumbbells down the front of your leg.
- 3Stop when you feel a strong stretch in the back of your front leg, with your back still flat.
- 4Drive your hips forward to stand tall. Finish your reps, then switch sides.
Cues
- Load most weight into your front leg, then push your hips back and keep them square.
- Hold at the top with a glute squeeze.
- Keep the dumbbells close, almost brushing your leg.
Common mistakes
- Pushing off the back foot. It's only a kickstand for balance. If it's doing the work, shift more weight forward.
- Rounding your back to reach lower. Stop where your back is still flat, even if that's at your knees. Depth comes with time.
- Turning it into a squat. Keep the same soft bend in your front knee the whole rep. Your hips move back, not down.
Easier
Go lighter and stop the dumbbells at your knees. Or do a regular RDL with both feet flat until the hinge feels natural.
Harder
Try 1.5 reps: lower all the way, come halfway up, lower again, then stand tall. That's 1 rep.
Try it: 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps per side, or 30 seconds on and 30 off per side.
Is a B-stance RDL the same as a single leg RDL?
Close, but not the same. In a single leg RDL your back leg floats behind you, so balance is a big part of it. In a B-stance RDL your back toes stay down, so you can go heavier and focus on the hamstring and glute of your front leg.
