Deadlift on Back Day or Leg Day?

[Wang Chung]

Assuming you're splitting up the routine, with which group would you perform deadlifts? Back or legs? This is something I'd really like to add.

[Travis04]

Deadlifts are best done on back days. This is mainly becuase on leg days you should be starting w/ squats and most find it very hard to do deadlifts and squats on the same day w/out giving up weight/intinsity....

[R2S_RETURNS]

Back most definatly. You will find this thread I stated interesting should you not have seen it:

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=627996

R2S

[Wang Chung]

Deadlifts are best done on back days. This is mainly becuase on leg days you should be starting w/ squats and most find it very hard to do deadlifts and squats on the same day w/out giving up weight/intinsity....

That's what I thought, but every website I've read (including bodybuilding.com) says that deadlifts work mainly the quads, with hams, glutes, and lower back being the secondary muscles. I guess I'm worried about overtraining the quads without much benefit to the actual back. Is this fear justified?

[jigga365]

I do SLDL on leg day and regular Deadlifts on back day.

I do the SLDL after the squats and lunges. Also do leg extensions prior to sldl to really kill the quads and make sure i'm mainly using the hamstring and glutes.

[R2S_RETURNS]

That's what I thought, but every website I've read (including bodybuilding.com) says that deadlifts work mainly the quads, with hams, glutes, and lower back being the secondary muscles. I guess I'm worried about overtraining the quads without much benefit to the actual back. Is this fear justified?

Read that thread I posted bro it'll help, a lot of good info from informed members.

Try rack pulls to eliminate the leg part of the movement and you can then concentrate on the back and trap contraction.

R2S

[Chi3f]

I do SLDL on leg day and regular Deadlifts on back day.

I do the SLDL after the squats and lunges. Also do leg extensions prior to sldl to really kill the quads and make sure i'm mainly using the hamstring and glutes.

Same here, same order!

[AniMaLizTik]

I do deads on leg day, either before or after squats.

If you are doing the deadlift with good form, you incorporate A LOT of leg drive. Your back only comes into play during the last 2/3rds of the ROM, which is fine because 3-4 days after that is my heavy back day. If my lower back is 100%, I'll do deads then, too.

people say "oh, just do rack pulls to eliminate the legs..." wtf, so these ppl never do a real deadlifts?

[rockhuddy]

I do deads on leg day, either before or after squats.

If you are doing the deadlift with good form, you incorporate A LOT of leg drive. Your back only comes into play during the last 2/3rds of the ROM, which is fine because 3-4 days after that is my heavy back day. If my lower back is 100%, I'll do deads then, too.

people say "oh, just do rack pulls to eliminate the legs..." wtf, so these ppl never do a real deadlifts?

Deads and squats on the same day? Those are the 2 "biggest" lifts I can think of. If I did that I'd suck on whatever I did second.

[R2S_RETURNS]

I do deads on leg day, either before or after squats.

If you are doing the deadlift with good form, you incorporate A LOT of leg drive. Your back only comes into play during the last 2/3rds of the ROM, which is fine because 3-4 days after that is my heavy back day. If my lower back is 100%, I'll do deads then, too.

people say "oh, just do rack pulls to eliminate the legs..." wtf, so these ppl never do a real deadlifts?

Hello again mate

Rack Pulls would be an alternative to eliminate the legs (there can be no debate there) but full deadlifts could be used on leg day if you were to take a little focus off of squats or on back day if you leave enough space between back and leg day. IMHO

Peace
R2S

[Hola Bola]

Another option would be to split your leg workouts into a quad-emphasized one. and a hamstring-emphasized one. Throw in Traps with your hamstring-emphasized workout, and you've got yourself a deadlift day.

[Wang Chung]

Another option would be to split your leg workouts into a quad-emphasized one. and a hamstring-emphasized one. Throw in Traps with your hamstring-emphasized workout, and you've got yourself a deadlift day.

But, much like the squat, doesn't the deadlift primarily work the quad? So why would you do DLs on a hamstring day?

[SM373]

I do deadlifts and squats in the same day.

I do squats first, then deads right after (after a 5-10 min rest to recover).

My back day is jammed as it is and moving deads to my leg day hasn't compromised the exercise at all.

I think it's more of a question of what you want to get out of your deads. I mainly focus on legs through the exercise and am not concerned about lifting extremely heavy on deads, so it works out ok for me. If you want to go 100% out on deads, don't do what I just described.

[dsoul27]

But, much like the squat, doesn't the deadlift primarily work the quad? So why would you do DLs on a hamstring day?

A SLDL works the Ham, it gives it a good strecth

[lionheart21]

Back day

[Hola Bola]

But, much like the squat, doesn't the deadlift primarily work the quad? So why would you do DLs on a hamstring day?

I dont feel my quads working at all during deadlifts. I think the emphasis is placed more on the hamstrings and glutes, which is why I do deadlifts on hamstring day.

[Flex500]

here is the thing, I want deads to work my back, and deads have cuased my back to grow like nothing else out there. But I am only 5'7" when I do deads, I honestly only feel my legs working just a little bit. I feel deads from my neck to the top of my a*s mostly.

