Are my Deadlift and Squat Proportional?

Training Beginners
1

I am 6’1, 205 pounds. 20 years old.

I off and on trained for about year, and got serious in August of 2008.

Stats:
Bench - 5 x 5, 230lb
Squat - 5 x 5, 275lb
Deads - 5 x 5, 240lb
Leg Press - 5 x 5, 500lb

My bench press is up to 5 x 5, 230lb as of yesterday. This is a personal best for me. I workout by myself in a public gym, so I usually don’t have anyone spotting me. This 230 was by myself.

I do squats and dead lifts on Tuesdays, but it seems like most peoples deads and squats are much better than mine, even when my bench press is close.

My biggest problem with dead lifts is my grip. Chalk is not allowed at my gym, and I feel like Im not at a weight yet where I need to switch my grip or use straps. I have noticed my forearms have noticeable muscles in them now, which I didn’t have before I start dead lifting.

On my squats, I believe I am using good form, and I go low enough to get the bar about 4 inches above the rack.

I know leg presses are much easier, but I can do almost double what I can squat.

After leg day my legs are nice and sore, so I know I am working them hard, it just seems like I am not proportional.

On a side note, my legs are the most muscular/biggest part of my body.

Thanks for any suggestions.

2

Liquid Chalk
Rack Pulls
Holds for time
Heavy Rowing
DL-heavy singles, doubles, triples instead of 5X5
Mixed grip

Good Luck

3

[quote]DOHCrazy wrote:
My biggest problem with dead lifts is my grip. Chalk is not allowed at my gym, and I feel like Im not at a weight yet where I need to switch my grip [/quote]

if the bar is falling out of your hands then you may be at a weight where you need to switch your grip whether you think that weight is high enough or not.

but seriously, do some grip work throughout the week (just not on the day or the day before you pull). heavy fat bar holds for time helped me out a lot.

4

Try mixed Grip on deadlift, going fo heavy triples doubles and singles.

Your lifts are not proportional. Deadlift needs to be at least 50lbs more than bench.

Nice bench for your bodyweight and time training, but you need to focus more on the other two main lifts.

Squats and deadlift shouldn’t really ever be done on the same day, it’s too taxing on your CNS, and makes you go light on each of them. Split them up at least a day apart, if not more, and then go heavy on them.

I bench 185, squat 275, and deadlift 350, and that’s around a decent proportion. Unless you specialize in one lift for PL, your lift strength should always be bench, squat, deadlift, with a decent poundage gap between them.

my .02

5

Thanks to everyone for the help.

I appreciate the compliments Blaze_108.

I don’t workout my chest any more than I do my lower body. I think I have a good 4 day routine going on. My diet is good, but not perfect. On most days, I eat my meal plan and get my 350g+ of protein, but then I suck and eat more carbs than I should with desert or treats. (Damn girlfriend!)

I just got back from the gym, and my lifts went up. I think some of it may be in my head.

Warm up/Stretch

Squat:
1 x 5 275lb
2 x 5 285lb
2 x 5 295lb

Deads:
1 x 5 240lb
2 x 5 260lb
1 x 4 280lb
1 x 3 290lb

Rest of the workout.

6

Also, what day could I move dead lifts to?

Thursday I do arms, but Friday I do shoulders/upper back, so Im doing snatch grip dead lifts and power cleans.

Wednesday is my off day.

7

chances are your squats are high.

and your SQ+DL should be significantly higher compared to your bench.

I bench 215x1
squat was in the lower-mid 300s I forgot what exactly
Deadlift 425x1

8

[quote]zephead4747 wrote:
chances are your squats are high.

and your SQ+DL should be significantly higher compared to your bench.

I bench 215x1
squat was in the lower-mid 300s I forgot what exactly
Deadlift 425x1[/quote]

youve also had a fucked up shoulder for a long time, u can doubt ud be up close to 250+ if healthy all that time, but u do make a valid point, here are mine:

bench: 290
box squat: 350, this two months after nto sqautting for a month due to back injury o_O

9

Could you just post your basic split?
It would be very helpful in helping you out.

10

This is my routine. I substitute stuff out every now and then if a piece of equipment is occupied or I feel like something different.

Monday:
Bench Press
Flys
Slight-Incline Dumbbell Press
Cable Rows
Dumbbell Rows
Barbell or T-Bar Rows
Negative Pull-ups until failure

Tuesday:
Squats
Deadlifts
Leg Press
Calf Raises
Hack Squats
Slow Leg Extensions

Wednesday Off

Thursday:
A1) EZ bar Bicep Curls
A2) 602 Dumbbell Curls
B1) Supinated Grip Pull Ups
B2) 602 Hammer Curls
C) Weighted Dips
D1) Overhead Triceps Extension
D2) 602 Triceps Rope Pulldown

Friday:
A1) Power pull, snatch grip: 2 x 6
A2) Power pull, clean grip: 2 x 6
A3) Scapular retraction barbell row: 2 x 6
B) Power clean from blocks: 3 x 5
C) Overhead shrugs: 1 x 20
D) Snatch grip dead lift: 3 x 5
E) Deltoid Flys
F) Shoulder Press

11

[quote]Blaze_108 wrote:

Squats and deadlift shouldn’t really ever be done on the same day, it’s too taxing on your CNS, and makes you go light on each of them. Split them up at least a day apart, if not more, and then go heavy on them.
[/quote]

Andy Bolton, only man to deadlift over 1000lbs, trains squat and deadlift on the same day. Maybe you should tell him he’s training too light.

Strength levels should always be bench, squat, deadlift? Even people with T-rex arms? Even heavy lifters?

12

Yeah, i don’t see problems training deads and squats on the same day. I remember reading a recent article by Thibs that had squats and deads on the same day.

13

I do them on the same day because I don’t like my squat performance to be compromised by the deadlift having been trained just a few days before, nor the other way around either. My lower back takes at least 5 days and preferably 7 to be at its best after being previously worked.

That’s not true for everybody but is for many.

For sure many do both in the same day successfully.

Anyway, yes, your squat and DL are much more in need of improvement, and if the squat is in fact parallel or better, most especially the DL.

(If the squat is partial, then it may be just as much or even more in need than the DL is.)

14

DB holds help alot for grip i’ve found.
if you have a hex-type dumbell, grab and hold the hex end, then hold for 30 seconds, if you get it, up the weight by 5 lbs.

15

It might just be that you always train deadlifts after squats, and that’s why your squat 5x5 is higher than deads: your legs are tired.

It could also be your squats are high, though.

Switchgrip, though, is necessary on deadlifts. I have no idea how it got out that the pronated grip x2 is useful. Maybe I just have shitty grip (it’s been pointed out before) but for me, mixed grip is necessary for anything over 315. For comparison, my max dead is 405.