Single Kettlebell Suitcase Deadlift
The Single Kettlebell Suitcase Deadlift is a unilateral strength exercise where you lift a kettlebell from the floor beside your foot using a hip-hinge pattern. This movement builds lower body strength while aggressively challenging core stability and grip strength by resisting lateral torso flexion.
Because this asymmetrical lift places high demands on spinal stabilizers, our AI analyzes your HRV and recovery data to determine if your central nervous system is ready for this intensity or if a lighter, symmetrical variation is safer today. By tracking RPE separately for your left and right sides, the app identifies strength imbalances and auto-adjusts future rep schemes to correct them. Additionally, if you report lower back sensitivity, the system can instantly swap this for a supported row or rack pull to maintain training volume without aggravating the area.
Form Cues
- Stand with feet hip-width apart and the bell directly beside your ankle
- Hinge your hips back while keeping your chest proud to grip the handle
- Brace your core hard to resist leaning toward the weight
- Squeeze your armpit tight to engage your lats before lifting
- Drive through your heels to stand tall, locking out your hips at the top
- Don't let your torso lean sideways toward the kettlebell
- Don't allow your lower back to round or your shoulders to slump forward
- Don't jerk the weight off the floor; create tension first
- Don't let your knees collapse inward during the lift
Common Mistakes
- Leaning the torso toward the weighted side
- Squatting the weight up instead of hinging
- Rounding the lower back
- Allowing the shoulder to drop forward
- Uneven hip alignment at the top
Muscles Worked
This exercise primarily targets the posterior chain, specifically the glutes and hamstrings, to drive the heavy lifting portion of the movement. Secondarily, it is a powerhouse for the core, recruiting the obliques and quadratus lumborum to prevent the torso from bending sideways, while also taxing the forearms for grip strength.
Primary
Secondary
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