BASE BUILDING DEAD LIFT MODELS

BASE BUILDING DEAD LIFT MODELS 

BB DEADLIFT FOR PULLERS UNDER 500 5x3 @ 80% 

This is pretty straight forward. If you’re pulling under 500, then warm up to 80% of your EDM, and blast out 5 sets of 3 with it, really focusing on speed, and getting your hips through from the start of the movement. It is imperative that you get these mental cues in early to facilitate the process of learning proper technique early.

BB DEADLIFT II FOR PULLERS BETWEEN 500 AND 600 1x3 @ 70%, 1x3 @ 75%, 1x3 @ 85%, 3x3 @ 70%

I really like Phase II, and use it to meet prep. Think of it like 2 warm-ups, and 1 set at the end (the 85%) that you’re working towards getting faster at. After that, you get in your practice work with the 3x3 @ 70%. 70% shouldn’t be so taxing that it causes too much in the way of inroads to recovery, but heavy enough to get some real carry over to the big stuff.

BB DEADLIFT III - ROTATIONAL FOR PULLERS OVER 600 

• Week 1 - 1x3 @ 60%, 65%, 70%, 75%
• Week 2 - 1” deficit dead-lifts 1x3 @ 70%, 1x3 @ 75%, 1x3 @ 85-100%, 2x3 @ 70%
• Week 3 - off / no deadlifting (back work in place of it)
• Week 4 – repeat

This is the routine I used most of my offseason. And I had several other guys use it with great success as well. The “light” week you simply work up to 75% for a triple. The next week, you go to deficits and again, focus on busting that 85% triple as the main work. There is some autoregulation built into this part of the program. If you’re having a spectacular day and want to take a shot at a triple with your EDM, then go after it. Just don’t press past it. This offers up some wiggle room in terms of intensity. Some guys do a little better with going slightly heavier in the pull than others.
One way to determine this is to ask yourself is if you pulled something “heavy” (for you) and then your deadlift took a dive for a few weeks after that. More than likely, you’re not someone who recovers as fast from pulling heavy. If that’s the case, then keep your intensity in that 85% for the triple.
Afterward, two back off sets for triples on the same deficit.
As for the deficit itself, keep it small. Literally, like a 45-pound plate. About an inch is ideal. The reason is that the higher you get off the ground, the more the mechanics of the pull changes. And then there’s not always the certainty you will get carryover to pull off of the floor. There’s no need to go into a big deficit in order to make the start of the ball harder. The inch or so will, in fact, make a difference, yet the mechanics will not be different enough so that the S.A.I.D. principle is negated.

EVEN MORE ON GUIDELINES 

That’s the phases laid out for you. I again emphasize that they are guidelines. You may find that one phase works incredibly well for you and another not as much at the time. You may be a dead lifter with a 600 deadlift that does, in fact, benefit from Phase I for a while but nothing is set in stone here, just recommendations that have worked for me and lots of people I have helped get stronger.
As with anything in life, some testing will be required on your part in order to take full advantage of the guidelines that have been laid out in front of you. Do not rush through a phase. Milk it properly for a long time, and see what it gives back to you.
“How can I tell if a phase is making me stronger, Paul?”
That is Easy. Periodically work up to your EDM on a good day as per auto-regulation talked about earlier. If you are moving it with more speed and ease than you ever have before, then it is working. I do not suggest working up to a true max in the gym, however, if you’re having a monstrous day, a real +10%, and feel like going for it to see how your training is progressing, I cannot tell you not to. My suggestion here is to take a shot at something about 10% more than your EDM and go from there.