--deadlift question--

[poyner]

I am 5 10 and weigh 176lbs.
My current 1 rep max on the bench is 176 lbs
I squat 198 lbs

I am just looking for some advice on an effective barbell deadlift programme, i am looking for mass.
Currently i am doing about 6 sets on the deadlift, but want alot more mass. Does anyone know of an effective deadlift workout? Example- how many sets and reps to do and what weight to start on.

[Superman]

Well I do about 4 warm-up sets then 1 working set of 4-8 reps. and I do that about once every 2-3 weeks. Works pretty well for me

[2MuChBoDyFaT]

Does anyone know of an effective deadlift workout? Example- how many sets and reps to do and what weight to start on.

Hey dude, check out this link. I am currently doing this routine and I think it's great:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/mahler74.htm

As for a starting weight, If you are only just starting out with deads, then just go really light and focus on your form. Watch yourself in the mirror from all angles while just using the bar with no weight, then slowly begin to add the weight once you feel that your form is 100%. It's really hard for me to give you a starting weight, as it's a very individual thing. Just dont go to heavy to start with ok


- 2much

[poyner]

cheers!!!!

[de_barathrum]

if you are just starting on deadlifts i wouldnt worry about going heavy until you get your form right. right now im doing 4x5 on deadlifts at the end of back day.

[Andrew.Cook]

My two cents:

Deadlifts should be heavy. You want to do high reps, just do SLDL. Deadlifts are meant to be a full body stressor. High rep DL's are worthless. You really are not going to bodybuild with deadlifts. Sorry, as far as bodybuilding mindsets go, deadlifts are worthless. You are not going to do some rediculous number of reps and feel the pump and have deadlifts do anything for you. You want high reps and pump, go curl. Deadlifts are a strength exercise (which will build muscle, but we are not getting into that argument now). I agree that you need to get your movement down first. However, I don't think that high reps are needed for that. 3-5 reps should help you practice form. After you get your form down, then it is time to get that weight up. I would say that you probably never need to work these in higher than 3-5 reps, ever.

Another word about deadlifts: De-load. Please. Every rep comes to a complete stop. Dead on the floor. No touch and go. On the floor, relax your grip, set up, pull, lower, repeat. The most difficult portion of this lift is from the floor.

[poyner]

great answers thanks. At the moment i was doing 5 to 6 sets, starting at 110lbs with high reps and working up to 176lbs with low reps. I will start with higher weights with lower reps. cheers.

[BIG_T_MC06]

My deadlift program i have been following since i was 16:

1 x 20
1 x 15
2 x failure (no more than 8 reps, final set around 3-4)

At 17 i pulled 160KG for 4 reps.

T

[PickItUp]

I have a question that pertains to the original post...

What size of weight do you use on the deadlift?

I deadlift 245lbs for 6+ reps...

But, I put four 25lb plates on each side...

This forces me to go a little lower to the ground as the 45lb plates are much taller.

Is this good or bad? The reason I use 25lb plates is because:

1. It forces me to go lower...which increases the overall ROM
2. It allows me to easily add 50lbs to each subsequent set while starting with a light weight as the warmup sets...

Should I start my deadlifts with a 45lb plate on each side, and then add a 25 to each side, then swap out the 25s for another 45 on each side...which brings me to 225lbs...and then finally adding another 10 to each side to get to 245lbs?

Or by using larger weights and limiting the ROM, can I perform a heavier deadlift? Could it be that I can really deadlift 265lbs when using 45lb plates?

[md3sign]

Deadlifting off the ground with 25lb plates seems pretty hard IMO without back rounding or a REALLY deep squat position. Neither of which are part of a normal deadlift. Unless you're extremely flexible!

Correct me if I'm wrong, but going lower on a dead doesn't help much with your back, since you don't really start extending it until the bar clears your knees.

[Dominik]

My two cents:

Deadlifts should be heavy. You want to do high reps, just do SLDL. Deadlifts are meant to be a full body stressor. High rep DL's are worthless. You really are not going to bodybuild with deadlifts. Sorry, as far as bodybuilding mindsets go, deadlifts are worthless. You are not going to do some rediculous number of reps and feel the pump and have deadlifts do anything for you. You want high reps and pump, go curl. Deadlifts are a strength exercise (which will build muscle, but we are not getting into that argument now). I agree that you need to get your movement down first. However, I don't think that high reps are needed for that. 3-5 reps should help you practice form. After you get your form down, then it is time to get that weight up. I would say that you probably never need to work these in higher than 3-5 reps, ever.

