1. Pump it Up
A dead lift is when you take a weight in your hands--barbell or dumbbell, for example--then you bend over, letting the weight come straight down as it pulls you forward. In the 1-leg straight-leg dead lift, you begin by holding the weight in your hands--dumbbells or barbell--and you start from a straight, standing position. Lean forward, bringing the weight slowly down until you get close to--but not touching--the floor. As you do this, lift one leg slowly up behind you. Keep your legs relatively straight, just bending the knees slightly. Be sure to get the rising leg out straight behind you, parallel to the floor.
2. Work the Muscles
By its very nature, this exercise influences the strength of the abdominal muscles, thus affecting the lower back as well. With this in mind, do the exercise in slow, fluid motions, rather than with rapid, jerky snaps. Also, the hamstrings are positively affected, but only by maintaining proper posture and balance control throughout the exercise.
3. How to Do it Wrong
Do not use weights that are too heavy, that can pull you over too quickly or throw you off balance. Do this exercise slowly and with measured movements, so as to avoid negative strain or tearing of muscles, tendons or ligaments. Start slowly, with minimal reps, and work up as your body gets used to the motions and resistance. The most important advice is that you look for a certified trainer to help you through the routine to make sure that you're doing it right. Safety should be your primary concern.
4. Recommendation for Modification
You can modify this exercise by using dumbbells of varying weights or barbells. You can begin this exercise with the weights on the floor, or in your hands. You can bring more balance into this exercise by putting a dumbbell in the hand opposite the leg on which you're standing; reach forward and extend your other leg back as normal, but as you come up to a vertical position, bring the weighted hand up and over your head. At the same time, bring the knee of what was the extended leg forward, to help with your balance.
5. Don't Bust Your Back
Don't confuse this exercise with the standard dead lift, which requires you to squat and then come up, without bending the body more than 45 degrees. For the 1-leg straight-leg dead lift, your buttocks should not drop at all during the reps, and your body should bend out to about a 90-degree angle from the vertical as the weight comes down close to the floor. Also, studies show that any forward-bending motion such as is done in toe-touching and dead lifts, can force lumbar/spinal compression that can be injurious. To avoid this, keep the weights close to the body throughout the range of motions that you perform.
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