Deadlift specialization

[I'D RATHER BE DEADLIFTING]

I realize most competitors focus more on the squat and let those muscles and minimal pulling take care of the deadlift. Well, what if someone,like myself, thought they had a chance to get really good at the deadlift if they specialized there efforts into the dead? I am not a naturally good squatter. I have a decent dead for my size and from my pic some of you even said I had a decent build for deads. Some of my long term goals in powerlifting, really focus on the dead. Breaking records in different weight classes and just hitting certain weights. Since, well basically I just love to deadlift and feel I would be much more competitive in the future as a dead only or push/pull competitor, are there steps I should take to try and take my deadlift to the next level from decent to damn good?

I wrote up an 8 week plan to try something different with my deadlifts to see if I can put on like 20-30 lbs to my max. Basically uses 8's for 2 weeks, then 5's, then 3's and then a submaximal single or maybe double the week before I test it. I am going to do plenty of reverse hypers, GHR, pull thrus, abs, box squats, goodmornings, etc. Is it wrong to devote a day a week to my deadlift+assitance, my main leg day and then just do light box squats along with all the assistance on the other day??


I don't know if in that rambling I made my point, but basically I would like to squat a lot, but I would rather take my deadlift up to maybe an elite level some day, than have it be above average with a decent squat ya know? Any thoughts?

 

[I'D RATHER BE DEADLIFTING]

Just an idea of ho I might want to set up the routine:

Mon-Board workout(Jay helped e with the bench stuff)
Wed- Box squats, assistance
Fri- Bench workout
Sat-Deadlifts, events*


*I would perform some lower body nd grip strongman type stuff. Holds, farmers walks, carries with various objects, perhaps pulling or dragging.


Any thoughts? B Fold?

 

[GRIMMER]

I'm with you . I love to deadlift and i seem to be the strongest at it out of the three. I too have plans to break some records in it in the future and would really like to focus on it. However, I believe that the biggest thing that has brought my deads up is GMs for a heavy single for max work. The great thing about them is they work great for both the squat and deadlift. I htink your plan looks good and you should give it a try. I also think that all the ghr work and pullthroughs are of the utmost importants for a big dead. Your plan looks good.

I was in Georgia this past weekend and was so close to grabing a tire to flip for an extra workout and GPP work ,anybody think it would be beneficial. I do sled work as well.

 

[Deciever]

IRBD,definately do it, your built for deads, and your bench isnt to shabby either.. you almost benched 100lbs over your b/w thats really good. and deadlifts, they're amazing. You know you can break records, and do good. Go join the WABDL, you'd do really good once you got all stuff together

 

[ZZuluZ]

Synpatic facilitation.

Try it. Use it.

Use it for your deadlift exclusively along with your regular PL routine.

-Zulu

 

[Deciever]

Synpatic facilitation.

for people who arent geniuses that means????

Check your PM too , im just about tosend u something

 

[ZZuluZ]

I'm not a genius...I know very little about weight lifting or anything else, in fact.

I think I'll start a new thread about this though, it might be interesting...

-Zulu

 

[Deciever]

bullshit, everything you say sounds like a harvard scholar said (ok not quite that geniusy, but pretty close) I've talked to you before , and i know your smart and know what your talking about in most cases. So start a thread about it so i know what it is already!

 

[ZZuluZ]

LOL....thanks, I appreciate it.

I have a long way to go. My goal is to know as much as Arioch one day

-Zulu

 

[Deciever]

incorporate lifting off of block to help your deadlift.

 

[b fold the truth]

Just an idea of ho I might want to set up the routine:

Mon-Board workout(Jay helped e with the bench stuff)
Wed- Box squats, assistance
Fri- Bench workout
Sat-Deadlifts, events*


*I would perform some lower body nd grip strongman type stuff. Holds, farmers walks, carries with various objects, perhaps pulling or dragging.


Any thoughts? B Fold?

Your general routine sounds very good. Well...yeah...that is about how I would set it up too. For your events you can just start to put stuff together as you can aquire them. Chin holds, thick bar stuff, any kind of carry, pushing your car, pulling your car...anything. If you will just be creative...you will be surprised what all you may find.

