There’s some good stuff in that article. In that article or maybe it’s in another article that Sakari Selkohainen wrote, there’s a neat thing he says about Romanian deads. He says that what ever a conventional puller can RDL for a set of 4 should be about 80% of his regular deadlift max. I pulled 545 for a tough set of 4 RDLs a couple months ago. Sure enough- a few weeks later, I pulled a smooth 683 PR in a meet- 545/683 is 79.8%. In looking back in my training log, wherever I have done RDLs , I can see the same correlation going back a couple years to when I pulled 425 for a set of 5 RDLs and pulled 551 in a meet.
I’m pretty sure alot of guys at westside pull weekly, they simply do speed pulls because working up is taxing as all hell. I’m talking out my ass though so I could be wrong.
Just want to echo the sentiment to ignore the crap about not deadlifting often. It is not a good idea. Pull once a week, cycle your loads, when you hit a wall, back cycle a bit and forge on.
Resist the urge to test your max too often. Cultivate your technique. You pull 405 dude…no need for speed pulls, bands, or anything of that nature. Just pull once a week and learn to cycle your intensity. Simple stuff.
[quote]Ramo wrote:
Just want to echo the sentiment to ignore the crap about not deadlifting often. It is not a good idea. Pull once a week, cycle your loads, when you hit a wall, back cycle a bit and forge on.
Resist the urge to test your max too often. Cultivate your technique. You pull 405 dude…no need for speed pulls, bands, or anything of that nature. Just pull once a week and learn to cycle your intensity. Simple stuff.[/quote]
[quote]Hanley wrote:
Ramo wrote:
Just want to echo the sentiment to ignore the crap about not deadlifting often. It is not a good idea. Pull once a week, cycle your loads, when you hit a wall, back cycle a bit and forge on.
Resist the urge to test your max too often. Cultivate your technique. You pull 405 dude…no need for speed pulls, bands, or anything of that nature. Just pull once a week and learn to cycle your intensity. Simple stuff.
Alright, thanks a lot guys. I’m still going to try and get that video up, but I think I’ll stick to Hanley’s advice and start pulling a 5x5 while keeping away from my max. I think I’ll come back to it in about a month - possibly more. I’m hoping for a nice 20lb increase, but I’ll take what I can get.
Good advice in this thread thusfar. I was stuck at four for the longest time too, I’ve since passed that hurdle and am working on getting past six plates. As you move up in the deadlift, like any movement you have to become more diversifed in your training techniques.
However I would take Ramos advice very serious and keep it simple for awhile, I like 3X5 sets at around 80%, deadlifts to the knee, and pulls standing on plates anywheres from 1-3". How is your form? If you’re pulling more with you back instead of squatting down and driving with your hips, it could just take a simple form correction to get you past four plates.
Just a thought - I struggle to make 5 reps with 85% of my 1 RM for a first set. And the problem is not my grip. The funny thing is I think I still haven’t reached my max, I have maybe 20 lbs in the tank, but after I hit them, I really have no idea what to do. I don’t think I can take the strain of training with heavy singles, and above the 2 rep range the weight I can handle decreases dramatically. So I’m not sure sets with loads that light will help improving the deadlift.
For now I’m doing snatch grip deadlifts, because it’s moving the weight off the floor for reps which kills me. Trying to get some strength endurance, but don’t know if it will work. Maybe it’s time for deload.
I pull conventional, by the way.
Any similar problems out there?
[quote]Hanley wrote:
undeadlift wrote:
You could try giving deadlifts a break. Powerlifters rarely train the deadlift, and it actually helps them recover since deadlifting is extremely taxing, even more taxing than oly lifts.
No, US multi ply lifters rarely train deadlifts.
Look at the rest of the world before you draw conclusions. Andy Bolton has the highest deadlift ever, and he trains them every week.
Benni… Konstantinov… The Russian IPF lifters… These are guys with GREAT deadlifts who are training them pretty frequently, and sometimes 2-3x a week (Tarasenko for example)
Training to a max every week is just plain stupid, and not what these guys are doing. For Bolton and Tarasenko they’re probably in the 60-85% and or 90% range off the floor. I know Bolton likes to pull heavy out of the rack or off blocks too.
To the OP, no offense, but you’re only pulling 405, it’s not gonna kill your CNS to build up to a top set of 5 or 6 over the course of 6 weeks using 3x6’s or 5x5’s. I train with several guys pulling mid 6’s at <220lb and they train their deadlift weekly. I’m not too far away from 6 myself and really just gritting my teeth and hitting 3x6’s with different variations has made a big difference.
Deadlifts are hard and they suck, don’t let people give you an excuse to wimp out of doing them.
Personally I reckon I can pull 85% of my max for 5-6 on deadlifts raw, so don’t be afraid to drop to something like 70-75% and gradually increase the weights over 5-6 weeks until you’re hitting 90% of your old deadlift max for 6. You can contiune the build up and drop to 3’s and work towards a new max, or you can drop back down and start it all over again.[/quote]
[quote]Schmazz wrote:
So I’ve been stuck at my max for my deadlift for a while now. I finally got to 4 plates (405) but haven’t budged a pound on it since. Some days I can’t even manage to pull it at all. What sort of drills would help me out with this? My problem is not locking it out, but getting the first movement. If I can get it off the ground, I can make the lift. It’s the first inch that I struggle on. If I rack pull an inch off the ground, I can make the lift every time.
