Is it better the train dead’s using multiple reps, or singles? I’ve read arguments for both. Also, if it makes any differences I’m training for maximal strength…not strength-endurance or anything like that.
Charlie
1
It is smarter to do singles and cluster them, than performing multiple reps. One of the articles here explained it best, but I can’t remember which one. Basically if you look at someone performing the dead lift for multiple reps, their first pull and last pull will probably be very noticeably different. This is due to fatigue etc. If you are doing extremely, extremely light weight than it might not make that much of a difference…but what is the point. I injured myself once dead lifting during multiple reps within 60% of my 1rm.
Anything more than a single is cardio. Triples for speed are okay, but that’s about it.
My suggestion is both. there are times where singles are best and other times when multi is best.
I don’t think multi’s are useless or else why would guys like Ian King have them in their programs? (See Limping series)
Here we have to also mention that it depends on your goals.
Yes, Ian King recommends higher reps…or NOT just singles for deadlifts. His goal is hypertrophy. Dave Tate recommends singles/triples - his goal is strength.
For strongman training we sometimes do perform rep ranges in the 10-15. Not often, but sometimes. Usually in regular training I do not perform more than 6 per set. For max effort days, we warm up with 5-reps; perform a couple of 3-rep sets and from there it’s singles.
So, it does vary and is also according to experience level. How familiar are you with deadlift form?
I prefer singles for deadlift. You can do them rest pause style is mass is your main emphasis. Just do one rep, rest 10 seconds, do another, and so forth. This will allow you to use more weight when doing one rep after another and allow you to do more reps.
Mike Mahler
Thanks alot for the replies guys ( thanks to Patricia too!) I’m always amazed by how quickly and accurately any questions I post are answered here on t-mag, thanks again.
Charlie
Just to be pendantic, dimels are always done for multiples reps!
Hey, is that related to didactic?
They both sound like flying dinosaurs to me. You know, like the Teradidactic, Terapendactic, and Teradactyl.
LOL
Nee naw nee naw
Run its the spelling patrol!
Teradactyl is a common mis-spelling of Pterodactyl.Pterodactyls (meaning “winged fingers”) were flying, prehistoric reptiles. They were a subgroup of pterosaurs and were not dinosaurs.
Aiiight 
Yeah,
So was it related to didactic or not?
What pedantic and didactic? I say’d they were pretty close. The former meaning a narrow often tiresome focus on or display of learning. Whereas didatic means, inclined to teach or moralize excessively.
I’d never even heard of didactic before, so I guess as a consequence of your didactic attitude stemming from my pedantic character I have indeed learnt something!
Depends on your goals, if your main goal is hypertrophy or if you are new to this lift then medium to high reps might be best. If your main goal is increasing strength and or speed then singles might be the way to go.
I didn’t know what didactic meant until a Chinese immigrant used it in a post I read. I guess it just doesn’t get used much but there just aren’t a lot of opportuites. Gesticulate is a good word and you can use it in more situations.
I used to do sets of 5 with resets at the bottom but I’m leaning towards clustered singles in groups of three. I have a lumbar imbalance I need to fix before I go heavy again though.