Try this for deadlifts next time

Robert28

Master Don Juan
Joined
Dec 27, 2008
Messages
5,106
Reaction score
5,435
I don’t deadlift every week, in fact, I haven’t done deadlifts in several weeks. When I do them I do ONLY them and nothing else, other than some light cardio on the ski machine (3,000 meters).

warmup sets: 135x10, 185x8
workout sets: 235 (or whatever 65-70%of your max is) 8x5

I like doing more reps than just 5x5. The 300 workout you do 50 reps and this workout you end up doing 58. I find I feel much more sore the next day and I was surprised I hadn’t lost any strength at all in my deadlifts. Honestly I probably should have bumped it up to 250 but I knew I was about to do 8 sets and didn’t want to have to change weight in the middle of the workout.
 

BackInTheGame78

Moderator
Joined
Sep 10, 2014
Messages
14,508
Reaction score
15,615
If you want to see the "white light" one of the best and most intense single workouts you'll ever do is to get a few warmup sets in on DLs and then do 5 sets of 12 DLs with a STRICT timed 1 minute break in between sets. Same weight for all sets so you need to start at significantly lower weight than you normally would use.

That's the entire workout. Once you work up to serious weight on them you will be literally "seeing the white light" by the end of the last set.

I worked up to 355 lbs for that, used to do it once every few weeks for a year and half or so. Ended up becoming one of my favorite, shortest yet most challenging and intense workouts.
 

EyeBRollin

Master Don Juan
Joined
Oct 18, 2015
Messages
10,696
Reaction score
8,637
Age
35
Deadlifts are incredibly taxing on the body. I don’t understand how that much volume could be beneficial in any way.

I do one set of deadlifts every other week. Usually at 2-2.5Xs body weight.
 

BackInTheGame78

Moderator
Joined
Sep 10, 2014
Messages
14,508
Reaction score
15,615
Deadlifts are incredibly taxing on the body. I don’t understand how that much volume could be beneficial in any way.

I do one set of deadlifts every other week. Usually at 2-2.5Xs body weight.
People place self imposed limits on themselves. Sometimes it's good to push yourself past those limits because they aren't really limits, you only think they are, but most people are capable of so much more than they think.
 

DonJuanjr

Master Don Juan
Joined
Apr 6, 2021
Messages
3,369
Reaction score
2,365
Age
36
I prefer sumo deadlifts due to being much easier on the lower back.
 

EyeBRollin

Master Don Juan
Joined
Oct 18, 2015
Messages
10,696
Reaction score
8,637
Age
35
People place self imposed limits on themselves. Sometimes it's good to push yourself past those limits because they aren't really limits, you only think they are, but most people are capable of so much more than they think.
The question is not about limit; it’s about how is this amount of volume beneficial?
 

DonJuanjr

Master Don Juan
Joined
Apr 6, 2021
Messages
3,369
Reaction score
2,365
Age
36
The question is not about limit; it’s about how is this amount of volume beneficial?
Studies show that low resistance high volume is just as effective as high resistance low volume for activating all muscle fiber types. The caveat is that most don't have the mental fortitude to get past the burning of the high volume training style to the reps that cause the activation of the fiber types. Especially on something like deadlifts...
 

EyeBRollin

Master Don Juan
Joined
Oct 18, 2015
Messages
10,696
Reaction score
8,637
Age
35
Studies show that low resistance high volume is just as effective as high resistance low volume for activating all muscle fiber types. The caveat is that most don't have the mental fortitude to get past the burning of the high volume training style to the reps that cause the activation of the fiber types. Especially on something like deadlifts...
Effective at what? Activating fiber types for what purpose? You’ll never need to deadlift something that many times. What’s the point?
 

DonJuanjr

Master Don Juan
Joined
Apr 6, 2021
Messages
3,369
Reaction score
2,365
Age
36
Effective at what? Activating fiber types for what purpose? You’ll never need to deadlift something that many times. What’s the point?
Effective at activating muscle fibers to stimulate Hypertrophy.
 

DonJuanjr

Master Don Juan
Joined
Apr 6, 2021
Messages
3,369
Reaction score
2,365
Age
36
What kind of hypertrophy? Lifting light weight a lot of times will not make you much stronger. It will make you better at lifting light weight a lot of times!
You're wrong. You said "not beneficial in ANY way"... I was responding that as a matter of fact, yes, high reps are beneficial at stimulating hypertrophy IF one can get to the reps that actually activate the needed fibers.
 

