Jump to content

8 Week Deadlift Competition


BigJan85

Recommended Posts

Me and a guy from work decided to have a little competition to see who can move the biggest numbers in 5 different lifts at the end of 8 weeks. One of the lifts is deadlift and I was wondering if anybody knew a nice little program for me to peak at the end of this 8 weeks? Thanks

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This has worked every time I've done it. The weights are based on a percentage of your current 1 rep max:

* Week one: 70% - 15 sets of 1 - rest one minute between sets

* Week two: 75% - 12 sets of 1 - rest one minute between sets

* Week three: 80% - 10 sets of 1 - rest 90 seconds between sets

* Week four: 85% - 6 sets of 1 - rest 90 seconds between sets

* Week five: 90% - 3 sets of 1 - rest two minutes between sets

* Week six: Rest (no deadlifting)

* Week seven: try for a new max deadlift. Rest as long as you need in between sets (i.e. 3+ minutes)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How you train for the deadlift, when it is one of five lifts you're preparing for, depends largely on what the other lifts are.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the program Frank. I might have to give it a try.

Rex, the other lifts are bench, squat, weighted pull-up, and power clean.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Then I'd do this

Week 1

Bench on one day, pull ups after (20 or so, BW)

Squat 2-3 days a week, with days in between (heavy weights)

Power cleans on one day, pull ups after

Week 2

bench on one day, pull ups after

Squat one day this week, heavy

Deadlift one day this week, the last day of the week, heavy. Pull ups after

Week 3

Light weights on everything, and omit deadlifts, but keep doing pull ups like usual. So squat, bench, and clean with very light weights, on separate days.

Repeat that 3 week wave, tell your friend to give you 9 weeks to prepare so you have three good cycles.

Edited by The Natural
Link to comment
Share on other sites

This has worked every time I've done it. The weights are based on a percentage of your current 1 rep max:

* Week one: 70% - 15 sets of 1 - rest one minute between sets

* Week two: 75% - 12 sets of 1 - rest one minute between sets

* Week three: 80% - 10 sets of 1 - rest 90 seconds between sets

* Week four: 85% - 6 sets of 1 - rest 90 seconds between sets

* Week five: 90% - 3 sets of 1 - rest two minutes between sets

* Week six: Rest (no deadlifting)

* Week seven: try for a new max deadlift. Rest as long as you need in between sets (i.e. 3+ minutes)

Magnus, I am interested in giving this program a try. Where did you get this program from? What type of gains did you see from this? What is your highest deadlift?

My best pull to date was 360 a few months ago. I am definitely stronger now. Following this program, could I feasibly pull 405 before the end of the year?

Edited by thewalrus
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Magnus, I am interested in giving this program a try. Where did you get this program from? What type of gains did you see from this? What is your highest deadlift?

I believe it was around 15-20lb each time I did it. Not the best gains I've ever gotten, but a reliable gain each time. I made the best gains on my deadlift when I was going freestyle with my routines, but whenever I'd hit a plateau, I'd used this as a dependable fall-back routine. Btw, I always went slightly heavier than the percentages listed, as I felt they were a touch on the light side, but YMMV.

Surprisingly enough, I found this on Lee Hayward's site about 2 or 3 years ago.

My best deadlift was 525, no belt. Did that back in January, and haven't really done much pulling since.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Me and a guy from work decided to have a little competition to see who can move the biggest numbers in 5 different lifts at the end of 8 weeks. One of the lifts is deadlift and I was wondering if anybody knew a nice little program for me to peak at the end of this 8 weeks? Thanks

Still doing this with Frank's singles program? Just curious. I know it hasn't been 8 weeks yet but I would have a hard time not maxing out in 4 weeks or 3.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
  • 1 year later...

Resurrecting this because a coworker successfully used it to pull a substantial PR (double overhand) on an Apollon's Axle.

I've got a simple plan that he's going to try for the next 2 or 3 weeks to see how much he can add to his newly minted max.

He's been training with his Axle since July of 2011 (without my input until recently - I just found out he had access to one about 9 weeks ago) and his first time maxing he pulled 158lbs at 149lbs bodyweight. Before starting this 7-week program his max was 193lbs at 154lbs bodyweight. So an increase of 35lbs in 7 months. Not terrible. But not a very quick increase either. He does all of his Axle deadlifting double overhand.

Sunday morning in my garage he brought his Apollon's Axle with him and pulled 244.4lbs at 155lbs bodyweight. A 51.4lb increase in 7 weeks! He's excited about the increase and has volunteered to do my experimental program for the next 2 or 3 weeks. I think he'll get some decent gains from it. It involves no full pulls and only 3 to 5 singles per workout.

I put it together for a guy interested in USAWA meets who has been corresponding with me for the past 6 weeks. He's been trying desperately to increase his double overhand Axle deadlift so he can target the USAWA record in an upcoming Record Day in his weight class. He has a good strength base already so he wasn't a long way off from the record to begin with. But he was very short on time due to long work hours and a very stressful home life - newly married and 7 kids in the house between the two of them. So his max has plateaued the past few months as his stress increased at home and at work.

I'll be a bit of a tease - his max went from 323lbs to 358lbs in 3 weeks. With no full range pulls. 1 workout per week. No longer than 30 minutes spent on each workout. The best part is that I structured the workout to be as easy on his injury-susceptible back as possible. He's had some issues with it - like I have - and worries about doing too many full range "normal" workouts. If I had the resources needed to do the workout I designed for him I'd be hitting it myself. But I workout alone and don't have plans to change it.

If anyone's interested in being an official grip-guinea pig (for an article to be featured on my blog a few months down the road) and is willing to perform the workout I designed to the letter - just let me know. I'd like 2 or 3 to try it out but I'm busy so honestly I won't care much if nobody takes me up on it. That's the ebb and flow of grip interest here. Sometimes it's hot. Sometimes it's not. But the offer is not on the table long and won't be offered again. Not much of a scientific test anyway. More of a real world deal. I'm just interested to see if it worked only for him or would work for most others. Don't have any reason other than that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just curious, how did you compare weighted pull ups?

If one is lighter than the other, the heavier one will most likely do heavier weights because it's less of his body weight percntage.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would be very interested Ben. My Axle is far behind my gripper strength and I'm going to Grip Nationals in June so I'm willing to try something to push me near 400lbs. I don't own an official IM axle though. I use 1 7/8 inch PVC pipe slipped over a 1 inch bar at home for training which is harder than an actual IM axle. I lifted 336.54 lbs DO on an IM Axle back in February at the Durniat Comp. I might be around 350 lbs right now. My next crack at an official IM axle won't be until nationals.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would be very interested Ben. My Axle is far behind my gripper strength and I'm going to Grip Nationals in June so I'm willing to try something to push me near 400lbs. I don't own an official IM axle though. I use 1 7/8 inch PVC pipe slipped over a 1 inch bar at home for training which is harder than an actual IM axle. I lifted 336.54 lbs DO on an IM Axle back in February at the Durniat Comp. I might be around 350 lbs right now. My next crack at an official IM axle won't be until nationals.

Glad to hear you're interested Cesare! You will be a great guinea pig. I have 3 guys from here on the GB that are interested and 6 or 7 others that found out about it and I'm turning them away for now. E-mail me at goalorientedtraining@mail2strong.com and I'll send you the full program.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'll be a bit of a tease - his max went from 323lbs to 358lbs in 3 weeks. With no full range pulls. 1 workout per week. No longer than 30 minutes spent on each workout.

My bad. I said 1 workout per week but I meant 2. That makes a big difference in 3 weeks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy policies.