Keys For Building a Massive Deadlift
When you think “functional” training, think the deadlift. Name a hard “real world” physical task that doesn’t involve picking something up or require a strong back and legs. I’ll wait.
I’ve built my deadlift to over 3x bodyweight, with a personal record of 605lbs at 200lbs bodyweight. It’s not a record-breaking weight, but it isn’t terrible either.
Here are a few things I’ve learned over the years of building my own and my clients’ deadlifts.
Technique is a Moving Target
There is no universally “perfect” deadlifting technique. Plenty of tutorials are out there so I’m not going to rehash any more than the absolute basics – your weight should be centered on the middle of your foot, your lower back should be more or less neutral, the bar should travel in a straight line from floor to lockout and should move the minimum distance required.
Your deadlift will look different than mine. As long as the basics aren’t violated, figure out a setup that works for you, then make every rep look the same.
Deadlift More to Deadlift More
Many programs call for minimal deadlifting, sometimes limited to only one hard set PER WEEK. This may work for a few weeks if you’ve never trained your deadlift seriously, but everyone except the most training-sensitive folks will plateau pretty quickly, then start to regress. I’m guessing you don’t want that.
The argument given for this approach is usually that the deadlift, by nature of the movement, is more stressful on the body (and the lower back in particular) than other movements. Yeah, deadlifting is stressful. But the stress of a certain movement or program is relative to your ability to handle training intensity and volume. That ability changes over time. As you become more trained, you’re able to handle more training, and MUST handle more training to continue making progress.
If you walk into the gym on your first day and pull one relatively heavy rep, you’ll be sore for DAYS. After almost 15 years of training, I could do that almost every day and never be sore. You adapt to what you train.
I find that people make good progress starting at deadlifting 1 day per week, then moving to 2 days as soon as they can tolerate the increased workload. I’ve deadlifted 3x per week with no ill effects. Most people can make good progress on 2 days.
Similarly, start with a couple sets and gradually add sets over time as you can tolerate. No need to do 10 sets your first day. Start slowly and build momentum.
Use Variations
Just doing one deadlift-type exercise twice per week is boring. Sure, it can and does work, but I prefer to use a variety of movements. These include alternate stances, wearing or not wearing a belt, pulling from blocks or from a deficit, using bands and chains, etc. All are good options.
One day, train the conventional, sumo, or trap bar deadlift as a main movement. Use multiple sets of 2-6 to build strength. The second day, train a variation and use higher reps, for example 5-10, and focus on perfect technique.
Don’t Test Too Often
Most of your time should be spent training submaximally. Don’t test max singles or rep maxes unless you really need to determine where you’re at or are in a competition. There’s no room for ego if you truly want to improve.
Give yourself at least 12 weeks of training before testing a max, and practice non-maximal singles to develop the technical ability to handle heavy weights. Use higher rep, submaximal sets to build strength. Those are your bread and butter. Singles are only used to practice moving heavy weight and to develop confidence.
Before testing a max, give yourself a couple days of rest, but not too long. Detraining can happen quickly, so you don’t need 2-3 weeks of rest before testing. A few days is good for most people. After you test, give yourself a few days to recover before going back into hard training.
Here’s a sample deadlift training setup for someone who has just started deadlifting 2x per week
Day 1: Deadlift – 4x6 with a weight that could be lifted 8-9 times
Day 2: Stiff Leg Deadlift – 3x10, light weight, pause each rep on the ground and keep the hips as high as possible
And here’s a sample setup for someone with a couple years of experience who is interested in building maximal strength
Day 1: Deadlift – 1x1 at 90% max, then 5x5 with 70% max
Day 2: Beltless 2sec Pause Deadlift (pause mid-shin) – 5x4 at 75-85% max
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