Movement Refocused: Single Leg RDL progressions

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When it comes to any movement, there are always ways to properly progress to said movement. Take the squat for example. We teach the air squat first, then the goblet squat, then the front or back squat, then the overhead squat. We start with just the most basic movement pattern, and then slowly start to add loading and complexity to the movement. This ensures that we develop quality technique in a safe, and logical manor. If you skip over the necessary progressions for a movement, you increase your chance of running into issues when it comes to executing the movement properly. This can come in the form of bad habits that don’t allow you to get the intended effect from the movement, or even worse, can lead to injury.

Part of this whole movement refocused concept is taking things that a lot of people may be doing already, and refocusing on proper progression. This can ensure that they are executing the movement safely, and are getting the intended effect out of it. What I will talk about in this post, and in my video below, are progressions for the single leg romanian deadlift (RDL). The single leg rdl is an excellent warm up ( I put them in my warm ups all the time) and accessory tool. It primarily works the hamstrings, glutes, and lateral stabilizers (it challenges your balance) of the hip. It’s also a unilateral movement (works one side at a time), so it can uncover strength imbalances, and improve them. While there are a lot of benefits to doing this movement, it is also a movement that can be easily mis-executed because of all the facets it will challenge. This is where utilizing proper progressions can help you do the movement safely, and get the intended effect. A good way to properly progress up to doing the single leg rdl, is to start with a stagger stance deadlift. After that becomes easy on both sides, go ahead and progress up to a box assisted rdl. After that becomes easy, give the full on single leg rdl movement a go! I am not going to discuss proper execution of all these movements in text, check out my video below for all of that information!

As JB had alluded to in his movement refocused post, we want to give you guys information that will help fine tune things you already know, or maybe introduce you to things you don’t know. We just want to provide you all with a resource of information you feel will serve as an asset to make you a better mover. To achieve this, you sometimes need to take a step back and fine tune some things. If this topic intrigues you, check out this article that I wrote about why taking a couple steps back can benefit you in the long run. If you guys have questions about any of the content that we put out, or have suggestions for content you’d like to see in the future, let us know!

 

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