This might be my favorite "new exercise". It's really not new as I wrote about it in the original edition of Functional Training for Sports. Skater Squat? That was the original name. although I referred to it as a hybrid in the original book.
1 Leg Deadlift? When I wrote the original chapter I'm not sure that Trap Bars were a thing yet? I'm pretty sure in 2004 we werent doing them anyway.
My feeling was that if you do a side by side comparison, our "Skater Squat" looks more like a single leg version of the Trap Bar Deadlift?
Putting opinions about knee dominant vs hip dominant vs hybrid aside, we have started to view this in the Essential Single Leg category and, based on our often cited Alex Natera research we are trying to push athletes to 50% bodyweight.
Site member Nate Van Kouwenberg has taken the ball and run with it, dumbell Zercher style. This is RIT goalie Ian Adriano with 100 x3.
Much like what Devan McConnell did in his UMass Lowell days, Nate has taken an idea and pushed the envelope with his athletes.
Here is a series of MBSC athletes with a combination of chains and sandbags.
Interestingly enough, Alex Natera had said that extending the arms negates the load? I'm not sure I agree and would like to see further study? It does not seem like that is the case?
Either way, this will be the third of our "Big Four" summer unilateral exercises.