I’ve incorporated 2 things in the past week or so: I’ve begun pulling from about a foot deficit, standing on a box; and I’ve begun to lift for speeds with bands. Will these help? Obviously I’m trying to train for speed on these lifts, I usually DL 135 from the deficit, and notice that after about 3-4 reps the bar starts slowing down, so obviously I wait and rest. With the bands I make a regular pull with 225 for about 5-6 reps, or until my lifts start to slow.
Are these drills going to help? Anyone else have any other ideas to help with the lift?[/quote]
IMO pulling from a foot deficit is WAY to high.
Try 4 inches for 3 or 4 weeks then 2 inches for 3/4 weeks then back to the floor.
Also make sure you dont go balls to the wall all the time.
Cycle your lifts, e.g.
week1 345 x 5
week2 355 x 5
week3 365 x 5
week4 375 x 5
week5 375 x 3
week6 385 x 3
week7 395 x 3
week8 as week2
week9 as week3 etc
Not hijacking the thread or anything simply looking for the same answer as the OP and was confused by this statement
[quote]Ramo wrote:
. Just pull once a week and learn to cycle your intensity. Simple stuff.[/quote]
so is it best to only pull deadlifts once a week? i usually pull 3 times…
if pulling only once a week is the correct way, would i be right in saying that on other days you do supplementary work such as good mornings, rdl’s etc. ?
If your main problem is starting strength, focus your accessory exercises to ones that increase your posterior chain strength. Your glutes, hamstrings and lower back are were you are going to generate that initial drive to get the bar off the ground. RDLs, Stiff legged DLs, Reverse Hyper, Front/Back/Overhead squats, Good mornings, etc, etc.
Personally, I cycle a heavy pull week with a lighter pull week, and try to only test my max maybe once a month. Experiment and find out what works best for you.
If your main problem is starting strength, focus your accessory exercises to ones that increase your posterior chain strength. Your glutes, hamstrings and lower back are were you are going to generate that initial drive to get the bar off the ground. RDLs, Stiff legged DLs, Reverse Hyper, Front/Back/Overhead squats, Good mornings, etc, etc. [/quote]
And the quads just come along for the ride?
I dont know about Dave Tate, but if you asked Brad Gillingham I bet he’d have a bit to say about the importance of the quads in the pull.
If your main problem is starting strength, focus your accessory exercises to ones that increase your posterior chain strength. Your glutes, hamstrings and lower back are were you are going to generate that initial drive to get the bar off the ground. RDLs, Stiff legged DLs, Reverse Hyper, Front/Back/Overhead squats, Good mornings, etc, etc.
And the quads just come along for the ride?
I dont know about Dave Tate, but if you asked Brad Gillingham I bet he’d have a bit to say about the importance of the quads in the pull.[/quote]
Yeah as far as I know Brad considers Front Squats one of the most important exercises to bring up his deadlift. Following his advice, I now front squat for a couple of fives before I pull. It’s great because it also reinforces the squat groove (not exactly of course) and helps keep my squat moving as well.
But I think there’s a little bit of overanalysis in general on this thread. Honestly, with a 405 pull (and I’m not slamming it, I was there not too long ago,) the issue isn’t a proportionately weak muscle group, or some defect in programming to be corrected. Just deadlift weekly, cycle your weights, be patient, and let yourself get stronger. Don’t keep looking for advanced methods or you will be spinning your wheels. The simplest solution is usually the best.
If your main problem is starting strength, focus your accessory exercises to ones that increase your posterior chain strength. Your glutes, hamstrings and lower back are were you are going to generate that initial drive to get the bar off the ground. RDLs, Stiff legged DLs, Reverse Hyper, Front/Back/Overhead squats, Good mornings, etc, etc.
And the quads just come along for the ride?
I dont know about Dave Tate, but if you asked Brad Gillingham I bet he’d have a bit to say about the importance of the quads in the pull.[/quote]
Yeah. I am sick of these kind of posts.
I am pretty sure we can all read and I think it is safe to say we are all aware of these articles. If you don’t have anything to offer beyond a regurgitation of an article you read and telling him to bring up his ‘posterior chain’, keep it to yourself.
[quote]Matt McGorry wrote:
romanaz wrote:
Hanley wrote:
undeadlift wrote:
You could try giving deadlifts a break. Powerlifters rarely train the deadlift, and it actually helps them recover since deadlifting is extremely taxing, even more taxing than oly lifts.
No, US multi ply lifters rarely train deadlifts.
.
yeah and thats why most multi-ply lifters in the USA suck at deadlifts compared to the rest of the world.
we are ass fucking backwards.
Or maybe lifters in multi-ply feds are more concerned with getting the highest total rather than highest deadlift.
The carryover from squatting in multiply gear is much more significant than with deadlifts from my understanding, so it makes sense to concentrate on squatting to improve the total than deadlifting.
Just look at the number of 1,000lbs squats versus 1,000lb deadlifts. If I were going for an elite total in a multiply fed, I bet I’d put a lot more focus on what will give me more “bang for my buck.”
I might be wrong, but I believe this is the case.
-Matt
[/quote]
whats sad is that there are more 1000lb bench press’s in gear then there are 1000lb deadlifts. To me that is absolute bullshit.