For hamstring growth

Single-Leg RDL vs Stiff-Leg Deadlift

For hamstring growth, stiff-leg deadlift rates well ahead on our research criteria: easier to progress.

Both are good choices that train the hamstrings the same way, so they swap freely. Rotating between them every few weeks is an easy way to vary your training.

Research score

Target tension

Strong

Loaded stretch

Excellent

Progression

Fair

Excellent

Low cost

Good

See the full hamstrings ranking

What these mean

Target tension.: Whether the muscle you’re training is what gives out first, not your grip, balance or other muscles.
Loaded stretch.: How hard the muscle works while stretched. Training it there is linked to more growth.
Progression.: How easily you can keep adding weight in small steps over months and years.
Low cost.: How easy it is on your joints and recovery, and how quickly you can learn it.

The research score comes from these, scored by hand from the studies. Lifter scores appear once an exercise has 10 ratings. How scores work

When each one fits

Good reasons to choose single-leg RDL

You train at home
One side is weaker than the other

Good reasons to choose stiff-leg deadlift

You want to keep adding weight in small steps

Single-Leg RDL

Stiff-Leg Deadlift

You need

Dumbbells

Barbell

Skill

Takes some practice

Type

Compound

One side at a time

Yes

Why they rank where they do

Stiff-Leg Deadlift. Like the Romanian deadlift with straighter legs: a big hamstring stretch, with similar lower-back fatigue.

Questions

Which is better for hamstring growth, single-leg RDL or stiff-leg deadlift?

For hamstring growth, stiff-leg deadlift rates well ahead on our research criteria: easier to progress. Both are good choices that train the hamstrings the same way, so they swap freely. Rotating between them every few weeks is an easy way to vary your training.

Is single-leg RDL or stiff-leg deadlift easier to learn?

About the same: both take some practice.

Can you do single-leg RDL or stiff-leg deadlift at home?

Single-leg RDL needs dumbbells, so a home gym covers it. Stiff-leg deadlift needs a barbell, so for most people it’s a gym exercise.

Which is easier on the joints, single-leg RDL or stiff-leg deadlift?

About the same: both rate Good for joint and recovery cost in our research rubric.

More comparisons

Single-Leg RDL Stiff-Leg Deadlift All hamstrings exercises

Single-Leg RDL vs Stiff-Leg Deadlift

For hamstring growth, stiff-leg deadlift rates well ahead on our research criteria: easier to progress.

Both are good choices that train the hamstrings the same way, so they swap freely. Rotating between them every few weeks is an easy way to vary your training.

What these mean

Target tension.: Whether the muscle you’re training is what gives out first, not your grip, balance or other muscles.
Loaded stretch.: How hard the muscle works while stretched. Training it there is linked to more growth.
Progression.: How easily you can keep adding weight in small steps over months and years.
Low cost.: How easy it is on your joints and recovery, and how quickly you can learn it.

The research score comes from these, scored by hand from the studies. Lifter scores appear once an exercise has 10 ratings. How scores work

When each one fits

Good reasons to choose single-leg RDL

You train at home
One side is weaker than the other

Good reasons to choose stiff-leg deadlift

You want to keep adding weight in small steps

Single-Leg RDL

Stiff-Leg Deadlift

You need

Dumbbells

Barbell

Skill

Takes some practice

Type

Compound

One side at a time

Yes

Why they rank where they do

Stiff-Leg Deadlift. Like the Romanian deadlift with straighter legs: a big hamstring stretch, with similar lower-back fatigue.

Questions

Which is better for hamstring growth, single-leg RDL or stiff-leg deadlift?

Is single-leg RDL or stiff-leg deadlift easier to learn?

About the same: both take some practice.

Can you do single-leg RDL or stiff-leg deadlift at home?

Single-leg RDL needs dumbbells, so a home gym covers it. Stiff-leg deadlift needs a barbell, so for most people it’s a gym exercise.

Which is easier on the joints, single-leg RDL or stiff-leg deadlift?

About the same: both rate Good for joint and recovery cost in our research rubric.