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Read articleThe Romanian deadlift, or RDL for short, is the king of the jungle for building lower back, glute, and hamstring strength and size. It’s an excellent regression of the traditional deadlift and a fantastic accessory exercise for improving deadlift performance. But when taking one foot off the ground and placing it against a wall the things become interesting with the single-leg wall RDL.
The single-leg RDL is the gold standard for enhancing single-leg strength. Its biggest benefit is also its biggest drawback. It improves balance and unilateral strength, but not everyone can do it without losing their balance.
It’s an exercise that can quickly humble you, and that’s where the wall comes in. Adding stability removes the balance factor while building strength and technique for the regular variation. Enter the Wall RDL, brought to you by Gareth Sapstead, MSc CSCS, a renowned coach who has used this exercise to build world-champion and Olympian physique athletes.
Sapstead acknowledges the single-leg Romanian deadlift a difficult exercise, but also says it has many benefits.
“The single-leg Wall RDL will improve muscle symmetry and unilateral strength in the glutes and hamstrings, which is crucial whether being on stage, reducing the risk of hamstring strains because of improvements in eccentric hamstring strength, or improving performance with the regular deadlift,” explains Sapstead
One exercise unlocks many benefits, but if balance is an issue, Sapstead has a fix.
Sapstead provides step-by-step instructions for doing it right and options for loading based on your goals and fitness level.
Here, Sapstead explains how introducing the wall to the single-leg RDL provides a unique stability aspect.
“By pressing the opposite foot against the wall, you create a stable base that allows for better hip alignment and a more focused loading of your working leg. When you push your foot against the wall, you can experiment with two ways to use the back foot to change the focus of this exercise.
Ipsilateral Loading: Hold the dumbbell in the same hand as the working leg. This setup creates a natural counterbalance and is excellent for beginners who want to hone their form.
Contralateral Loading: Holding the dumbbell in the opposite hand to the working leg can increase the demand on your stabilizing muscles, providing a greater challenge to your balance and strength.
Bilateral Loading: Using dumbbells in both hands distributes the load more evenly, making it suitable for those looking to lift heavier.
Sapstead suggests that two to three sets of 8-15 reps for each leg is a great starting point. When performing eight reps or less, focus on lowering, using a 3-4 seconds eccentric phase.