I love the conventional single-leg Romanian deadlift, but the truth is that most people just can't perform it properly to save their life. They're veering all over the place like Britney Spears escaping rehab.
Instead, I like the off-the-box version because it allows the lifter to regain balance between repetitions and use more weight. It also takes away the ability to use the stretch-shortening cycle (aka "the bounce") at the bottom of the movement, resulting in greater muscular contraction of the glutes and hamstrings.
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To perform this movement, you'll need to place two dumbbells on a low box (about 8 inches high) or aerobic step. From here you'll bend forward at the hip, bringing one leg straight out behind you in line with your body. (It helps to think of a broomstick running from the back of your head all the way to the ankle.)
From this position, bend the planted leg slightly and grab the dumbbells. Stand up by contracting your glutes, then drive your hips back to avoid falling forward as you lower the weights to the starting position. Make sure the dumbbells come to a complete stop on the box between reps.
The trailing leg and the body should move as one unit. Personally, I like to think of those drinking-bird toys that you can attach to the side of a glass. Balance will be difficult at first, but over the course of a few weeks this movement should become much easier, and your weights should increase dramatically.
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