Learn how to do deadlifts to emphasize the development of the glutes and hamstrings. Practical advice on the technique of performing the exercise. The Romanian deadlift or crane was invented by weightlifters who wanted to create special exercises for themselves that could increase the load on the muscles. With this movement, the development of the backward muscles can be accelerated. Since this exercise cannot be performed with a barbell, dumbbells must be used. Note that the crane or the Romanian deadlift on one leg is actively used not only by men, but also by girls, since it allows you to actively load not only the quadriceps, but also the muscles of the buttocks.
As you already understood, the crane or the Romanian deadlift on one leg is a variation of this exercise and is intended to complicate it. When doing it, you need to not only straighten your leg, but also maintain balance, which increases the load on the stabilizing muscles. Also, the movement perfectly loads the buttocks and the higher the working leg is raised, the more actively they work. It is for this reason that the exercise is often performed by girls.
How to perform a crane or Romanian deadlift on one leg?
First, you need to place the sports equipment on a small elevation, for example, a sing-platform. After that, lift one leg and slowly bend forward into the area of the hip joint. At this point, the working leg should be straightened and as a result form a straight line with the body.
Once in this position, bend the knee joint of the supporting leg and take the shells in your hands. Straighten your body while contracting the muscles of your buttocks. To make it easier to maintain balance, the hips should be pulled back. After that, it is necessary to return the dumbbells to the elevation. In between repetitions, the projectiles must lie completely on the platform.
For the exercise to be as effective as possible, the working leg and body must move in sync. Your movements should resemble the work of a well crane. For beginners, this movement can be quite difficult and most often problems arise with maintaining balance.
Errors when performing a crane
You must remember that the Romanian deadlift is a difficult exercise and, if it is not performed correctly, it can be traumatic. At the same time, when performing a movement on one leg, the risks of injury are reduced, oddly enough it sounds. At the same time, take your time to increase the weight and master the movement with minimal weights.
The most common mistake is to break the correct stance. Beginners are often afraid to take their feet far back, being confident that this will lead to a fall. As a result, some athletes can only slightly lift their leg off the ground. You should not be afraid of falling, because you are on a stable surface.
Breathing errors are also common. It should be admitted that this is typical for almost all movements, but when performing a crane or Romanian deadlift on one leg, it is most common. Although in this case, correct breathing is not as fundamental as in many other movements, it should not go astray either. While tilting the body, it is necessary to inhale, and exhale during the reverse movement.
Also, athletes often place the shells at the wrong height, which leads to a decrease in the effectiveness of the movement. We remind you that the dumbbells should be at a height of 20 centimeters from the ground. It is this height that is optimal.
Tips for doing the Romanian Single Leg Deadlift
With this movement, you will be able to effectively develop your sense of balance and the muscles of the buttocks at the same time. In order to avoid excessive "tipping" of the body forward, beginner athletes should use the minimum weight of sports equipment.
Experienced athletes may be encouraged to avoid using the platform, which will make the exercise much more difficult. If you have back problems, then you should refuse to perform a crane or a Romanian deadlift on one leg. To maximize the load on the gluteal muscles, the projectile must descend at least to the level of the lower leg, but not higher.
Squats on one leg
Like the deadlift, squats performed on one leg offer the opportunity to increase the load on the targeted muscles while developing a sense of balance. There are several varieties of one-legged squats that we want to introduce you to.
Partial squats on one leg
Stand on a dais using only one leg. After that, begin to lower the pelvis down, keeping the other leg in weight.
Exercise gun
While it is often recommended to straighten your free leg forward, this puts excessive stress on the stabilizing muscles and also forces you to involuntarily pull back your pelvis. This can cause back pain. The depth of the one-legged squat should be determined by the goals set for the athlete.
Most often, the range of motion can be limited by poor joint mobility or insufficient development of active muscles. If the amplitude is limited due to previous injuries, then you should not try to increase it, so as not to cause a recurrence of the injury. Other athletes should try to do full range squats on one leg. This will allow you to develop qualitatively functional strength as well as leg extensors. It is these muscles that are the largest in the body.
If you need to increase the load on the buttocks, then you should use partial amplitude. In this situation, it is necessary to maintain the natural deflection of the spinal column.
Scissor squats
This type of squat is performed not on one leg, but with an emphasis on only one lower limb. The maximum load when performing the movement falls on the leg located in front. The emphasis of the load can be slightly shifted by tilting the body, but subject to the neutral position of the spinal column. The other leg must be firmly supported to avoid injury. Also, when performing this movement, you should not take too wide a step and place your feet on the same line. Remember that when performing scissor squats, the feet should be located in the frontal plane of the pelvis.
The specificity of exercises on one leg, as well as their effect on the musculoskeletal system, is a determining factor when they are introduced into the training program, using a stand on one leg, the athlete is able to create additional torque in the thigh area of the supporting leg, and then the whole body.
The free leg in this situation is an additional burden, thereby increasing the load on the middle and small section of the muscles of the buttocks. Squats and single-legged deadlifts are optimal movements for developing these muscles. Of course, all these movements place increased demands on the athlete's sense of balance and at the same time contribute to its development. We also note the fact that by doing exercises on one leg, you can eliminate the imbalance in the development of the muscles of the right and left halves of the body.
Here are the muscles that are most involved in these movements:
- Full Squats - Quadriceps.
- Partial squats and scissor squats - Quadriceps and gluteus maximus.
- Deadlift - glutes, hamstrings, and adductor mausius.
Note that it is advisable to perform all exercises on one leg in a relatively large number of repetitions. The muscles should be under tension for 20 seconds to one minute. It is very important to focus your attention not on the working weight, but on the safe execution of movements.
Those athletes who can confidently complete the full squat on one leg exhibit excellent leg muscle development. To actively work out the muscles of the buttocks, squats should be included in the training program to parallel the hip with the ground or squats in scissors. In turn, the one-legged deadlift will be very effective in improving the athlete's sense of balance. All of these exercises will take their rightful place in your training program.
Find out in more detail how to properly do the Romanian deadlift on one leg from this video:
