Balance on one leg, hinge with a ball for hammies and stability.
Keep your hips square to the floor, don't let the free-leg hip rotate open.
Hinging on one leg loads the standing leg's hamstring through a long, controlled stretch while the glute steers the hip and keeps you level, and the medicine ball gives you just enough load out front to counterbalance the movement. Because each side works alone, it exposes the weaker leg and trains the balance and foot stability a two-legged hinge never touches. That makes it a smart entry point into single-leg hinging and a quality warm-up before heavier pulls.
The ball is light, easy to hold in both hands, and keeps the load centred, so you can focus on balance and the hinge pattern instead of fighting a heavy weight. Once the movement feels smooth on both legs, graduating to a heavier implement is the natural next step.
Usually the free-side hip is swinging open, which throws your whole line off. Keep both hip bones pointing at the floor, keep a soft knee, and fix your eyes on a spot on the ground. If it is still shaky, rest the back toe lightly on the floor as a kickstand.
It teaches you to hinge one leg at a time, irons out left-right strength gaps, and builds the ankle and hip stability that carries over to running and heavier lifts. It also makes an excellent warm-up before deadlifts or squats.
