# Barbell Suitcase Deadlift

A one-arm barbell lift where you hold the bar at its center beside your body, pointing front to back, and squat down and stand up with your torso upright. Trains the quads and glutes while your obliques and grip stop you from leaning toward the bar.

- Intermediate · Compound
- Equipment: Barbell
- HD video: https://media.seto.fit/exercises/barbell-one-arm-single-deadlift/video/male.mp4
- HTML: https://seto.fit/exercises/barbell-suitcase-deadlift/

## Muscles worked

- Quads: 8/10
- Glutes: 8/10
- Hamstrings: 5/10
- Hip adductors: 4/10
- Hip abductors: 4/10
- Calves: 3/10

## How to do the Barbell Suitcase Deadlift

1. Hold the barbell at its center in one hand beside your leg.
2. Bend your knees and hips together, sitting straight down with your torso upright.
3. Lower until your hips reach knee level, plates off the floor.
4. Push through your feet to stand up, keeping your shoulders level.
5. Finish reps, then switch sides.

### Full technique — 8 steps

1. Stand with feet about hip-width apart and hold the barbell at its center in one hand beside your leg.
2. Let the bar point front to back, balanced so neither end tips down.
3. Tighten your stomach and keep your torso tall.
4. Bend your knees and hips together, keeping your torso upright and your shoulders level.
5. Lower until your hips are about knee level, keeping the plates off the floor.
6. Keep your whole foot grounded and let your knees point the same way as your feet.
7. Drive through your whole foot to stand up, extending knees and hips together.
8. Complete all reps on one side, then switch hands and repeat.

## Common mistakes

- Leaning toward the loaded side
- Letting one end of the bar tip down
- Heels lifting at the bottom
- Cutting the squat high
- Knees collapsing inward

## Form cues

- Keep shoulders level
- Keep the bar level
- Torso upright
- Drive through whole foot
- Knees point where feet point

## How much to do

- **Strength**: 3–4 sets of 5–8 reps · rest 2 min · 2 reps in reserve · lower 2 s, pause 1 s, lift 1 s
- **Muscle growth**: 3–4 sets of 8–12 reps · rest 1 min 30 s · 2–3 reps in reserve · lower 3 s, lift 1 s
- **Endurance** (good fit): 2–3 sets of 15–20 reps · rest 1 min · 3–4 reps in reserve · lower 2 s, lift 1 s

Reps in reserve: how many more you could still do when you end the set.

## Substitutes by equipment

Same muscles, same movement — pick the version you have the gear for.

- **Dumbbells**: [Feet Elevated Dumbbell Figure Four Glute Bridge](https://seto.fit/exercises/feet-elevated-dumbbell-figure-four-glute-bridge/), [Staggered Stance Dumbbell Hip Thrust](https://seto.fit/exercises/staggered-stance-dumbbell-hip-thrust/)
- **Kettlebell**: [Single Leg Kettlebell Hip Thrust](https://seto.fit/exercises/single-leg-kettlebell-hip-thrust/), [Kettlebell Hip Thrust](https://seto.fit/exercises/kettlebell-hip-thrust/)
- **Resistance bands**: [Resistance Band Deadlift](https://seto.fit/exercises/resistance-band-deadlift/), [Feet Elevated Mini Band Glute Bridge](https://seto.fit/exercises/feet-elevated-mini-band-glute-bridge/)
- **No equipment**: [Bodyweight Hip Thrust](https://seto.fit/exercises/bodyweight-hip-thrust/), [Bodyweight Single Leg Deadlift](https://seto.fit/exercises/bodyweight-single-leg-deadlift/)

## Where to start and where to go next

Same muscles, same movement. Too hard for now — step down; once it gets easy — step up.

- Easier: [Dumbbell Figure Four Glute Bridge](https://seto.fit/exercises/dumbbell-figure-four-glute-bridge/) — Intermediate
- Easier: [Barbell Figure Four Glute Bridge](https://seto.fit/exercises/barbell-figure-four-glute-bridge/) — Intermediate
- **This exercise: Barbell Suitcase Deadlift — Intermediate**
- Harder: [Clean Deadlift](https://seto.fit/exercises/clean-deadlift/) — Intermediate
- Harder: [Snatch Grip Deadlift](https://seto.fit/exercises/snatch-grip-deadlift/) — Advanced

## Quick answers

### What muscles does the Barbell Suitcase Deadlift work?

Primary: Quads 8/10, Glutes 8/10. Also works: Hamstrings 5/10, Hip adductors 4/10, Hip abductors 4/10, Calves 3/10.

### When should I do the Barbell Suitcase Deadlift in a workout?

Accessory. Goes after the main lifts. ≈ 12 min with rest.

### How many sets and reps of the Barbell Suitcase Deadlift?

Strength: 3–4 sets of 5–8 reps, rest 2 min, 2 reps in reserve. Muscle growth: 3–4 sets of 8–12 reps, rest 1 min 30 s, 2–3 reps in reserve. Endurance: 2–3 sets of 15–20 reps, rest 1 min, 3–4 reps in reserve.

### What can I do instead of the Barbell Suitcase Deadlift?

Dumbbells: Feet Elevated Dumbbell Figure Four Glute Bridge, Staggered Stance Dumbbell Hip Thrust. Kettlebell: Single Leg Kettlebell Hip Thrust, Kettlebell Hip Thrust. Resistance bands: Resistance Band Deadlift, Feet Elevated Mini Band Glute Bridge. No equipment: Bodyweight Hip Thrust, Bodyweight Single Leg Deadlift.

### What is an easier version of the Barbell Suitcase Deadlift?

Barbell Figure Four Glute Bridge (Intermediate), Dumbbell Figure Four Glute Bridge (Intermediate).

### What is a harder version of the Barbell Suitcase Deadlift?

Clean Deadlift (Intermediate), Snatch Grip Deadlift (Advanced).

How we rate exercises: https://seto.fit/guides/methodology/

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