Offset Load Deadlift: Strengthen Hamstrings, Glutes & Core

As a strength and conditioning coach, I’m well aware of the benefits of core training. Strong abdominal muscles greatly influence athletic performance, especially balance, and endurance, as shown in this meta-analysis. (1)

For that reason, I like to include a variety of core exercises in my training, one of which is the offset load deadlift, also known as the fulcrum deadlift.

Offset load deadlift is one of the best exercises for strengthening your core, fixing muscle and strength imbalance, and improving balance. However, it is not an easy movement to master, so let’s examine how to perform this exercise and reap its benefits.

How To Perform Offset Load Deadlift

Here’s how to perform offset load deadlift with the proper form:

Step One — Load the Barbell

Begin by loading a barbell with an appropriate weight. If you’re a beginner, a 5- or 10-pound plate on one side should be more than enough. More experienced lifters can use about 20% of their one-rep max (1RM) on conventional deadlifts.

Step Two — Assume the Starting Position

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, toes pointed straight ahead. Brace your core before reaching for the bar by hinging at the hips and knees. Grab the barbell with a shoulder-wide mixed or overhand grip.

Step Three — Lift

With your back flat and core braced, drive through the heels to lift the weights. Extend your hips and knees simultaneously and keep the barbell close to your body. Do not let the barbell wiggle or swing to the side; keep it parallel to the floor.

Step Four — Return to Starting Position

Lower the bar slowly by hinging at the hips and bending your knees. Keep your back flat and core engaged, and stop when the plate touches the floor. The bar should remain parallel to the floor at all times. Repeat for five to eight reps.

Step Five — Switch Sides

After completing the recommended reps, switch sides.

Muscles Worked

While the fulcrum deadlift engages nearly every muscle in your body (like the conventional deadlift), this movement is far less taxing on your nervous system and mainly targets your abdominal muscles. Here’s which muscles work the most when you perform offset load deadlift:

Core

The offset load deadlift primarily targets the core muscles, which are crucial for maintaining balance and stability. The muscles worked are:

• Rectus Abdominis: The “six-pack” muscles that control trunk flexion.
• Transversus Abdominis: Deep core muscles that stabilize the pelvis and lower back.
• Internal and External Obliques: Located on the sides of the abdomen, these muscles aid in rotation and lateral flexion of the spine.

Back

Offset deadlift engages the entire posterior chain. However, unlike the conventional deadlift, the fulcrum deadlift won’t focus on building explosive strength and power but on stability. The muscles engaged are:

• Multifidus: Small muscles along the spine that help maintain posture.
• Erector Spinae: A group of muscles running along the spine that extends the vertebral column.
• Quadratus Lumborum: Located in the lower back, these muscles aid in lateral flexion and stability of the spine.
• Trapezius: Upper back muscles that stabilize and move the scapula.
• Latissimus Dorsi: Large muscles in the mid-back that contribute to shoulder extension, adduction, and internal rotation.

Glutes and Hamstrings

Finally, this deadlift variation, just like any other, will provide a decent stimulus to your hamstrings and glutes. These muscles are essential for hip extension and play a vital role in the lifting phase of the movement.

Benefits of Offset Load Deadlift

While the offset load deadlift may not be the first exercise that comes to mind when we discuss deadlifts, this movement is very beneficial when performed correctly. When mastered, the fulcrum deadlift can:

Enhance Core Stability

Because you’re moving an asymmetrical load, your core muscles must work extremely hard to maintain balance. This strengthens your core and improves overall core strength and stability. These are extremely important and can translate into enhanced daily life quality and athletic performance.

Improve Balance and Coordination

The constant core engagement throughout the movement strengthens your core muscles and improves your balance by forcing you to maintain a stable center of gravity. (2) It also enhances your coordination as you learn to manage uneven forces efficiently, which translates to better overall athletic performance.

Take offensive and defensive linemen, for example. Their ability to control their and their opponent’s body during blocks hinges on core strength, balance, and coordination (in addition to raw strength, of course).

Promote Functional Strength

Offset load deadlifts build functional strength. We lift (or carry) uneven loads all the time in everyday life, and this exercise helps prepare for such events near-perfectly.

