The kickstand RDL landmine is a single-leg hip hinge performed with a barbell anchored in a landmine, the rear foot resting on its toes, training the front-leghamstrings and glutes. The rear toes act as a kickstand, giving most of the single-leg load without the balance problem of a true single-leg RDL. Holding the bar in one hand keeps the load on the front leg, and the arc pulls the bar toward the pivot, dragging your hips back into the hinge instead of straight down. Lifters program it as a unilateral hamstring accessory after their main hinge.
What Muscles Does the Kickstand RDL Landmine Work?
- Primary: Hamstrings (biceps femoris, semitendinosus), gluteus maximus of the front leg
- Secondary: Gluteus medius (side glute), erector spinae, adductor magnus
- Tertiary: Obliques, forearm flexors, upper trapezius
How Do You Set Up for the Kickstand RDL Landmine?
Wedge one end of the barbell into the landmine sleeve and load the free end. Stand facing the pivot with the collar end just inside your front foot. Slide the other foot back a half step so only its toes touch the floor. Hinge down, grip the collar end with the hand opposite the front leg, pull the shoulder down and stand tall with the free hand on your hip.
How Do You Perform the Kickstand RDL Landmine?
- Soften the front knee and set most of your weight through the front heel, the rear toes only steadying you.
- Push the front hip back and let the bar travel down and toward the pivot along its arc, the arm hanging straight.
- Lower until the front hamstring is fully stretched, torso near parallel and hips level, the bar at mid-shin.
- Pause one count at the bottom with the back flat and the rear knee slightly bent.
- Drive the front heel into the floor and push the hips forward to stand, keeping the bar close to the shin.
- Finish tall with the front glute squeezed and the shoulders level, then begin the next rep; switch legs after the set.
What Are the Key Form Cues?
- Front heel heavy, rear toes light: if you feel the rear foot pushing, shift weight forward until the kickstand does no more than steady you.
- Hips square to the landmine: the loaded hand tries to twist you toward the bar; hold both hip bones level through the whole hinge.
- Let the bar's arc pull your hips back rather than bending your knee to reach the floor.
- Keep the shoulder of the working arm packed so the bar hangs from the back, not the arm.
- Reach the front hip toward the wall behind you on every descent.
What Are the Most Common Mistakes?
- Loading the sleeve until the rear leg has to help: the kickstand turns into a split squat and the front hamstring unloads, so pick a plate you can hinge with the rear toes barely touching.
- Squatting instead of hinging: bending the front knee to lower the bar puts the quads in charge, so keep the shin near vertical and move at the hip.
- Rounding the lower back at the bottom: the lumbar spine flexes under a load hanging from one arm, so stop the hinge where your back stays flat.
- Rotating the hips toward the bar: the loaded side drops and the obliques unload, so keep the free hip from opening.
- Standing too far from the pivot: the bar swings out and pulls you onto the toes, so start with the collar end beside the front foot.
What Are the Best Kickstand RDL Landmine Variations?
- Bodyweight kickstand RDL: the same stance with no load, the regression for learning to hinge on one hip.
- Landmine Single Leg Deadlift: the rear foot leaves the floor, the full single-leg progression.
- Two-hand kickstand landmine RDL: both hands on the collar end, heavier loads and no anti-rotation demand.
- Rear foot elevated kickstand RDL: the rear toes on a plate or step, shifting more load onto the front leg.
- Kickstand dumbbell RDL: a dumbbell in the opposite hand replaces the bar, with a free path instead of the arc.
How Do You Progress the Kickstand RDL Landmine?
- Add one 10-pound plate to the sleeve once every set on both legs finishes with level hips.
- Work from 8 reps per leg up to 12 before adding a plate.
- Add a set at a time from 3 up to 4 per leg, keeping the rest fixed.
- Lower for a three-count and pause two counts at the bottom before adding load again.
How Should You Program the Kickstand RDL Landmine?
Place the kickstand RDL landmine second or third in a lower-body session, after your main squat or deadlift and before calf and core work. Train it 1 to 2 times per week for 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps per leg, resting 60 to 90 seconds between sets. Pair it with a landmine hack squat or a split squat so each leg gets a hinge and a knee-dominant movement.