When working out there are many ways that we can add an external load to our body.
We can do this by holding something in both hands, with both hands, a bar on our back, or on our shoulders.
The one that seems to be put to the side is only one weight in a single hand, also called offset loading…
Offset loading is when you perform a movement using a single weight held either in one hand at your side, up to your shoulder in rack position, or overhead.
Offset loading may be one of the best ways to move your body in the functional way it was meant to be moved. I say this for a few simple reasons…
It teaches you how to move your body while bracing your core muscles. There are many ways that we move around on any given day. Just like there are many things that we lift in our day. If you do not know how to brace your core muscles or even have strong enough ab and lower back muscles to lift the object. We will never be able to lift it, worse yet, you may get injured.
It will strengthen your core like no other loading will. We have several core movements that we need to work on in our workout programming. These may change depending on who you talk to. One thing that seems to be consistent is anti-flexion and anti-rotation in order to work our core. Offset loading is one of the best ways to work anti-rotation while adding a movement.
There is a small downside to offset loading. This is simply that it will work best when used as an accessory exercise to your bigger lifts.
This is said simply because you can only load up the movement with how much weight you can hold on one side of your body. This may not be close to what you can max your lifts out at…
Offset loading is one of the left out ways to load up a movement. It has great benefits and will help you strengthen your body in ways that you cannot otherwise. However, it cannot be used as a max lift movement. What are ways that you can add this amazing way to load a movement into your accessory exercises?