Legs
Suitcase Squat
A squat with a dumbbell in each hand hanging at your sides, like carrying two suitcases. It's a simple way to load a squat heavy, and your grip and upper back work to hold the weights.
- Works
- Quads, glutes, upper back, forearms
- Equipment
- A pair of dumbbells
- Load
- Heavy
How to do it
- 1Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart, toes slightly out, a dumbbell in each hand at your sides, palms facing in.
- 2Brace your core, then sit your hips back and down, keeping your chest tall and your arms long.
- 3Squat until your thighs are about parallel or the dumbbells are close to the floor, whichever comes first.
- 4Drive through your whole foot to stand back up.
Cues
- Arms long and loose, like hooks. Let your legs do the lifting.
- Shoulders down and back.
- Knees out over your toes.
Common mistakes
- Rounding your shoulders. Heavy weights pull you forward. Keep your chest up and your shoulders back.
- Heels lifting. Push through your whole foot. Widen your stance a little if your heels still come up.
- Cutting the depth short. Squat until your thighs are about parallel. Go lighter if you can't get there.
Easier
Go lighter, or squat down to a bench behind you so you know where the bottom is.
Harder
Go heavier, or take 3 seconds on the way down and pause for 1 second at the bottom.
Try it: 3 sets of 6 to 10 reps, or 30 seconds on and 30 off.
What is a suitcase squat?
It's a squat holding a dumbbell in each hand at your sides, the way you'd carry two suitcases. Some people do it with one dumbbell on one side, which makes your core work harder to stay level.
