Legs · Bodyweight
Single-leg RDL
How to do the single-leg rdl, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Reps
- Movement
- Hinge
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Stand on one leg with a slight bend in the knee. Hinge at the hip, sending your free leg straight back as your torso lowers toward the floor and your arms reach down. Drive through the standing heel to return to a tall stance, squeezing the glute at the top.
- 1Feel the hamstring and glute of the standing leg load as you hinge
- 2Keep your hips level and your back flat throughout
- 3Squeeze the glute and stand tall by driving through your heel
Common mistakes
- Don't round your spine or let your shoulders drop forward
- Avoid letting your hips twist open or your back leg flare out
- Don't rush; keep the movement slow to hold your balance
Muscles worked
The single-leg rdl mainly works the glutes, lower back, and hamstrings, with the quads, lower abs, obliques, and calves assisting.
- GlutesPrimary
- Lower BackPrimary
- HamstringsPrimary
- QuadsSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- ObliquesSupport
- CalvesSupport
- Upper AbsMinor
- AdductorsMinor
- Tibialis AnteriorMinor
Kovo programs the single-leg rdl 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
- How to do the agility ladder drill
- How to do the airdyne bike
- How to do the arc trainer
- 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.