Please Scroll Down to See Forums Below
napsgear
genezapharmateuticals
domestic-supply
puritysourcelabs
UGL OZ
UGFREAK
napsgeargenezapharmateuticals domestic-supplypuritysourcelabsUGL OZUGFREAK

Getting past a mental wall....

gymtime

gymtime

New member
I've been doing deadlifts (regular) for roughly six months now. I think I started with too much too quick, and ended up straining my back a few times. I'm sure some of you are familiar with that "pop" that eminates from the lower back on the last rep or so. It's essentially a muscle strain that turns out to be nothing serious and always heals itself, but it is painful for a few days.

Anyway, I've finally got some good form down and have been doing deads problem-free for a good three months now. My back feels better and stronger than it has in years.

So here's my problem: I'm still so afraid of that fucking "pop" in my back, that I won't add any weight. I'm maxing out at about 275 now which I can do fairly comfortably for six reps. I feel physically strong enough to do more, but I feel like the second I add even five more pounds, the old back is gonna snap me back into reality.

Suggestions?
 
Maybe try staying at this same weight but slowing down the movement to increase the "intensity." Then, adding a little weight, but going faster again may not seem as bad, plus, with the slow speed you may feel you have more control than you did before...

-Fatty
 
Fatty4You said:
Maybe try staying at this same weight but slowing down the movement to increase the "intensity." Then, adding a little weight, but going faster again may not seem as bad, plus, with the slow speed you may feel you have more control than you did before...

-Fatty
Click to expand...

deadlifting is a power movement, i dont think going slow will increase strenght and size.. i dont think going slow on any movement is good for gaining anything. i read somewhere that
going at a medium or faster pase will recruit more muscle fibers, which will get you bigger, faster... feel free to go ahead a bash me on my beliefs. (Debaser). or anyone else...
 
I dont really know enough about power movements to argue with you about speed at all. All i know is that when i slow down a movement it feels harder. And i assume that the more comfortable I become with a slower movement, the easier it will be when i speed it up some.

Plus, when you slow down, you make sure NOT to take advantage of the stretch-shortening cycle of the muscle which will force your muscle to be stronger to lift the weight.

Anyway, just a thought. I don't do dead lifts, so i can't really speak from experience.

-Fatty
 
Fatty4You said:
I dont really know enough about power movements to argue with you about speed at all. All i know is that when i slow down a movement it feels harder. And i assume that the more comfortable I become with a slower movement, the easier it will be when i speed it up some.

Plus, when you slow down, you make sure NOT to take advantage of the stretch-shortening cycle of the muscle which will force your muscle to be stronger to lift the weight.

Anyway, just a thought. I don't do dead lifts, so i can't really speak from experience.

-Fatty
Click to expand...

i see what u mean, like on concertration curls and iso movements, i kinda slow it down. it all depends.. im not a wild man that throws weight around, i have control, but sometimes i use momentum to pump out a few extra reps. which is ok. it helps alot too... kinda like a forced rep..
 
Yeah, i generally am not a fast movement kind of guy. I have never really done power movements. But, certainly, i like to pump the extra one out every now and then.... just feels good!

-Fatty
 
gymtime said:
I've been doing deadlifts (regular) for roughly six months now. I think I started with too much too quick, and ended up straining my back a few times. I'm sure some of you are familiar with that "pop" that eminates from the lower back on the last rep or so. It's essentially a muscle strain that turns out to be nothing serious and always heals itself, but it is painful for a few days.

Anyway, I've finally got some good form down and have been doing deads problem-free for a good three months now. My back feels better and stronger than it has in years.

So here's my problem: I'm still so afraid of that fucking "pop" in my back, that I won't add any weight. I'm maxing out at about 275 now which I can do fairly comfortably for six reps. I feel physically strong enough to do more, but I feel like the second I add even five more pounds, the old back is gonna snap me back into reality.

Suggestions?
Click to expand...

How many times have you heard me, and many other good deadlifters, suggest doing ONLY singles on deads???

:confused: :confused: :confused:

B True
 
b fold the truth said:


How many times have you heard me, and many other good deadlifters, suggest doing ONLY singles on deads???

:confused: :confused: :confused:

B True
Click to expand...

And that helps me how exactly Mr. Elite Mentor Big Shot Smartypants?
 
gymtime said:


And that helps me how exactly Mr. Elite Mentor Big Shot Smartypants?
Click to expand...

I do singles over 235lbs. For meit's to easy to let bad form get the best of you when doing deads for reps, heavy.


.02,
Joker
 
gymtime said:

Suggestions?
Click to expand...

Do 15-20 reps with a much lower weight.

