Asymmetrical Barbell Deadlift – An Osteopaths Perspective

The deadlift is one of my favourite exercises as it trains the whole body and has a great deal of carry over to what many of us do on a daily basis i.e. lifting loads up off the ground and then placing them down again.    The traditional deadlift usuall involves walking up to a barbell, dropping down to grip the bar in front and then picking it up and dropping it down on the ground.  When it comes to training sub maximal to maximal strength I will usually opt for variations on the barbell deadlift (conventional or sumo stance) with full or partial range (rack or elevated deadlift) and may opt to swap out a barbell for a dumbbell or kettlebell to change the grip and load position.  Asymmetrical deadlifts i.e. lifting the load from one side of the body i.e. suitcase deadlift (dumbbell, barbell or kettlebell) is a great variation.  The other variations that I often play around with are stance position i.e. split stance as well as variations on bilateral stance width and foot position.   When it comes to sets and reps and load with these variations, usually I will focus on sub maximal loads within the 6-10 rep range.

This blog post was written by osteopath Heath Williams of Principle Four Osteopathy. Principle Four Osteopathy is one of Melbourne City CBD leading Osteopathy clinics. At the clinic we treat a wide range of clients, ranging from the office worker, exercise enthusiast to athlete. We have 3 experienced osteopaths working across both of the clinics. The Melbourne City CBD clinic is located at 29 Somerset Place (basement), close to the corner of Elizabeth St and Little Bourke in the Melbourne City CBD. Our premises adjoin the Jon Weller Personal Training Studio, a fully-equipped training space which allows clients to combine their osteopathy treatment with exercise tutorials or specific training programs and rehabilitation. The Docklands clinic is located at 717 Bourke St (Ground Floor), beneath the Channel 9 building near the walkway from Southern Cross Train Station to Etihad Stadium. Our premises adjoin Pilates on Bourke, a fully-equipped pilates and yoga training space which allows clients to combine their osteopathy treatment with exercise tutorials, pilates or specific training programs and rehabilitation. To speak to an Osteopath or book an appointment at Principle Four Osteopathy, please book online or call 03 9670 9290.