I’ve stopped making progress with the deadlift and I can’t figure out why?

[afterbluegreen]

The PPL program I’ve been following for the past 6-7 months instructs to do deadlifts 1x5 once a week (with barbell rows replacing the deadlift on the other pull day of the week).

Recently, for a month or so, I’ve plateaued at 85kg / 187lbs. I’ll just barely get out 3-4 reps but can’t reach 5 and I’ll make up the difference in a second set.

Am I making a mistake somewhere? I try to keep my back from rounding, try not to “squat” with my legs and try to keep the movements steady. I keep an eye on my weight weekly and make sure to eat enough protein + eat above my TDEE so I’m gaining weight.

Should I lower the weight but go for higher reps? I’m frustrated that I haven’t been able to make deadlifting progress recently.

[TolerantLactose]

Am I making a mistake somewhere?

Settling on PPL was your mistake. In just a few weeks, you've asked about improving pull ups, to improving your biceps/triceps to wanting cut down volume so you can add more cardio. Now you want to know why you're stalling on deadlift. Figure out what you actually want.

[afterbluegreen]

Settling on PPL was your mistake. In just a few weeks, you've asked about improving pull ups, to improving your biceps/triceps to wanting cut down volume so you can add more cardio. Now you want to know why you're stalling on deadlift. Figure out what you actually want.

I want to get stronger. PPL isn’t good for improving strength?

[superman704]

Bro...

[afterbluegreen]

Bro...

Is there something obvious I’m missing? I just want to stop being weak...

[rjthegreat10]

Do at least 3 sets of 5 for deadlifts

[BeginnerGainz]

You’re working out 6 times a week and wondering why you aren’t improving?

Tongue in cheek comment aside….

Maybe take a break from deadlifts from the floor and do harder variations.

Snatch grip, stiff leg, good mornings if you hate yourself enough…

Then come back to them in a month or so.

[EliKoehn]

It takes time. Good suggestion above. You have to have a long-term mentality to see long-term progress.

You could do variations or target individual muscles involved in the deadlift, or you could simply change your programming with the deadlift itself. One set per week is hardly very much honestly. You could do 5 x 5 or 3 x 5 once a week instead and I bet you'd see it moving forward in fairly short order.

[air2fakie]

I play one game of tennis once a week for the last 6-7 months. I'm not getting better at it & can't figure out why. I play a whole bunch of other sports every day of the week too.

[afterbluegreen]

(I’m bumping this thread because I’m guessing this is a stupid question and it doesn’t need it’s own separate thread)

I’m trying to make sure my deadlift form is as close to good as possible, so I’ve been looking at YouTube videos and Instagram videos (like the old 2008 video in the How To Deadlift thread on this board)

Is this video a good resource for learning deadlifting form? (apparently I don’t have enough posts on here to post messages with links yet)

youtu.be slash ytGaGIn3SjE

[air2fakie]

I’m trying to make sure my deadlift form is as close to good as possible, so I’ve been looking at YouTube videos and Instagram videos (like the old 2008 video in the How To Deadlift thread on this board)

Is this video a good resource for learning deadlifting form? (apparently I don’t have enough posts on here to post messages with links yet)

youtu.be slash ytGaGIn3SjE

For a form check, it's more useful to post a video of you doing DL rather than someone else.

[paulinkansas]

I tried a PPLPPLrest repeat. It about killed me after 3 weeks. I also eat raw meat and leftovers that have been sitting on a table overnight without any issues. I eat raw eggs too. But I can't do a PPLPPLrest.

[GeneralSerpant]

I liked the video. I feel like all the different instructions are going to depend on what your specific shortcomings are in execution. MMC techniques often never worked for me, though all his points of criteria for the lift seem fine and I agree with.

[HagansFitness]

without seeing a video of your deadlift it's hard to say what the problem is. Maybe it isn't the deadlift form thats the issue; it could be a lagging muscle group.

[TAWS6]

Ohhh beginners running push pull legs. You can’t stop it. Let it burn. Let it burn.

[EliKoehn]

Ohhh beginners running push pull legs. You can’t stop it. Let it burn. Let it burn.

Why is that split popular? I'm actually curious. It's more fun to pair agonist movements IMO, too.

[air2fakie]

Why is that split popular? I'm actually curious. It's more fun to pair agonist movements IMO, too.