B True

 

[b fold the truth]

I was in Georgia this past weekend and was so close to grabing a tire to flip for an extra workout and GPP work ,anybody think it would be beneficial. I do sled work as well.

Depends on the tire, height, thickness, weitht..etc. I spoke with Phil Phister a month or so back on the phone and he told me that he used his 500lb tire for back recouperation purposes. He said that his back had been hurting him for a month or so and nothing fixed it..till he flipped his 500lb tire every day for a week...then no pain.

It is good cardio but expect to be sore the first several times you use it. There are tons of explosive muscles that you must use to do it properly. I have recently learned the proper (or better) way to flip the tire and it is much easier!!!

B True

 

[I'D RATHER BE DEADLIFTING]

Good stuff. I think I'm gonna run this one by my training partner(s) and see what they think. If it's a go we'll start it in a few weeks after we shirt up and max our bench at the end of the month.

Thanks

 

[endpoint]

synaptic facilitaion means to do something frequently so that your body adapts to it. like deadlifting 5 times a day or something in this case

 

[Arioch]

IRBD, the deadlift is my best lift as well. I have noticed that whenever my squat, good morning, etc. go up, my deadlift goes up as well. If you are a natural deadlifter, and by this I mean conventional deadlifter who does everything wrong (pull all back, somewhat round, etc - like me) the deadlift itself will not fully work the muscles that give you power in the deadlift, as superior leverage compensates for quite a bit.

You must still work on strengthening everything, specifically the lower back, hamstrings, and abs.

 

[I'D RATHER BE DEADLIFTING]

That's my plan. I am gonna totally hammer all that other stuff, I'm just going to deadlift more often tha many reccomend.

 

[Hannibal]

IRBD, the deadlift is my best lift as well. I have noticed that whenever my squat, good morning, etc. go up, my deadlift goes up as well. If you are a natural deadlifter, and by this I mean conventional deadlifter who does everything wrong (pull all back, somewhat round, etc - like me) the deadlift itself will not fully work the muscles that give you power in the deadlift, as superior leverage compensates for quite a bit.

You must still work on strengthening everything, specifically the lower back, hamstrings, and abs.

http://elitefitnesssystems.com/documents/westside-deadlift-training.htm

The best way to increase your deadlift is to stop deadlifting.

 

[I'D RATHER BE DEADLIFTING]

I knew someone was gonna rain on my deadlift parade.

 

[Deciever]

cheer up, at least only one person said to not deadlift. And maybe he does have a point to a certain extent. But since you love deadlifting so god damn much, i know you couldnt go more then 4 weeks with out pulling... so i dont think what hannibal said would work for you. GET SOME WILL POWER!! GO TO THE 12 STEP CLASS FOR DEADLIFTERS ANONYMOUS like i was tellin you about.

 

[Hannibal]

I knew someone was gonna rain on my deadlift parade.

Not tryin to rain on it at all brotha...but the best way to stall your deadlift is to deadlift alot. The deadlift is a great test of strength, but not a good strength builder. If your priority is to increase your 1RM on the deadlift then I would advise against deadlifting so frequently.

We each have to find our own way however....

 

[I'D RATHER BE DEADLIFTING]

Haha.

Actually, I have given Hannibal's idea a thougt after reading those articles in the past. Just not yet. I want t try this routine first and see how it goes.


Maybe later this year if I want to get crazy I'll cut out deads for a few months and come back to them with a vengeance.


Thing is I know I am going to be pulling at meets in July, November and December. So I'm not sure where I'd cut them out. We'll see.


This program is gonna be a go though in a few weeks. Actually gonna start on 4/29 after we max our benches and complete an 8-week stint of Westside.

 

[Arioch]

Two People. I was raining on it too. I pull about twice a year.

 

[I'D RATHER BE DEADLIFTING]

Damn, I'd freak out.


Worst thing is I have a home gym. Sometimes I have to fight wih myself to not go down and deadlift, lol.