Reduce Muscular Imbalances

My favorite benefit of the fulcrum deadlift is its ability to identify and rectify muscular imbalances. To identify imbalances, you must pay attention to whether or not the movement feels different or heavier when you switch sides. If so, you can tailor the load to address these imbalances and, over time, correct them.

Common Mistakes

This exercise isn’t easy to master. To help you, here are the common mistakes you should avoid:

Improper Weight Selection

Don’t go too heavy, as it can compromise your form and lead to a strain or injury. Start light and slowly work your way up once you master the technique.

Exploding Up and Dropping the Weight

While exploding up is recommended in conventional deadlifts, the goal of this exercise isn’t to build strength in your legs and back, so don’t do it. The goal of the offset load deadlift is to train your core to be more stable, and you can only achieve this by moving the weight slowly and staying in complete control.

The same applies to dropping the weight on the way down. Dropping the weight defeats the purpose of the exercise and can cause imbalance, increasing your risk of injury.

In his video on how to train abs, Dr. Mike Israetel (Ph.D. in Sports Physiology) talks about how controlling the weight during the eccentric phase of the lift translates to strength and muscle gains:

“If you slowly, under control, lower the eccentric, it’s going to cause, first of all, more delayed-onset muscle soreness, which is a good sign of muscle growth anyway. It’s going to cause more muscle growth over time, more strength adaptations over time, and evenness, especially more injury resistance over time because controlling eccentrics is often how your body prevents injury to begin with.”

Offset Load Deadlift Alternatives and Variations

Here are some offset-load deadlift alternatives you must add to your arsenal:

Kettlebell Fulcrum Deadlifts

Much like fulcrum deadlifts, kettlebell fulcrum deadlifts are excellent for developing core stability and unilateral strength. This exercise also helps improve balance and coordination.

How To:

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, hinge at the hips and knees, and grab a kettlebell in one hand (or different-weight kettlebells in both).
2. Lift the kettlebell off the floor while engaging your core to maintain balance.
3. Lower the kettlebell in a controlled manner.
4. Repeat for six to eight reps, then switch hands.

Suitcase Carry

This is one of my favorite exercises for building core strength and stability. It engages your obliques and core muscles to maintain an upright posture. Depending on the weight you’re carrying, a farmer’s walk will also build your grip strength.

How To:

1. Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell in one hand.
2. Walk a set distance while keeping your torso upright and core engaged.
3. Focus on maintaining a steady pace and even posture without tilting to the side.
4. Switch hands and repeat.

Offset Load Romanian Deadlift (RDL)

Offset load RDLs target your hamstrings, glutes, and lower back while challenging your core stability. You can perform this exercise with kettlebells, dumbbells, or a barbell.

How To:

1. Load one end of a barbell on one side.
2. Lower toward the floor by flexing your hips and knees and grab the bar with an overhand grip.
3. Lift the barbell off the floor by performing a triple extension and keeping the bar parallel to the ground.
4. Hinge at the hips to lower the weights while keeping your back flat. Go as low as possible while maintaining slight knee flexion and pushing your hips back.
5. Lift the weights by driving your hips forward.
6. Repeat for eight to 10 reps before switching sides.

Wrapping Up

Offset load deadlifts are easily one of the best exercises for building core stability. They are one of my favorites and an exercise I regularly do, and I’d suggest you do the same.

Start slow, work on your technique, and progress slowly. The muscular imbalance will dissipate, your balance will skyrocket, and the risk of injuring yourself during sports or training will plummet.

References:

1. Dong K, Yu T, Chun B. Effects of Core Training on Sport-Specific Performance of Athletes: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Behav Sci (Basel). 2023 Feb 9;13(2):148. doi: 10.3390/bs13020148. PMID: 36829378; PMCID: PMC9952339.
2. Brachman A, Kamieniarz A, Michalska J, Pawłowski M, Słomka KJ, Juras G. Balance Training Programs in Athletes – a Systematic Review. J Hum Kinet. 2017 Aug 1;58:45-64. doi: 10.1515/hukin-2017-0088. PMID: 28828077; PMCID: PMC5548154.

Featured Image via @HausGains on YouTube! 

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