Another word about deadlifts: De-load. Please. Every rep comes to a complete stop. Dead on the floor. No touch and go. On the floor, relax your grip, set up, pull, lower, repeat. The most difficult portion of this lift is from the floor.

Some good points Andrew although I wouldn't say higher rep DLs are worthless even if I never go over 5 reps myself. To me it's more of a strongman type exercise which can still have mass building benefits but I feel it's best saved for rack pulls which are less complicated and zero in on the back, or a variation like SLDLs or RDLs (which you mentioned), all of which are more effective from a bodybuilding standpoint.

The biggest problem I have with high rep deads is people will start out okay and after a few reps their form really goes to ****. It's just not an exercise where you can afford any lapses in concentration or form so I'm a big believer in doing them as a low rep strength exercise with a proper deload between reps.

[MrV]

I am 5 10 and weigh 176lbs.
My current 1 rep max on the bench is 176 lbs
I squat 198 lbs

I am just looking for some advice on an effective barbell deadlift programme, i am looking for mass.
Currently i am doing about 6 sets on the deadlift, but want alot more mass. Does anyone know of an effective deadlift workout? Example- how many sets and reps to do and what weight to start on.

I don't do deadlifts from the floor anymore. I do partials (pin set slightly lower than knee height), and feel it works my back a lot better than the full deadlift. I'm sure many will disagree, but that's just what works for me.

[Andrew.Cook]

Some good points Andrew although I wouldn't say higher rep DLs are worthless even if I never go over 5 reps myself. To me it's more of a strongman type exercise which can still have mass building benefits but I feel it's best saved for rack pulls which are less complicated and zero in on the back, or a variation like SLDLs or RDLs (which you mentioned), all of which are more effective from a bodybuilding standpoint.

Yep... I agree here. Much more of a strong man type lift than anything that will "bodybuild." What I mean is that if you wanted to hit your back, there are better ways to go about it (yates rows, weighted pullups, pendlay rows) if you wanted to hit your legs, squat. Grip? rolling thunder. Deadlift, from a bodybuilding standpoint, is a jack of all trades... master of none. Where does deadlift come into play then? Strength. Pure strength. I think most people could benefit from a heaping helping of strength. But that is just me.

The biggest problem I have with high rep deads is people will start out okay and after a few reps their form really goes to ****. It's just not an exercise where you can afford any lapses in concentration or form so I'm a big believer in doing them as a low rep strength exercise with a proper deload between reps.

Yes. IF you buy into this idea that 12 rep sets are best for hypertrophy (which I do not subscribe to) then you can refer back to my previous paragraph. Why waste your time trying to "hypertrophy" your entire body at once? It is time wasted as a muscle growth exercise (from a bodybuilding standpoint). I would never argue that DL's don't make you grow. In fact I think they are great for it. However, they are great because they make you strong. To lift bigger weights you need stronger bones, connective tissue, and yes... bigger muscles

Huh. Is this the first time we've agreed on something?

[Dominik]

I don't do deadlifts from the floor anymore. I do partials (pin set slightly lower than knee height), and feel it works my back a lot better than the full deadlift. I'm sure many will disagree, but that's just what works for me.

I'd hope most would agree because rack pulls are clearly the better bodybuilding exercise. Easier to do, they allow for more weight to be used, and you can grind away at higher reps blasting the back without worrying about the legs.

I prefer deads because I've got an interest in powerlifting and it happens to be my best lift. If I was only after bodybuilding benefits from pulls, I'd be doing them in a rack with straps.

[Dominik]

Huh. Is this the first time we've agreed on something?

No, we just think we don't and end up arguing

[Andrew.Cook]

No, we just think we don't and end up arguing

Oh, is that how it works? Ha... Well, I'm feeling relatively mellow today.

[de_barathrum]

Deadlifting off the ground with 25lb plates seems pretty hard IMO without back rounding or a REALLY deep squat position. Neither of which are part of a normal deadlift. Unless you're extremely flexible!

Correct me if I'm wrong, but going lower on a dead doesn't help much with your back, since you don't really start extending it until the bar clears your knees.

sometimes i deadlift with small plates, because the bottom of the lift is the hardest part for me and IMO that extra range of motion really helps.

[Andrew.Cook]

There is always my favorite... the zercher deadlift
http://video.yahoo.com/video/play?p=...&vback=Results

Yipes... that link is a mess.