How to Do a Single-Arm Suitcase Deadlift

The suitcase deadlift, also known as the single-arm suitcase deadlift, is a compound exercise that works muscle groups throughout your upper body and lower body. Perform suitcase deadlifts by standing with your feet hip-width apart and rest a free weight next to your body. While keeping your core engaged and your chest up, use a lateral hip hinge movement to lift the weight off the floor. Stand tall and squeeze your glutes before lowering the free weight next to your body again, and repeat the movement for the desired number of repetitions.

For the suitcase deadlift, begin by using a weight that you can control for 2–3 sets of 5–10 repetitions on each side. Choose a weight that allows you to maintain good technique throughout all sets and repetitions.

1. 1. Set up a barbell, kettlebell, or dumbbell on the outside of your right leg lined up with the middle of your foot. If using a dumbbell or kettlebell, the weight should be elevated on an aerobic step to allow for optimal alignment during your setup.
2. 2. Evenly distribute your weight on your feet along the entire foot. Grip the floor with your feet to create a stable foot position.
3. 3. Your posture should be tall with your feet shoulder-width apart and a slight bend in your knees. Your shoulders should be directly over your hip with a neutral head and neck position. Your chin should remain tucked throughout the movement as if you were holding an egg under your chin. Your arms should remain long by your sides, with a slight bend in your elbows.
4. 4. Pre-tension your shoulders, hips, and core with a long inhale and exhale before lowering toward the barbell.
5. 5. Hinge your hips back and begin to bend the hips, knees, and ankles to lower your body toward the barbell.
6. 6. Grab the barbell or kettlebell directly in the middle, and rotate your shoulder outward to engage your lat and upper back. Use a solid grip to prevent the weight from moving in your hand.
7. 7. Lift your hips up and back until you feel a stretch on the back of your legs. Your hips should be higher than your knees, and your shoulders should be higher than your hips.
8. 8. Lift your opposite arm out to the side and make a fist to create tension throughout your body and help to maintain optimal alignment for the movement.
9. 9. While maintaining a neutral spine, keep the barbell close to your leg and start your upward movement by pushing your feet through the floor. As you begin to stand, squeeze your glutes to move your hips forward. Maintain a strong core and back position to prevent your body from twisting as you stand.
10. 10. As your hips move forward, keep your arms long, and finish the movement by squeezing your glutes, all while maintaining a neutral spine. Your shoulders should finish directly over your hips. Imagine that your pelvis is a bucket filled with water, and you’re attempting not to spill any water out of the front, back, or sides of the bucket.
11. 11. For the downward movement, maintain a neutral spine and hinge from your hips. Bend your hips and knees to lower the barbell back toward the floor.
12. 12. Once the weight plates reach the floor, the repetition is complete.
13. 13. Pause briefly and reset your position before beginning the next repetition.

Including suitcase deadlifts in your workout routine can have several benefits.

1. 1. Suitcase deadlifts are a full-body workout. This barbell deadlift exercise activates muscle groups across your entire body, including your hamstrings, quadriceps, glutes, spinal erectors, calves, and lower back muscles.
2. 2. Suitcase deadlifts can improve your grip strength. Suitcase deadlifts work your forearms, increasing your grip strength for other compound exercises, like bench presses and pull-ups.
3. 3. Suitcase deadlifts can help you build a stronger core. With proper deadlifting form, the suitcase deadlift activates your core muscles as stabilizers throughout the range of motion, increasing strength and stability throughout your midsection.
4. 4. Suitcase deadlifts encourage muscle symmetry. By using one arm at a time, suitcase deadlifts highlight muscle asymmetries you may have developed by favoring one side of your body over the other during conventional deadlifts.
5. 5. Suitcase deadlifts are versatile. Practice the suitcase deadlift at home with a simple free weight. For a more advanced variation, try the single-leg suitcase deadlift or the double suitcase deadlift using free weights on both sides of your body.

If you have a previous or pre-existing health condition, consult your physician before beginning an exercise program. Proper exercise technique is essential to ensure the safety and effectiveness of an exercise program, but you may need to modify each exercise to attain optimal results based on your individual needs. Always select a weight that allows you to have full control of your body throughout the movement. When performing any exercise, pay close attention to your body, and stop immediately if you note pain or discomfort.

In order to see continual progress and build body strength, incorporate proper warm-ups, rest, and nutrition into your exercise program. Your results will ultimately be based on your ability to adequately recover from your workouts. Rest for 24 to 48 hours before training the same muscle groups to allow sufficient recovery.

Throw on some athleisure, fire up a MasterClass Annual Membership, and get ready to sweat it out with exclusive instructional videos from Nike Master Trainer and GQ fitness specialist Joe Holder. Want to improve your cardiovascular endurance? Give Joe’s HIIT workout a go. Trying to get a little swole? He’s got a strength training workout for that. From fitness tips to nutrition hacks, Joe will have you feeling healthier in no time.