10 Best Single-leg Platform Slide Alternatives for Home and Gym
If you can't perform the Single Leg Platform Slide, use exercises that preserve the hip-hinge and eccentric hamstring load. Try Nordic hamstring curls, slider hamstring curls, single-leg Romanian deadlifts, glute-ham raises, or Swiss-ball hamstring curls. Cue: brace your core, keep hips neutral, and control the eccentric phase to target hamstring length-tension.
Original Exercise: Single Leg Platform Slide
How to Perform Single Leg Platform Slide
- Start by standing with one foot on a platform or slide board.
- Bend your knee slightly and slide the foot on the platform backward, extending your leg.
- Keep your core engaged and maintain a straight posture throughout the movement.
- Slowly return to the starting position by sliding your foot back to the initial position.
- Repeat the movement for the desired number of repetitions, then switch legs.
Best Single Leg Platform Slide Alternatives
1. Barbell Straight Leg Deadlift
71.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes pointing forward.
- Hold the barbell with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Bend at your hips and lower the barbell towards the ground, keeping your back straight and your knees slightly bent.
- Lower the barbell until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings.
- Engage your hamstrings and glutes to lift the barbell back up to the starting position.
2. Band Straight Leg Deadlift
70.3% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and place the band around your feet.
- Hold the band with both hands, palms facing your body, and keep your arms straight.
- Engage your core and maintain a slight bend in your knees.
- Slowly hinge forward at your hips, keeping your back straight and chest lifted.
- Lower the band towards the ground while keeping your legs straight.
3. Dumbbell Single Leg Deadlift
69.2% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in your right hand.
- Shift your weight onto your left leg and lift your right foot slightly off the ground.
- Keeping your back straight, hinge forward at the hips and lower the dumbbell towards the ground.
- At the same time, extend your right leg straight behind you, maintaining a slight bend in your left knee.
- Lower the dumbbell until your torso and right leg are parallel to the ground.
4. Exercise Ball One Legged Diagonal Kick Hamstring Curl
68% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Start by lying on your back with your legs extended and your heels resting on top of the stability ball.
- Place your arms by your sides for stability.
- Engage your glutes and core muscles to lift your hips off the ground, creating a straight line from your shoulders to your heels.
- Bend your right knee and bring it towards your chest, keeping your left leg extended and your foot flexed.
- Kick your right leg diagonally across your body, extending it fully and engaging your hamstrings.
5. Barbell Single Leg Deadlift
65.2% 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. Double Kettlebell Alternating Hang Clean
62.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Place two kettlebells between your feet. To get in the starting position, push your butt back and look straight ahead.
- Clean one kettlebell to your shoulder and hold on to the other kettlebell.
- With a fluid motion, lower the top kettlebell while driving the bottom kettlebell up.
7. Band Good Morning
62.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Using a 41 inch band, stand on one end, spreading your feet a small amount. Bend at the hips to loop the end of the band behind your neck. This will be your starting position.
- Keeping your legs straight, extend through the hips to come to a near vertical position.
- Ensure that you do not round your back as you go down back to the starting position.
8. Barbell Good Morning
62.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and the barbell resting on your upper back.
- Keeping your back straight and your core engaged, hinge forward at the hips, pushing your buttocks back as if you were trying to touch the wall behind you with your glutes.
- Lower your torso until it is parallel to the ground, feeling a stretch in your hamstrings.
- Pause for a moment, then return to the starting position by squeezing your glutes and pushing your hips forward.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
9. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift
60.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand with an overhand grip.
- Keeping your back straight and your core engaged, hinge at the hips and lower the dumbbells towards the ground, allowing your knees to bend slightly.
- Lower the dumbbells until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings, then push through your heels and engage your glutes to return to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
10. Band Good Morning (Pull Through)
59.8% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Loop the band around a post. Standing a little ways away, loop the opposite end around the neck. Your hands can help hold the band in position.
- Begin by bending at the hips, getting your butt back as far as possible. Keep your back flat and bend forward to about 90 degrees. Your knees should be only slightly bent.
- Return to the starting position be driving through with the hips to come back to a standing position.
Why You Might Need a Single Leg Platform Slide Alternative
You may swap the Single Leg Platform Slide for reasons such as knee pain during knee-dominant slides, lack of a stable platform, or the need for progression/regression. Alternatives let you emphasize eccentric strength, hip-extension torque, or posterior-chain coordination while reducing knee shear. For example, Nordic curls increase eccentric hamstring activation by lengthening the muscle under load; single-leg RDLs shift demand to the hip extensors and challenge balance. Cue: maintain a neutral spine and hinge at the hips to keep tension through the hamstrings rather than the low back.
How to Choose the Right Substitute
Choose a substitute based on equipment, training goal, and tissue tolerance. For eccentric overload and hamstring hypertrophy pick Nordic curls or slider curls; cue: control the descent 3–4 seconds. If you need joint-friendly hip-dominant work, use single-leg RDLs and emphasize a long lever with a soft knee to load the proximal hamstring. If you lack balance, perform bilateral Swiss-ball hamstring curls to limit single-leg instability. Consider biomechanical differences: knee-flexion dominance (slides, curls) stresses distal hamstrings; hip-hinge moves load proximal hamstrings and glutes—pick accordingly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles does Single Leg Platform Slide work?
The Single Leg Platform Slide primarily targets the hamstrings as knee flexors and hip stabilizers, with secondary activation of the glutes and core. Biomechanically it emphasizes eccentric control of the hamstrings through a lengthened range as you slide and extend the hip.
What is the best bodyweight alternative to Single Leg Platform Slide?
The Nordic hamstring curl is the best pure bodyweight alternative for eccentric hamstring strength; anchor your feet, keep hips extended, and lower slowly while resisting with the hamstrings. If you lack a partner or anchor, use a slider hamstring curl—keep hips elevated and drive the heel toward the glutes.
Can I build muscle without doing Single Leg Platform Slide?
Yes. Build hamstring muscle with alternatives that provide progressive overload and controlled eccentrics, like Nordic curls, Swiss-ball curls, and single-leg RDLs. Use slow eccentric tempos (3–5 seconds), increase volume, and prioritize full hip hinge mechanics to maximize hamstring activation.
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