A Physical Therapist Shared a Challenging Deadlift Variation
Through the Squat University channel, Dr. Aaron Horschig shares training advice with the goal of helping people get the most effective results out of their workouts while minimizing risk of strain or injury. In a new video, Horschig breaks down the benefits of the offset deadlift, also known as the suitcase deadlift, which switches out the bar for a dumbbell or kettlebell, and works one side of the body at a time.
"With a sumo or conventional deadlift, with the weight held in front of the body in both hands, load is evenly distributed down the spine and equally among both hips," he says. "However, if the weight is only held on one side of the body, with what's called a suitcase deadlift, the weight is unevenly distributed, making it much more challenging of an exercise."
"When considering the three planes of motion, a regular deadlift moves up and down through the sagittal plane. In order to maintain balance however, with an offset load, you have to increase your stability demands into the frontal and transverse planes so that you don't twist or side bend, meaning an offset deadlift can be a great way to shore up weak links in stability in these often under-utilized planes of motion."
In addition to addressing any instability or muscle imbalances, this can be a highly effective approach to everyday fitness. Think about it: it's very rare that the loads we carry outside of the gym are distributed perfectly evenly like weights on a barbell, because we often tend to favor our dominant hand or stronger side. Offset load training, therefore, can translate to functional, real-world strength.
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