10 Best Barbell One Arm Side Deadlift Alternatives for Home Gyms
If you can't perform the barbell one-arm side deadlift, try single-leg RDLs, suitcase deadlifts, kettlebell side deadlifts, or staggered-stance Romanian deadlifts to hit the glutes and upper legs. Cue a tall chest and a driven hip hinge to load the posterior chain; actively squeeze the glute at lockout to mimic the original movement's biomechanics.
Original Exercise: Barbell One Arm Side Deadlift
How to Perform Barbell One Arm Side Deadlift
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a barbell in one hand with an overhand grip.
- Keep your back straight and your core engaged.
- Bend at the hips and lower the barbell towards the outside of your leg, keeping your arm straight and your chest up.
- Lower the barbell as far as you can while maintaining good form.
- Pause for a moment, then slowly return to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch sides.
Best Barbell One Arm Side Deadlift Alternatives
1. Barbell Sumo Deadlift
86.9% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart, toes pointing outwards.
- Place a barbell on the ground in front of you, centered between your feet.
- Bend your knees and lower your hips, keeping your back straight and chest up, to grip the barbell with an overhand grip.
- Engage your core and drive through your heels to lift the barbell off the ground, extending your hips and knees simultaneously.
- As you lift, keep your chest up and back straight, and push your hips forward to fully engage your glutes.
2. Barbell Rack Pull
82.9% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Set up a barbell on a rack at knee height.
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointing slightly outwards.
- Bend at the hips and knees to lower yourself down and grip the barbell with an overhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart.
- Engage your core and lift the barbell by extending your hips and knees, pulling your shoulders back and squeezing your glutes at the top.
- Lower the barbell back down to the starting position by bending at the hips and knees.
3. Barbell Deadlift
82.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and the barbell on the ground in front of you.
- Bend your knees and hinge at the hips to lower your torso and grip the barbell with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Keep your back straight and chest lifted as you drive through your heels to lift the barbell off the ground, extending your hips and knees.
- As you stand up straight, squeeze your glutes and keep your core engaged.
- Lower the barbell back down to the ground by bending at the hips and knees, keeping your back straight.
4. Dumbbell Single Leg Deadlift With Stepbox Support
81.9% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in your right hand.
- Place your left foot on a stepbox or elevated surface behind you.
- Keeping your back straight and core engaged, hinge forward at the hips, lowering the dumbbell towards the ground.
- As you lower the dumbbell, simultaneously lift your left leg behind you, maintaining a straight line from head to heel.
- Lower the dumbbell until you feel a stretch in your right hamstring, then return to the starting position.
5. Barbell Single Leg Deadlift
81% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a barbell in front of your thighs with an overhand grip.
- Shift your weight onto your left foot and lift your right foot slightly off the ground.
- Hinge forward at the hips, keeping your back straight and your right leg extended behind you for balance.
- Lower the barbell towards the ground, keeping it close to your body and your left leg slightly bent.
- Pause for a moment at the bottom, then engage your glutes and hamstrings to lift your torso back up to the starting position.
6. Cable Deadlift
79.6% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand facing the cable machine with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Bend at the hips and knees, lowering your torso until your back is parallel to the ground.
- Grasp the cable handles with an overhand grip, keeping your arms straight and your shoulders back.
- Engage your glutes and hamstrings to lift the cable handles, extending your hips and standing up straight.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the cable handles back down to the starting position.
7. Dumbbell Deadlift
77.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointing forward.
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing your body, arms extended downwards.
- Bend at your hips and knees, lowering the dumbbells towards the ground while keeping your back straight.
- Push through your heels and extend your hips and knees, lifting the dumbbells back up to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
8. Barbell Stiff Leg Good Morning
77.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent.
- Hold the barbell across your upper back, resting it on your traps.
- Keeping your back straight, hinge forward at the hips, pushing your glutes back.
- Lower your torso until it is parallel to the ground, feeling a stretch in your hamstrings.
- Engage your glutes and hamstrings to return to the starting position.
9. Barbell Hip Thrust
76.6% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Begin seated on the ground with a bench directly behind you. Have a loaded barbell over your legs. Using a fat bar or having a pad on the bar can greatly reduce the discomfort caused by this exercise.
- Roll the bar so that it is directly above your hips, and lean back against the bench so that your shoulder blades are near the top of it.
- Begin the movement by driving through your feet, extending your hips vertically through the bar. Your weight should be supported by your shoulder blades and your feet. Extend as far as possible, then reverse the motion to return to the starting position.
10. Dumbbell Clean
75.3% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand with an overhand grip.
- Bend your knees and lower your hips into a squat position, keeping your back straight and chest up.
- Explosively extend your hips and knees, driving through your heels to jump off the ground.
- As you jump, shrug your shoulders and pull the dumbbells up towards your shoulders, keeping them close to your body.
- Catch the dumbbells at shoulder height, with your elbows pointing forward and your palms facing up.
Why You Might Need a Barbell One Arm Side Deadlift Alternative
You may swap the barbell one-arm side deadlift due to shoulder pain from holding an offset load, limited barbell access, or balance limitations. Alternatives reduce shear on the spine, allow bilateral or controlled unilateral loading, and let you progress with dumbbells, kettlebells, or bodyweight. Use cues like ‘‘push the hips back’’ and ‘‘keep a neutral spine’’ to preserve the hip-hinge pattern and maintain glute activation. Choosing a substitute can protect injured tissue while preserving the movement’s posterior chain recruitment and hip extension mechanics.
How to Choose the Right Substitute
Select a substitute based on equipment, training goal, and movement demands. If you lack a barbell, choose a kettlebell suitcase deadlift and cue ‘‘braced core, drive through the heel’’ to maintain glute and hamstring tension. For balance work, pick single-leg RDLs and focus on hip-hinge depth and glute contraction at the top. If you need higher load capacity, use heavy trap-bar or dumbbell Romanian deadlifts and emphasize knee angle and posterior chain tension to match the original biomechanics.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles does Barbell One Arm Side Deadlift work?
The exercise primarily targets the glutes and hamstrings while engaging the adductors of the upper leg. It also requires anti-rotation core activation and upper-back stabilization to control the offset load; cue a strong hip hinge and active glute squeeze to maximize recruitment.
What is the best bodyweight alternative to Barbell One Arm Side Deadlift?
A single-leg Romanian deadlift (bodyweight) is the best bodyweight substitute for glute and hamstring development. Push the hips back, keep a slight knee bend, and squeeze the working-side glute at lockout to replicate the hip-extension mechanics and unilateral control.
Can I build muscle without doing Barbell One Arm Side Deadlift?
Yes. You can build glute and upper-leg muscle with progressive overload using single-leg RDLs, heavy goblet or trap-bar variations, and hip thrusts. Prioritize increasing load or reps and maintain the hip-hinge cue and full glute contraction to ensure proper muscle activation.
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