And work on adding to that weight. You'll get stronger, just at a higher rep range. Obviously this will make your 6 rep weight bigger, but that doesn't necessarily matter until you want to go back to low reps.
 
gymtime.... what bfold is saying about singles is pretty accurate i think. i got that "popping" thing from bad form doing 6-8 reps like what you're doing. right now how i train deads is like what bfold is suggesting (i think): warmup with lower weights (important to do so) and work your way up to 275 for 2, maybe even just one. THEN add 20lbs (or more depending how you feel) and go for a single rep max. this way you can focus all your energy on that one move. i think that's what bfold means by singles for deads. afterwards you can lower the weight substantially just to get a good pump from 6-8 reps, it's what i like to do.
 
Reps on deads are killers for your spine...

I'll post a bunch of ideas tomorrow...after some food and more sleep:)

B True
 
alright since no one else is going to say, i'll go ahead and say it.

GT - load the bar up with 280 and do it. you've been doing 275 for the past three months...it's time. i, just like you, fucked up my lower back about two years ago when i first started doing deads because i was increasing weight faster than my body could handle. i was going up 10 pounds each week and finally my lower back said, "NOPE!" it was too much too soon. i'm guessing this is most likely what happened in your situation. after taking time away from them to let the muscle heal, i got back into them. i increased the weight i was using much slower the second time around, allowing my body ample time to get used to the weight so i wouldn't come to the same unfortunate end that i did the first time around. two years later, i'm lifting about 70-80lbs past the weight at which my lower back went out. you've given yourself three months to get your lower back stronger and more capable of handling the deads. you just need to decide it's time and go for it. i guarantee you'll come out of it thinking, "well shit, what was i worried about?" then go up to 285 in a few of weeks if you feel comfortable.

reps on deads are terrific for building mass. yeah, no doubt it's not the best thing in the world for your spine, but neither are squats. no one on this board speaks negatively of reps on squats, in fact most people advocate high reps. all the "good deadlifters" are powerlifters, so of course they are not running around talking up sets of deads over 2-3 reps. it's not the way they train. if i remember correctly, gt is a bodybuilder. sets of deads in the 5-7 rep range will work well for his goals.
 
supersizeme said:
alright since no one else is going to say, i'll go ahead and say it.

GT - load the bar up with 280 and do it. you've been doing 275 for the past three months...it's time. i, just like you, fucked up my lower back about two years ago when i first started doing deads because i was increasing weight faster than my body could handle. i was going up 10 pounds each week and finally my lower back said, "NOPE!" it was too much too soon. i'm guessing this is most likely what happened in your situation. after taking time away from them to let the muscle heal, i got back into them. i increased the weight i was using much slower the second time around, allowing my body ample time to get used to the weight so i wouldn't come to the same unfortunate end that i did the first time around. two years later, i'm lifting about 70-80lbs past the weight at which my lower back went out. you've given yourself three months to get your lower back stronger and more capable of handling the deads. you just need to decide it's time and go for it. i guarantee you'll come out of it thinking, "well shit, what was i worried about?" then go up to 285 in a few of weeks if you feel comfortable.

reps on deads are terrific for building mass. yeah, no doubt it's not the best thing in the world for your spine, but neither are squats. no one on this board speaks negatively of reps on squats, in fact most people advocate high reps. all the "good deadlifters" are powerlifters, so of course they are not running around talking up sets of deads over 2-3 reps. it's not the way they train. if i remember correctly, gt is a bodybuilder. sets of deads in the 5-7 rep range will work well for his goals.
Click to expand...

A serious reply?? Alright, who the fuck are you and what have you done with SSME??? :mad:







:) Thanks bud. Back night tonight. I'll go 280 and pray. And yeah, I've had good luck so far (overall) with reps, and I'm obviously not going for a strength record here.
 
Deadlift for reps??! :confused:

Seriously though, if it is such a mental block have someone else load the weights as you go through your progressions. Just focus on the bar and not on the plates. Work up as heavy as you can and then find out what you did.

Or as SSME said "Just Do It"...now there's an original thought. Someone should use that for an ad campaign or something...kinda catchy.
 
Why would deadlifting for reps be bad for your spine?

Of course if you used bad form, but considering if you use perfect form (obviously you should) they strengthen your erectors and other back muscles it would only prevent future back injury...
 
That's what I thought too. I've got another thread up asking for responses from the powerlifting folks. We'll see what they say.
 
weenietime, I've experienced this before with a few different injuries. I've tried numerous approaches, and the best thing that worked for me personally was to simply do it. Tell your body to fuck off, and remind it that you own it. Hit abs for a little while prior to deadlifting, and slosh on a lot of icy/hot and your back will just feel better, and more supported off the line, so you're probably more apt to not think about the potential pop. I hate when little shit like that fucks with your mind.

