Any good strength coach knows and will tell you that training single leg movements is essential. Throughout our day-to-day, whether it be walking to work, running to catch a bus or a train, or in sport, like soccer, football, baseball, hockey, dance, or martial arts, as humans we are constantly balancing our bodyweight and shifting it between two legs.

This is one of the reasons why I love the single leg deadlift and why I program the single leg deadlift for my clients in their training, as well as in my own personal training.

Not only is the single leg deadlift an excellent movement to train in general because it will help you to build single leg strength and stability for every day life, but also if your goal is a pistol squat, as it will help you to build single leg strength and stability that will translate to your pistol squat. In fact, when I was training for the Iron Maiden Challenge I trained single leg deadlifts once per week in order to maintain, and increase strength for my pistol squat and I still train them once per week on a regular basis.

There are many variations, contralateral (loaded opposite the standing leg), ipsilateral (loaded same side the standing leg), and evenly loaded single leg deadlifts (both sides loaded as shown in the picture above).

If you have never trained the single leg deadlift before, the best way to start is unloaded, body weight only, with the assistance of a dowel or a long foam roller to ensure that you are keeping a neutral spine and that your hips are square to the ground, or with TRX assistance.

However, one of the challenges that I often see is that after a client masters the unloaded single leg deadlift, as soon as they load it with a weight, stability is once again a challenge. In addition to Romanian single leg deadlifts, and single leg deadlifts to a raised platform off the floor, the Offset or Stagger Stance single leg deadlift is a great variation to train if the person is not yet ready to train the single leg deadlift with his or her free leg completely off the floor. I learned this variation from my partner in love, life, and business, athletic trainer, and Head Therapist for Cirque du Soleil, Eric Gahan.

Below is a quick video tutorial of this movement.

Do you want to learn more training tips and coaching like this? Then sign up to train with me online via Exercise.com!

I offer both group and individual monthly training subscriptions, as well as single sell programs, including the “Kettlebell Crusher” program which is available for purchase only for one more day through 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on February 18, 2017 (see details below…), and  my “Attack The Bar” 3-level pull-up program which I’m offering 20% off through 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on February 20, 2017 with the code pullup20.

• You can purchase the Kettlebell Crusher (details below) program HERE; and/or…
• Purchase the Attack The Bar program and sign up for group or individual online training HERE.

I look forward to training with you!

My very own “Kettlebell Crusher” online training program is now available for purchase on Exercise.com for a LIMITED time ONLY through this Saturday February 18, 2017.

After February 18, 2017, my “Kettlebell Crusher” online training program will be available ONLY to Iron Body Training Systems premium online training group members via their monthly online training subscription on Exercise.com.

The Kettlebell Crusher program is an 8-week program that includes four 60-minute workouts per week – that’s a total of 32 workouts!

The program is appropriate for intermediate to expert level kettlebell training enthusiasts and coaches.

Weekly Workouts Include:

• Interactive online support via a private Facebook group;
• A mobility warm-up that incorporates the Original Strength System, *CARs (Controlled Articular Rotations), and general mobility drills;
• Turkish get-up practice;
• Programming to increase pull-up and press strength;
• Single and double kettlebell work including complexes and chains (with the option to train single bell if you are not ready for double bell work yet);
• Daily kettlebell swing or snatch metabolic finisher.
• …and much more!

This program will turn you into a strong and lean kettlebell crushing machine!

Purchase the program HERE.

After you purchase the program I will add you to my private online training Facebook group for support.

I look forward to training with you!

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*CARs: The Functional Range Conditioning definition according to  Dr. Andreo Spina is Active, rotational movements at the outer limits of articular motion.