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Do you do them with a bar or dumbbells? Do you use the straddle style or the suitcase style? I did them a couple of years ago, using a farmer's walk handle and doing them suitcase style ( grabbing it and holding it to my side.) A lifter at the gym got me into doing them this way. The way I did it was to work up to a heavy double or triple. They are debilitating, and intense. I can't see how you could do high reps this way, but they will build strength in the same muscles that are utilized in the side bend ( a very productive exercise, in my opinion.) I stopped doing them, not for any particular reason, just because I thought regular deads provided a better option for building strength. But I might go back to them, for a while anyway. Looking at it another way, if you build up to heavy poundages in the suitcase style, you'll build enough strength that you'll never worry about carrying your luggage through the airport again!

Have you tried a one hand deadlift handle? You can get them from many places--Ironmind has an excellent one with a revolving handle which makes it even more difficult to lift and will give help you build tremendous strength in your grip and hands.