Because six days a week means more volume which means more gains, right? Because I want to get huge as fast as possible, and anything less would be leaving gains on the table, right?

[EliKoehn]

Because six days a week means more volume which means more gains, right? Because I want to get huge as fast as possible, and anything less would be leaving gains on the table, right?

Ah, maybe that's it... And I think that high volume is popular for two main reasons: one, because it's instantly gratifying in a small way at light weight because anyone can do it from day one and is not intimidating in the same way as challenging weight progression, and also because of chasing that pump.

Still though, for an intermediate/advanced lifter, it's probably not inherently bad, even if U/L is pretty clearly better overall. I would just find it boring, personally.

[air2fakie]

Ah, maybe that's it... And I think that high volume is popular for two main reasons: one, because it's instantly gratifying in a small way at light weight because anyone can do it from day one and is not intimidating in the same way as challenging weight progression, and also because of chasing that pump.

Still though, for an intermediate/advanced lifter, it's probably not inherently bad, even if U/L is pretty clearly better overall. I would just find it boring, personally.

PPL is fine for any level as long as you make the volume suitable for you and want to spend as much time in the gym as possible.

[EliKoehn]

PPL is fine for any level as long as you make the volume suitable for you and want to spend as much time in the gym as possible.

Also it would be rather hard to deadlift and then squat the following day, over and over (unless deadlift is grouped with legs, but then removing it from "pull" would be quite counterintuitive).

[paulinkansas]

8 sets a week per bodypart works for me. You might need somewhere between 6 and 10. Follow the Fierce 5 beginners program, or the AllPro.

[air2fakie]

Also it would be rather hard to deadlift and then squat the following day, over and over (unless deadlift is grouped with legs, but then removing it from "pull" would be quite counterintuitive).

Maybe for some people, but you can still program around that with volume/intensity changes or variations between the different push and pull days. But yeah, if your goal is powerlifting, PPL probably isn’t what you would run.

[TAWS6]

Meh. When I’m lifting hard my lifts get pretty high for my weight class. I’ll never run a full blown ppl again. It’s completely inferior to ULPPL. For someone who can’t survive an upper day maybe they need a ppl split… that’s less than 1 percent of lifters and at that point specialization is better anyways.. but you have to do what you enjoy right ?

[air2fakie]

Meh. When I’m lifting hard my lifts get pretty high for my weight class. I’ll never run a full blown ppl again. It’s completely inferior to ULPPL. For someone who can’t survive an upper day maybe… that’s less than 1 percent of lifters.

My point is that even you could do just as well with a PPL if you programmed it to suit yourself, but you personally just wouldn’t run it because you probably could get similar results in just 4 or 5 days/week on an UL, ULPPL or something else. So in the end it’d be less efficient for you.

[GeneralSerpant]

Also it would be rather hard to deadlift and then squat the following day, over and over (unless deadlift is grouped with legs, but then removing it from "pull" would be quite counterintuitive).

It doesn't sound like anything you can't put on a periodization schedule.

[EliKoehn]

Maybe for some people, but you can still program around that with volume/intensity changes or variations between the different push and pull days. But yeah, if your goal is powerlifting, PPL probably isn’t what you would run.

It doesn't sound like anything you can't put on a periodization schedule.

Quite possibly. I imagine that progression would be more difficult managed in such a way, but it might work. In fact, it might actually be better tailored for people who lead busier lives and don't have as much time for a more thorough session. High-frequency, low-volume stuff doesn't seem to shine much here.

Again, I would just find it boring, and have enough free time to spend hours lifting. That's definitely not a luxury everyone has, though.

[Nicky161200]

Yeah PPL will mess you up if you aren't at least intermediate.

I ran that for like 5 months when my lifts weren't even close to intermediate level. Just ended up stalling a ton. Thought I was built different... lol.

[dcourson]

The idea that you are "leaving gains on the table" if you don't work out every day is inherently false simply because your body can only build so much muscle. Instead of building it in the right places for heavier lifts, your muscle growth is being distributed everywhere. Sometimes that is good. But over time it is bad, because we don't grow forever. It's not like you will one day be the size of the incredible hulk, if you just keep maximizing your gains.

[TAWS6]

The idea that you are "leaving gains on the table" if you don't work out every day is inherently false .

Yes. How are you red? Going to fix that