Now my buddy on the other hand is 6'3" he has to squat way way far down to deadlift and when he deadlifts you can see his quads and hams really working. It is not like that for me at all doing deads.

My only advice to you is do whatever you want on leg day but you should really do rack pulls or deads on back day. Pullups, rows, yeah they are great great exercises. But your back will never grow to it's fullest, IMO, without heavy deads or rack pulls.

I just don't think their is any kind of row, pullup. pulldown, etc. that can take the place of pounding out 4,5,6 or 7 hundred pound deadlifts.

[Flex500]

also, whats the big deal if your legs get a little extra work on back day?? If your doing more than one leg workout a week I understand but otherwise it should be fine. For instance I do back monday and legs thursday. I do every bodypart once a week. So to me that little bit of extra leg work doing deads on monday is just a bonus.

[zfan88]

here is the thing, I want deads to work my back, and deads have cuased my back to grow like nothing else out there. But I am only 5'7" when I do deads, I honestly only feel my legs working just a little bit. I feel deads from my neck to the top of my a*s mostly.

Now my buddy on the other hand is 6'3" he has to squat way way far down to deadlift and when he deadlifts you can see his quads and hams really working. It is not like that for me at all doing deads.

My only advice to you is do whatever you want on leg day but you should really do rack pulls or deads on back day. Pullups, rows, yeah they are great great exercises. But your back will never grow to it's fullest, IMO, without heavy deads or rack pulls.

I just don't think their is any kind of row, pullup. pulldown, etc. that can take the place of pounding out 4,5,6 or 7 hundred pound deadlifts.

That's how I am with deads being 6'4. My legs are used to much, and I can't bring my back into play like I want without rounding, so I don't do them. Just rack pull, which work better IMO.

[MantisShrimp]

upper2 off squats1 off upper1 off off
squats2 off upper1 off squats1 off off
upper2 off squats1 off upper1 off off
squats2 off upper1* off deadlifts1 off off

1 Strength
2 Dynamic
*minus rack pulls

i call it conjugate pseudo-dc
upper2s may become upper1 based on intensity tolerance and recovery
the most important element is the introductions of dynamic squat day
and the introduction of the monthly deadlifts in place of both rack pull and squat

[$AJ]

could be either, but i would put preference towards back day.

[Flex500]

That's how I am with deads being 6'4. My legs are used to much, and I can't bring my back into play like I want without rounding, so I don't do them. Just rack pull, which work better IMO.

yeah I can for sure see how rack pulls would be more useful for you being so tall.

[Wang Chung]

here is the thing, I want deads to work my back, and deads have cuased my back to grow like nothing else out there. But I am only 5'7" when I do deads, I honestly only feel my legs working just a little bit. I feel deads from my neck to the top of my a*s mostly.

Now my buddy on the other hand is 6'3" he has to squat way way far down to deadlift and when he deadlifts you can see his quads and hams really working. It is not like that for me at all doing deads.

My only advice to you is do whatever you want on leg day but you should really do rack pulls or deads on back day. Pullups, rows, yeah they are great great exercises. But your back will never grow to it's fullest, IMO, without heavy deads or rack pulls.

I just don't think their is any kind of row, pullup. pulldown, etc. that can take the place of pounding out 4,5,6 or 7 hundred pound deadlifts.

Thanks for that. Me being 5'9" tall, I'll have to try DLs first and see if they work my quads too much. If so, I'll try rack pulls.

For hypertrophy, how does this back routine look?

DL or Rack Pull: 4 x 8-10
BB Row: 3 x 8-10
Pullups: 3 x 8

[$AJ]

Thanks for that. Me being 5'9" tall, I'll have to try DLs first and see if they work my quads too much. If so, I'll try rack pulls.

For hypertrophy, how does this back routine look?

DL or Rack Pull: 4 x 8-10
BB Row: 3 x 8-10
Pullups: 3 x 8

i would swap rows and pullups around.

[formerlibero]

i feel normal deadlifts mostly in my lower back. as for stiff legged deadlifts, i feel those mostly in my hamstrings. so maybe you can do both, regular dl's on back days and sldl on leg days.

[Wang Chung]

i would swap rows and pullups around.

OK, that seems like a good idea. Anything you would add after BB rows? Or is that enough?

[superhombre2k]

I do deads on Tuesdays with back and SLDL's on Friday with legs.

[aqua-beowulf]

I do SLDL on leg day and regular Deadlifts on back day.

I do the SLDL after the squats and lunges. Also do leg extensions prior to sldl to really kill the quads and make sure i'm mainly using the hamstring and glutes.

I used to do the same thing... but I've recently decided to split my quad and ham training into two different days... I love it.

[Doenitz79]

I don't do full range deadlifts,I do partial deadlifts and they are during my back workout.

[zfan88]

I used to do the same thing... but I've recently decided to split my quad and ham training into two different days... I love it.

How did you split them up? Just curious. I was thinking about this as well.