This suitcase deadlift exercise, done using the barbell Landmine setup, works the side abdominal wall (the obliques that lie under the love handles) in a MUCH safer and more effective way than side bends.
And honestly, the dumbbell side bend is one exercise I NEVER recommend to people anyway as it can overdevelop the obliques and actually PUSH love handle fat out even more, making them look BIGGER.
This deadlift variation is done using a landmine setup (in this case, just one end of the barbell is loaded and the other end is pushed up against the bottom rail of my rack for stability).
The exercise itself works very much like the Suitcase Deadlift done with a barbell held on just one side of the body. This variation increases the stabilty and allows you to focus more on working the core versus balancing the bar.
When you stand up with this weight, those "side abs" are going to contract strongly to prevent your spine from tilting to the side, working the area isometrically versus the bending exercise which tends to bunch up the muscle.
This is a much better option than a side bend for tightening the area up.
Get into the bottom position of a deadlift at the end of the with your body parallel to the bar.
Set your right foot right up against the plates and grip the bar on the end with your right hand.
Now, because you're gripping on the fat end of the bar, you're also going to be challenging your grip strength here, in addition to your core. Make sure your lower back is tight and arched. I also recommend holding your breath briefly as you come up off the floor in order to better maintain core stability.
Stand up.
Because the load is being supported by just one arm, there is MASSIVE cross-tension being placed through the deep muscles of the core in order to prevent rotation of the spine. Your goal is here is to keep your shoulders LEVEL as you come to the top.
You'll also notice in the picture that my body has shifted over towards the side as I come up. This is a natural movement due to the arced path of the bar as you lift one end.
When using heavier weights like this, in order to keep your grip strength fresher, you can alternate reps on each side, or you can do these rest-pause style, where you take a short break in between reps to refresh your grip.
When you're using lighter weight (something that doesn't limit your ability to grip the end of the bar), you can do all your reps directly in a row like a normal set.
Give this one a try next time you work your abs/core. The loads aren't so heavy that you need to work it as a deadlift...it's absolutely fine to work it as a core exercise.
I recommend starting with a fairly light weight the first you do this one, especially if you've never done any heavy anti-rotational, one-sided lifting like this before. Your obliques and transversus WILL be challenged by this one.
As you get stronger with it, I normally work up to doing two sets with the heavier weights (3 to 5 reps on each side), then one back-off set with lighter weight for higher reps (e.g. 10 to 12 on each side).
This exercise is going to develop incredible core strength in you and tighten up your waist FAST You'll get a stronger core, better anti-rotational and rotational strength and power and you'll help prevent back pain by strengthening literally EVERYTHING in your core all at once.
If you like that exercise, check out the BEST Landmine training resource I've ever seen...
It's put together by my friend and colleague from Vancouver, BC., Meghan Callaway, and it's called the Ultimate Landmine Program.
If you liked that core exercise, that's only scratching the surface of what you can do with this very simple barbell setup. The list goes on and on.
It gives you many of the benefits of machine training (like load stabillization, dynamic resistance, arced movements) and free weight training (freedom of movement, exercise variety, plate loading for endless resistance options).
In the Ultimate Landmine Program, you'll get complete training programs and detailed exercise instruction (pictures, text and video), all using the Landmine concept.
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