They are? That could it explain it yeah. Basically I am just a bit confused about what seems to be very conflicting opinions on deadlifts.
I can summarise for you the pragmatic takeaway: If putting up big deadlift numbers is an aspiration of yours then do the straight-bar deadlift.
If not, you are likely to be better off focusing on RDLs and trap-bar deadlifts.
What’d be a counter-example? Maybe if you are a first responder. Then you’d probably want to sumo-ish deadlift.
Yeah, well, I think I will have to think a bit about this. Not sure what my ambition are tbh, just wanted to ad a big compound that I could do with the equipment I have a home. But thanks for this, it is helpful.
When in doubt there’s nothing wrong with just continuing to deadlift. Or alternate between RDLs and deadlifts. I have no idea what your training looks like though.
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Coaches with a powerlifting background like straight bar deadlifts. Other coaches aren’t as attached.
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The other consideration is that these very popular “programs” almost all became very popular in the mid 2000s, when all strength and conditioning was heavily influenced by powerlifting. You’ll see that some coaches who formerly championed DLs (like Wendler, for example) now use trap bars with their own athletes.
The other consideration is that just having a barbell is easy and cheap, whilst having barbells and trap bars is more expensive.
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Ok, that makes sense.
Precisely - I have a 30mm bar at home, so could get right at it - wont be getting a trapbar and 50mm plates just for this, even though I theoretically would prefer this option.
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It is a very accessible lift that is easy to coach and provide instruction to compared to something more tailored.
When I work hands on with someone (VERY rare) I use something more specific to their anatomy. Usually, it’s a partial ROM trap bar lift.
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Ok, that makes sense, thanks.
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I’d add as well it’s easy to compare and create “standards.” If you’re doing any of this, then you necessarily have a straight bar and plates. That ubiquity means the whole population can have general standards, especially for the kind of programs you’re talking about where the coach is sending his advice to the world. This gives you a marker of progress and a simple diagnostic tool.
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trap bar block pulls are awesome
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I think the development would be very different. Personally, I never got much from rows, of any kind. Maybe if all I’m looking for is hypertrophy, they are an excellent choice. But, I am pretty much never looking for that. Overall, the deadlifter will be bigger, and stronger. I could do one exercise and hit the entire posterior chain, or two exercises and have lat and hamstring development. I gues it depends on goals there.
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That depends entirely on your weak point. It really is not important to be using similar form (Although, they are actually pretty similar, a non-lifter wouldn’t know the difference). If 225 feels heavy, you are going to have a much harder time cleaning it. If your body thinks 600 is heavy, it really doesn’t matter that the form varies for a clean, 225 is going to feel light and be easier to clean.
As @hardartery mentioned, I think they’d both have good development, but with different emphasis.
However I think the deadlift only trainer would have improved their bent over row strength where I don’t think that would hold true for the rower and their deadlift strength.
I guess it comes back to the right tool for the right goal. Going down the road of ‘no real reason to do this exercise / movement’ get’s tricky because (for us non professional athletes) there is no real reason to do any of what we do in the gym, or outside it for that matter, other than achieving whatever our personally chosen goals are.
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Training solely to get stronger doesn’t get you the physique of a champion bodybuilder. I wasted a lot of time listening to the mantra “get stronger to get bigger” which was often repeated around my college weight room. In hindsight, it’s when I stopped “chasing numbers” and assessing what most successful bodybuilders were doing that things started looking up.
S
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Im sure it was already said, but Grit and Tenacity are more important than any single program for your average garage lifter. Just do the work, dont cripple yourself with the most dialed in program. Pick something that looks hard, but doable, and give it your all.
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Exactly! Consistency and hardwork is the real thing plus commitment to whatever thing you’re doing
On the flip side, one game changer for me is that burying yourself every workout is counterproductive. “Stimulate, don’t annihilate” --Lee Haney
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Brilliant idea for a thread! If I could contribute some insight, I would say that for 95% of us, the type of program you follow doesn’t matter. You more than likely will arrive at the same destination.
Unless you are training for a specific discipline such as powerlifting (where you need to train as a powerlifter), you can be free to pick a style of training you enjoy. If you like full-body splits, do that. If an upper-lower split is more your thing, do that. It all depends on what your goals are.
The majority of us are probably just recreational trainees so pick a style of training that: follows the principles of progressive overload, you can be consistent with, and that you enjoy.
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This is so true!
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