Actually, I'm gonna deadlift on the 15th, then not deadlift again until I start my program where I will deadlift on 5/4. So I will have a mini-break.

 

[Hannibal]

Two People. I was raining on it too. I pull about twice a year.

I was wondering if anyone was going to notice. Besides there is nothing wrong with Speed Deadlifts at 60%.

 

[powerlifterjay]

Well even though i hate the deadlift it is my focus right now. And i have only pulled once in the last 3 months or so. And its going up a bit. My GM are up, i did revese band deads last night really the first time i did well i think. BUt thats just me. One of my partners (freak19) pulls every week or so and can out pull all of us.

Do what works for ya. Your gonna get stronger reagardless. Your young, and your body is designed perfectly to pull. So pull! I did hear Gary Frank only pulls 6 times a year though. And thats meets only. I knwo from being at the same meet and watching him warm up he does no pulls back stage before his opener either. Some benifit from less pulling. I amnot saying you would nt gain faster if you pulled less, but since you enjoy it do it. Hell every body says dont raw flat bench every week either , i do and bench is fine. And so are my partners. I always will too. Why i love it. And as long as my training is fun i will train. Besides have raw bench PR i really want. Do what you want and when progress slows then change things accordingly. Your shit keeps going up, why change it?

 

[Prometheus]

Do what you want and when progress slows then change things accordingly. Your shit keeps going up, why change it?

exactly - as long as you are progressing without injury, go with it -- if you stall out, there's more than enough methods/routines to try at that point.

 

[b fold the truth]

I do feel that one needs to deadlift very regularly if they are focusing on the deadlift. They do NOT need to deadlift heavy on a regular basis though. In strongman, the deadlift is probably more important than the squat...well...maybe a tie...but a very close one

You can pull many different ways
Dimel
Stiff Leg
Speed
Partial (various types)

powerlifterjay: You are correct about Gary Frank. He does believe, though, that if he pulled more often that he would have a higher deadlift. He had planned on doing some WABDL meets early 2002 or late 2001...and to set some pulling records. His plans didn't pan out though. He chose to stick with the big 3. It is amazing how large he is...I have one of his personal squat suits...and it swallows me. Funny though...it is too small for him.

B True

 

[powerlifterjay]

B fold you dont have to tell me how large he is! Dude i have met him a few times and he is by far the biggest man i have ever met. And i mean that 100%. I seen him with his shirt off, and if you look at pics of him he looks liek he is big with lots of fat. Let me tell you what, the guy is thick and has quality size. Ya he has fat but his chest was seperated and he was huge. He had your typical bloated belly, but decent size every where else.

One thing i noticed on him was his wrists were as big as my forarms. He is naturally a goliath! To see him in person you can see why i lifts so much. If you lift in relaitve to your size he is as strong as he looks. He is a genetic freak.

In comparing big men if you look at him and Glen Chabot its different bigness. I have a PL USA with Chabots history in it. It said in 1993 he benched 391 in the 198's. Then it goes on thoirugh the 500's it took him a fw years and he hit 562 then it sky rocketed from there as did his weight. From 250 to curent 300lbs. But took him 10 yrs to take his weight from 198 to 308. And he was in his 20;s in the begining. Gary frank was 242 at 17yrs old. And grew natuarally to immortal size from genetics alone. No he aint clean but clean or not he would be 350 regardless.

 

[Geno_O]

I'D RATHER BE DEADLIFTING, I am with you. I like to deadlift. It
is my best lift. For my first meet, I will probably only DL.

I have never used a squat suit or bench shirt and it will take me
time to learn how to use that equipment. For the DL, I only need
a belt. I should be competitive at my 45 years of age and 220
pounds with a best of 615 to date.

Have just started to do some WSide stuff - GMs, Pull Thrus, etc.
My DL should increase significantly. Will still DL every 2 to 3
weeks in training as I have for the past six months. My DL has
increased significantly with the pulling.

Sounds like you are like me. You need to pull to keep making
gains.

Keep me posted on your progress.

Geno