Of course, I'm writing within the 15 minutes I'm allowed to sit following a back sugery due to my training practices, so take it for what its worth I suppose:)
 
I just get a little confused when people are trying to build their deadlift yet continue to keep doing what they have been doing. There is a reason why my strength levels keep rising...because I train VERY SMART.

If you want to build the deadlift...you should be doing exercises such as: box squats, good mornings, pull throughs, reverse hypers, etc... Not sure what is difficult about that...it simply builds the deadlift BETTER than doing just the deadlift (and a lot safer also). The good thing is about those exercises I listed...they also build the squat as well as many other muscles.

I deem some ME lower days just for deadlift training. I rarely ever feel like going for a PR on the deadlift...so I do many other things, with singles, to train the deadlift on that given day (about once ever 3-6 weeks). These numbers are based on me having a 1RM on the deadlift of 675-730.

405 x 1 x 6 sets with 20-60 sec rest between sets

405, 425, 445, 455, 475, 485, 495, 515, 535, 550 x 1 each (1-2 min rest between sets)

Stand on a pair of 25's and pull something like this:
315, 365, 405, 425, 455, 475, 495 x 1 with 1-2 min rest between sets

I will add bands to my worksets of deadlift to either add more band tension the higher I pull...or reverse band deadlifts to add more bar weight (less band help) as I pull upwards.

This past Sunday I did something to simulate the Power Stairs in my next contest. I rested 5 seconds between every set.
370 x 5, reset between EVERY rep
370 x 5, reset between EVERY rep
403 x 5, reset between EVERY rep
403 x 5, reset between EVERY rep

I flat out do not like deadlifts for reps. I can't explain it to you scientifically...but most people with a high deadlift and a BIG back...don't either.

Garry Frank, the WR deadlift holder of a 931.5 pull, only pulls 6 times a year... 2 contests..3 lifts each contest.

B True
 
To help you get past the MENTAL barrier...try pulling several weights NEAR your 1RM. Try pulling 255, 260, 265, 270 all for singles. Try to do this with little rest between sets (30 sec - 2 min). This will build confidence in yourself as you realize that 265 and 270 are becoming easier for you...you will KNOW that 280-300 will fly up!!!

When brian747478' and I used to train together...he could put 295 on the bench and EASILY get it for a single...but could never get 300...lol. Mental barrier. I also believe that he can close grip 315-325 but yet still has not put it on the bar to flat bench it...mental barrier.

B True
 
high-rep sets of deadlifts are dangerous, even with what you would think would be perfect form. after a couple of reps, your form breaks down, no matter what, unless you reset after every rep. when your form breaks down, bad stuff happens.

i wish i would've known this a year ago :bawling:
 
Yeah repping with something like deadlifts, means your smaller support muscles fail before the prime movers, and that's when you get injured

one reason why I don't rep out with high reps on squats either, especially front squats
 
CoolColJ said:
Yeah repping with something like deadlifts, means your smaller support muscles fail before the prime movers, and that's when you get injured

one reason why I don't rep out with high reps on squats either, especially front squats
Click to expand...

Very interesting way of putting what I really wanted to say...

B True
 
Well, the old saying is true I guess: you do learn something new every day.

As a "bodybuilder", I'm a big believer in doing reps, for everything. It's a staple of my training. It's rare that I go over ten, or fewer than five. So the tough pill to swallow here for me is the idea of getting benefits from a single rep, even on a compound movement.

And don't get me wrong, it's not because I think you guys are feeding me a bunch of crap or are misinformed, I completely trust you guys' judgement. It's more like (speaking of mental barriers) going to Europe and suddenly having to drive on the left side of the road. Simply put, it just doesn't "seem" right.

Hope that makes sense to my powerlifter friends out there.
 
Nonerz said:


:(
Click to expand...

I know, i know. I do stiff legs, but i have never done regular deads. I am just never sure where to put them. They are such a HUGE compound movement and my training split is some what non-traditional that i fear they dont fit in quite right anywhere.

I am still learning all this stuff.

I am thinking of trying that DoggCrapp method for a little while. I have been reading up on it and it seems very interesting. I figure it will be easier to use the deads in a workout like that where i can just kinda follow a set workout.

-Fatty
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Y
hard to train right on winstrol
Replies
8
Views
740
SteveMobsterG
SteveMobsterG
R
Really hitting a plateau with my weight training.
Replies
11
Views
2K
Arabian
Arabian
A
using EQ and dbol for moderate gains
Replies
11
Views
648
ceo
ceo
P
best ways to add anavar to a cycle?
Replies
10
Views
395
Arabian
Arabian
P
best oral to add to finish a cycle ?
Replies
12
Views
1K
ceo
ceo
Top Bottom