Legs · Dumbbell
Dumbbell Single Arm Deadlift
How to do the dumbbell single arm deadlift, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Dumbbell
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Hinge
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Stand with feet hip-width apart and a dumbbell on the floor outside one foot. Hinge at the hips with a flat back, grip the dumbbell with one hand, then drive through your heels and extend your hips to stand tall. Lower under control and repeat, then switch sides.
- 1Hamstrings and glutes loading as you hinge down to the dumbbell
- 2A flat back and braced core resisting the uneven load
- 3A strong hip drive to lock out standing tall
Common mistakes
- Rounding your back as you reach for the dumbbell
- Letting your torso rotate toward the loaded side
- Jerking the weight up instead of driving through your heels
Muscles worked
The dumbbell single arm deadlift mainly works the glutes, lower back, and hamstrings, with the forearms, obliques, upper traps, upper abs, lower abs, and quads assisting.
- GlutesPrimary
- Lower BackPrimary
- HamstringsPrimary
- ForearmsSupport
- ObliquesSupport
- Upper TrapsSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- QuadsSupport
- LatsMinor
- Mid TrapsMinor
- Lower TrapsMinor
- CalvesMinor
Kovo programs the dumbbell single arm deadlift for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More glutes exercises
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- How to do the assault bike
- How to do the medicine ball atlas stone lift
- How to do the b stance hip thrust
Last reviewed June 2026.