The Shelf Builder: Bench Supported Single Leg RDL

A big problem about working out is that there are too many exercises to choose from. It’s hard to figure out which ones are the best. You watch one video, and they show 5 different lunges targeting 3 different areas of your glutes. It’s very confusing to navigate for most people. It wonder which exercises I should be doing.

novotna coaching bench supported single leg rdls

Every exercise can be useful in the right context. Our job is to figure out what exercises we need to be doing in each phase of our training. Most of the time, there are no right or wrong answers; it’s just picking whatever works for you. Picking the ones that we can stick to and enjoy doing. If we do exercises that we hate, we are more likely to skip them.

The good thing about training for size is that there are many options we can pick from that train the target muscle the same. Each movement may grow different areas and target different muscle fibers of the target muscles. This may sound complex but it’s not. Pick good exercises and consistently do them over and over until we see some results.
You also have to remember most of us are not pro bodybuilders, so we don’t have to worry about the fine detail of how our muscles are growing. The most important thing in training is staying consistent.

One of the exercises that I have started to consistently do is the bench-supported single-leg RDL. I picked it up from Instagram. It has been amazing. This exercise has been working well for me. I have been seeing a lot of improvement in my glute activation; I can feel them working more in other exercises such as squats. So in this article I will try to convince you why you should give them a try.

The exercise that builds your glute Medius

This is an exercise that I have been using recently, one that I have not seen many talk about. Has been working great for me as I mentioned before. This exercise targets the upper glute(gluteus medius) it helps create the shelf look for your butt. So if you are trying to hold some extra books on your shelf, then you need to add this into your routine.

The main thing that helps me feel the glute active is holding the dumbbell in the opposite arm of the leg side that is doing the deadlift. The slight twist forces your body to use the glute med. If you are really strong the dumbbell might hit the bench, so take a wide stance away from the bench. I also recommend using straps so your grip never gives out. 

How to perform this exercise correctly Preparing the movement

  1. Pick a moderately heavy weight
  2. Place the dumbbell in the opposite arm of the leg that is performing the movement
  3. Put your non-working leg on the bench and take a wide stance
  4. Turn your working foot outward and screw your foot into the ground

Then you’re ready to start the movement.

Actually perform the movement

  1. You’ll be in a standing position and you want to push your lats downwards to keep the dumbbell stable and so it doesn’t touch the floor
  2. Slowly start to bend at the knee and ankle of the working foot
  3. You want to bend your knee a little bit past 90 degrees and don’t have it completely straight or you use more hamstring than glute
  4. You want to push your hips back and upward towards the corner of the ceiling slowly lowering the dumbbell
  5. You want to go as low as possible or until you feel a stretch in your glutes or hamstring [even if you don’t feel your glutes, they are still working]
  6. Once you achieve the stretch position of the lowering part of the movement, push all 4 corners of your foot through the floor and imagine pushing your glute forward through the wall
  7. You’ll then be in the standing position of the movement. You want to be completely locked out after pushing your hips forward, feeling your glute contracting

Remember, everyone’s technique is going to be different, and it’s up to you to find out what works. These are simple tips that’ll help you perform the movement correctly.

What about reps & sets?

For this exercise, I would stick to an 8 – 15 rep range. 5-8 reps may interfere with your heavy glute exercises such hip thrusts, deadlift and ect. Remember what I said before it’s best practice to do different variations of exercises, sets, and reps. You want to cover all bases to ensure your glutes are growing the best they can. For sets it depends on your others glutes exercises and how you have of them in your program. I would just stick to 2-4 sets of them per week.

Frequently Asked Questions: Bench Supported Single Leg RDLs

What if I don’t feel it in my glutes?

This is normal; just because we don’t feel the movement doesn’t mean it’s not hitting our targeted muscles. Feeling the muscle while we do the exercise is called mind-muscle connection. This takes a lot of training and time to develop, especially if we are new to training or doing movements we’ve never done before. Performing exercises correctly is a skill that we must develop.

Are bench supported single-leg RDLs better than normal RDLs?

Every exercise has its place. I consider a normal RDL a main movement because it uses more, and you can use way more weight than with single-leg RDLs. Single-leg RDLs are good for building your glute medius, the top part of your glute muscle. Normal RDLs build the whole glute. Check my other article on Romanian deadlifts.

When to add these into your program?

You can add these anytime you want. I would suggest you don’t put them on the same day as any deadlift variation because they are technically the same movement. It’s if you separate the same type of exercises because you don’t get staleness or your body to completely adapts to these exercises, you’ll run out of variations. This may cause your gains to slow.

What equipment do I need for these exercises?

All you need is some dumbbells and a bench or something you can put your non-working leg on. You can also get some lifting straps that’ll help when you get too strong and your grip becomes a limiting factor instead of your glutes. I wrote a whole article about lifting straps.

Use this secret exercise to build your glutes

I highly recommend trying out this exercise. I have been doing them every week and notice great improvement in my strength in other exercises. It’s hard to see improvement in muscle growth because I am not a beginner but if your strength is going up with good form then you are likely gaining some muscle.