Taming the Deadlift – 2 Variations of the Deadlift to Give You a Powerful Back and Pulling Power!

To build a rock hard body and build up your tremendous pulling power you need to master the deadlift. The interesting thing is that there are many versions of this particular lift that you can practice in order to strengthen the combination of both your glutes and hamstrings as they work together in pulling the heavy load. Check out these 2 variations that you can learn to achieve optimal power.

1. The Suitcase Deadlift (Staggered Load): This particular deadlift is great at loading one side of the body while you fight to execute the lift. This particular variation of the deadlift can be executed with a kettlebell or by using a normal barbell that can be elevated to control the intensity. The lift is executed like a normal deadlift with the exception of the lift being done from the side of the body as opposed to the usual way with the weight being picked up from the front. You simply squat to pick up the desired weight on one side like you would a suitcase, hence the name.

2. Single Leg RDL (Another Staggered Load): This lift is spectacular in both isolating the glutes and hamstrings while promoting balance and core strength. Again, this particular lift can be executed a number of different ways, but to make it easy to understand I’ll discuss the most simple. Begin by grabbing a set of dumbells. Now imagine how you would normally descend in a controlled fashion to execute a normal RDL (Romanian Deadlift). The only difference is that you descend down on one leg. The leg of choice stays on the ground and your hips must be as square as possible throughout the lift. The other leg should raise off of the ground straight behind you as you descend. Keep your body in a straight line. This is a tremendous lift for developing that excellent core strength and overall stability.