The Exercise That Targets Your Legs, but Works Your Core Twice as Hard

Work one leg at a time to blast your entire body

BY KELSEY CANNON

When you think "total-body muscle builder," it's not likely you think of a single-leg exercise, but the single-leg straight-leg deadlift will hit your lower-body, core, and upper-body all at once. 

"You'll use your hamstrings and glutes to hinge forward, your hips and core to balance, and your upper back and shoulders to keep your torso from getting pulled into a rounding position by the weight of the dumbbells," says BJ Gaddour, C.S.C.S., creator of Bodyweight Cardio Burners, a high-intensity fitness DVD that will give you the cardio workout of your life in just 20 minutes.

And while your leg muscles are doing most of the heavy lifting, they get a break when you switch sides. Your core and upper body, however, have to keep working hard to stabilize your body as you perform rep after rep. So it’ll work your body from head to toe, and build total-body strength. “At least it will do all of that if you perform the exercise correctly,” says Gaddour. “And the biggest benefits come when you master the little details.” 

Watch the video to learn how to do just that.