i have a problem when it comes to deadlifting. i have and use proper form, but i dont know how to put together a good workout for deadlifts. i usually start at 135 x 10 225x8 315x6 365x4 and 405x2. my problem is i dont really gain anything out of it. i been using th same weight for about 6 to 8 weeks now and i still cant pull anything over 430 if i can even get that sometimes. can someone please tell me what i am doing wrong
more information would help, as to your goals and previous training history. but just for the internets sake I’m assuming you’ve been doing the same workout for months on end and have gotten stuck at these weights after some progress.
In that case do something different. If you have plateaud then the body needs change, it’s not even all that important what the change is- just try something different.
Just for the hell of it try 3 weeks of snatch grip deadlifts 3 sets of 12, then go back to your normal form and do 3 weeks of 6 sets of 4; then swing on back to your old routine and check for progress.
this is what ive been doing for my deadlifting and i finally got over 4 plates,
week one: 315xmax reps
week two: pull a heavy single or two
week three: 365x max reps
week four: 385x max reps
week five: retest, these are with my numbers though u might need to lower yours or raise them
I think deadlift training falls into two schools of thought. On one hand you have classic deadlift training where you pound the competiton style lift with heavy weight. This involves pulling your sets from the floor every week (or 10 days, or two weeks, etc.- depending on you ability to recover). Typically you are pulling reps in 2-5 range.
The rep/weight scheme may follow any number of periodization theories- long peakign cycles, waving volume/weight, or maybe short mini cicles like 5/3/1.
On the other hand, some folks use more of a conjugate kind of appraoch. The hard work sets come in the form of exercises other than competition style deadlifts that work the same muscles- partial range pulls, pulling form a deficit, chains, bands, good mornings, squat variations. Some lifters will still do some regular pulling in order to keep their technique right.
here is some good information on testing your PRs
http://www.elitefts.com/documents/warm_up_to_prs.htm
enjoy!
yo need some more work at the 365+ range. like 60% if not more of your workout is done @ or below 315. Theoretically your still “warming” up. Try 365 for a couple sets of 2-3 then 385 for a couple sets of 2-3. You dont need 4 plates EVERY time you dead, thats just the ego kicking in 
[quote]Pipes06 wrote:
yo need some more work at the 365+ range. like 60% if not more of your workout is done @ or below 315. Theoretically your still “warming” up. Try 365 for a couple sets of 2-3 then 385 for a couple sets of 2-3. You dont need 4 plates EVERY time you dead, thats just the ego kicking in :-P[/quote]
agreed.
I think your first 22 reps are not serving your goal. Take a little longer pre-warm up and grove your movement with 8 reps or less starting at 225. You need to work in your higher ranges. Also - you don’t always have to go from the bottom up. I will occassional go from my middle weight up to my high and drop to my lowest weight to finish my sets.
Don’t know if that makes sense but my results have been positive.
Well, we don’t know what you’re doing now in terms of training—I mean if ALL you do for your whole deadlift workout is that pyramid you posted up, then you’ve got lots more problems than just the way you work up to heavy weight. No assistance exercises, no volume, no nothing.
We also don’t know where you fail when you miss a lift (off the floor, or halfway to knees, or at knees, or above knees, etc), so we can’t help you unless you give more info.
As for your pyramid, RWElder and Pipes are right: you need more heavy sets. You’re wasting energy doing all those reps below your heavy weight.
Another thing is that your volume is too low. Sounds weird right after telling you not to do so many high reps below 365, but it’s true. You do a whopping 6 reps above 80% of your max. That’s it. Not enough.
So, start with your top set at 365. Pull it for 3x3 and work on adding another 2 sets at that weight. As soon as you can get all the reps in, add a set the next week. Once you can pull it for 5x3, move up to 385 for 2 sets of 3 and work up to 5x3. Then do 405 for 2x3 and work on adding volume.
A large component of your problem is not straining under heavy weight enough, combined with wanting to get 400+ each and every time, combined with doing too many high rep sets under 350 and building fatigue that interferes with your later heavy sets, combined with not enough overall volume. Work up slower, but with fewer reps—
135x10, 225x5, 275x3, 315x3, 365x3x3. That’s the same amount of total repetitions you had in your original post, but more of them are at higher weights. When you move to doing 385 you can just bump the 315 warmup set to 325/330 x 3. When you move to doing 4 plates, do 135x10, 225x5, 275x3, 315x3, 365x3, 405 2x3.
I know exactly what your doing wrong, the same thing happened to me and my deadlift stayed the same for about 6 months, you are exausting your nervous system by handling a weight too close to your 1rm too regularly.
Since then i have been making consistant gains by going heavy one week, then light/speed deads the next week
on the speed deadlifts day i use about 75% of my 1rm and do something like 4 sets of 2 or 6 sets of 1 focusing on moving the bar fast
then, every other week, try and test a new 4rm or 5rm or 6rm, but dont go any lower than 4
i dont think you understand how long your nervous system takes to recover from heavy deadlifts
when you stop getting improvement on that, then make it 2 speed deadlift weeks, then heavy week. i will bet $1000 that this is the problem
[quote]magnate08 wrote:
I know exactly what your doing wrong, the same thing happened to me and my deadlift stayed the same for about 6 months, you are exausting your nervous system by handling a weight too close to your 1rm too regularly.
[/quote]
That’s pretty much it. Found it out the hard way, my immune system crashes if I pull over 90% of my 1RM too often.
[quote]Nikiforos wrote:
magnate08 wrote:
I know exactly what your doing wrong, the same thing happened to me and my deadlift stayed the same for about 6 months, you are exausting your nervous system by handling a weight too close to your 1rm too regularly.
That’s pretty much it. Found it out the hard way, my immune system crashes if I pull over 90% of my 1RM too often.[/quote]
My immune system caved right after I stopped doing that. I’ve seriously have had a cold for the past few weeks since I stopped.
The program I use for deadlifts usually doesn’t put me over 75% of my max. I think pulling off 3-5 reps at 75% is more beneficial than 1-2 at 90%. Another thing is you can try switching up the type of deadlifts because maybe your body has gotten to used to the one type you use. Box deadlifts, deadlifts from pins, and even single leg deadlifts can give your back and legs a slightly different but still intense workout
[quote]B rocK wrote:
here is some good information on testing your PRs
http://www.elitefts.com/documents/warm_up_to_prs.htm
enjoy![/quote]
Thanks for posting the link to the article. It was a good read.
[quote]Nikiforos wrote:
[quote]magnate08 wrote:
I know exactly what your doing wrong, the same thing happened to me and my deadlift stayed the same for about 6 months, you are exausting your nervous system by handling a weight too close to your 1rm too regularly.
[/quote]
That’s pretty much it. Found it out the hard way, my immune system crashes if I pull over 90% of my 1RM too often.[/quote]
Yep, pretty much been going max for about more than a week. The day after, had a annoying throb in the base of my skull, a stiff ass neck that hurts, and a really sore throat especially upon waking.
I would do something like this:
-warmups 5x135, 5x225, 2x315
week 1: 3(sets)x5(reps)x335
2: 3x5x345
3) 3x5x355
4) 2x5x365, 5x315
5) 2x5x375,
6) 2x5x385, 5x315
7) 2x5x395, 5x325
8) 2x5x405,
week 9 drop back to 350 and start over. If you pull conventional i wouudl probably do the first 3-4 weeks standing on a 45 pound plate.
how do you guys going about a normal long peaking cycle for the deadlift (starting low and ending high)?