EyeBRollin

Master Don Juan
Joined
Oct 18, 2015
Messages
10,696
Reaction score
8,637
Age
35
You're wrong. You said "not beneficial in ANY way"... I was responding that as a matter of fact, yes, high reps are beneficial at stimulating hypertrophy IF one can get to the reps that actually activate the needed fibers.
Stimulating hypertrophy that will help you lift lighter weight deadlifts a lot of times.

What gets lost in the sauce regarding fitness is that all training follows the same cycle- stress, recovery, adaptation. Putting your body through hell should probably be focused on the desired adaptation, not putting the body through hell just for the sake of it.
 

DonJuanjr

Master Don Juan
Joined
Apr 6, 2021
Messages
3,369
Reaction score
2,365
Age
36
Stimulating hypertrophy that will help you lift lighter weight deadlifts a lot of times.

What gets lost in the sauce regarding fitness is that all training follows the same cycle- stress, recovery, adaptation. Putting your body through hell should probably be focused on the desired adaptation, not putting the body through hell just for the sake of it.
Hypertrophy means muscle synthesis. So, it will increase lean body mass(muscle). It's not for nothing...You argue about everything(even when you're wrong) regardless if someone is agreeing with you on the grand scheme of things. I'm done with this conversation.
 

EyeBRollin

Master Don Juan
Joined
Oct 18, 2015
Messages
10,696
Reaction score
8,637
Age
35
Hypertrophy means muscle synthesis. So, it will increase lean body mass(muscle). It's not for nothing...You argue about everything(even when you're wrong) regardless if someone is agreeing with you on the grand scheme of things. I'm done with this conversation.
Were not disagreeing and this is not about me it is for the men reading this. Eating excess calories and sitting on the couch will build some degree of muscle mass as well. Point is there should be a desired adaptation when embarking on a training regimen. “Building muscle” is a nebulous goal. It can be accomplished in a bunch of ways, particularly in this case.. less taxing ways.
 

BackInTheGame78

Moderator
Joined
Sep 10, 2014
Messages
14,508
Reaction score
15,615
The question is not about limit; it’s about how is this amount of volume beneficial?
Considering at my peak, pound for pound at age 40 I was probably as strong if not stronger than anyone on this board, it's useful for a lot of things.

Try it and find out.
 

Deranged

Don Juan
Joined
May 16, 2022
Messages
142
Reaction score
98
Location
Canada
My PR for deadlift was 565 at 188 lbs.
475 for squat
380 for bench.

At one point I used to do 5x5 deadlifts at 455 lbs.
Absolute beast! Incredible #'s for 188lbs. Any significant injuries over the years? ie. slipped disk, torn pec, etc.
You genetic top tier for lifting or just put in the work and know how to push through the pain? Was/is the old man a beast too?
 

BackInTheGame78

Moderator
Joined
Sep 10, 2014
Messages
14,508
Reaction score
15,615
Absolute beast! Incredible #'s for 188lbs. Any significant injuries over the years? ie. slipped disk, torn pec, etc.
You genetic top tier for lifting or just put in the work and know how to push through the pain? Was/is the old man a beast too?
Thanks...yeah unfortunately I basically injured myself on the PRs except for the squat. Heard a pop in my back on the DL at lockout, partially tore a pec on the bench(to be fair it was on the 2nd rep and I still got it up...always wonder what my 1RM would have been) and have a patellar tendon issue still at times from my knee buckling while squatting (not during the PR, happened sometime after that while upping my rep weight). Never got it looked at but I definitely should have...never healed properly. Buckled again about 6 months later while working my way back to squatting again but with far less weight this time. Never barbell squatted again after that.

I had decent genetics...big broad shoulders and am built like a sparkplug. I put in a LOT of work tho over the years to get there...and a lot of intense work doing things that would have made other people cringe. Still maintain one of the biggest things for my strength gains were static Holds.

My Dad has the biggest calves I have ever seen. Just jacked and massive...I measured them once when I was younger and he was maybe 55 or 60 and they were still 25+ inches and he hadn't worked out in years by that point. Would have literally blown away any bodybuilder I have ever seen in terms of calves.
 
Top