Dumbbell Single Stiff Leg Deadlift

The Dumbbell Single Stiff Leg Deadlift targets the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back. This exercise improves balance and stability while strengthening the posterior chain.

  1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in one hand.
  2. Shift your weight onto the opposite leg and slightly bend that knee.
  3. Hinge at the hips, lowering the dumbbell towards the ground while keeping your back straight.
  4. Return to the starting position by driving through your heel and extending your hips.

How to perform the Dumbbell Single Stiff Leg Deadlift

  1. Set up. Set up in a stable, balanced starting position appropriate for the Dumbbell Single Stiff Leg Deadlift using your dumbbell.
  2. Brace and execute. Brace your core, control the descent, and move through a full pain-free range of motion while emphasizing your glutes.
  3. Reset. Reverse the movement under control and reset between repetitions, keeping your form crisp on every rep.

Coaching cues

  • Move with intent — every rep should feel deliberate, not rushed.
  • Drive force through your glutes rather than momentum.
  • Keep your breathing steady: exhale on the hard part, inhale on the reset.

Common mistakes

  • Using too much weight and losing positional control.
  • Cutting the range of motion short and missing the target muscle.
  • Letting your spine round or hyperextend instead of staying neutral.

Detailed cues, common mistakes, and demonstration video are available in the Fitly app.

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