This unilateral, weighted squat variation entails holding a weight (dumbbell, kettlebell, or comparable) in a single hand, mimicking the posture of carrying a suitcase. The train primarily focuses on strengthening the decrease physique whereas additionally difficult core stability and steadiness. For instance, a person may maintain a 25-pound dumbbell of their proper hand and carry out a set of squats, then swap the load to the left hand for the following set.
Unilateral workouts provide distinctive benefits over bilateral actions (these carried out with each legs or arms concurrently). They may help tackle power imbalances between sides of the physique, enhance steadiness and coordination, and improve core engagement to a larger diploma than bilateral squats. Any such coaching has develop into more and more fashionable in useful health applications and athletic conditioning on account of its capability to translate to real-world actions and harm prevention. Traditionally, variations of loaded carries, like these seen in strongman competitions, have highlighted the sensible advantages of unilateral power.