Some curiosity about deadlifts

amandarawr06

Hi all!

I am mostly curious about your experience with deadlifts. I began doing them for the first time a few months ago using 20lbs dumbbells. After getting more comfortable with the form and seeking a trail with a trainer to ensure I was doing them correctly, I began using a bar and am now doing 115lbs. I am doing 2 sets of 5 reps.

So I have a few questions about your experiences:
1. Do you find it is more important/helpful/exciting to do more reps or higher weight?
2. How quickly have you been able to advance with heavier weights?
3. How often a week do you do them? I really enjoy them but I don't want to overdo it.
4. I have seen videos and people doing the deadlift with both hands facing the same way on the bar and some with one hand under the bar and one hand over top of the bar... does this make a difference or just personal preference?

anubis609

To answer your questions:

1. Progressive overload applies to all of those: increased reps/sets/weights; improved form/speed/technique, etc. So they're all useful to one degree or another.


2. People usually advance quickly in the beginning and tends to reduce as time goes on. It becomes apparent when strength potential and growth are limited by experience and training. Where following a program or coach who utilizes progressive overload to get lifters to increase weight on the bar.


3. Do them as often as your program/coach tells you. It's not usually programmed to deadlift frequently, but intensity counts for much more than frequency anyway.


4. This is both preference and a pulling technique to provide an edge where grip becomes a limiting factor.

Some people prefer to lift with a conventional pronated grip (hands over the bar and palms facing back) for equal tension on both sides, though grip strength limits how long you can hold heavy weight before it rolls out of your fingers.

Mixed grip (one hand over, one hand under) somewhat gets passed the grip strength problem since the bar essentially stops rolling (or rolls in both directions, creating a stop), but does not necessarily mean a lifter could lift more, it is still limited by actual grip strength, but some people feel it creates an imbalance, which may be true if lat activation is unequal.

Chieflrg

1. Rep range isn't a set amount to a experience range, but an individual and how they personally respond and recover to the given volume/stress within a template. Novel lifters can get away with sets across, while advanced lifters have to be more creative to progress. Adding a set or increasing intensity has it's place. It's easier to add weight with novel lifters so that is a good route if you are governing the appropriate weight. Advanced lifters will benefit from adding a set early on.
2. Define heavy. I program on exertion so everything feels heavy from when I pulled 135 for five or advanced to 495 for five. Heavy doesn't have a set number it's a feeling in relation to your ability.
3. I train deads two to three times a week depending on where I'm at in my block and what my focus is. Novel lifters can get away with once a week while advanced lifters have to get creative to undergo the necessary stress to progress. If you are progressing, no need to do more for short term results. Very hard to overdo any lift as your body will only allow what you are adapted to.
4. It makes no difference other than what allows you to get in the best position and hold the working weight. I usually have my novel lifters start with double overhand for a few weeks. Then I start introducing either mixed or hook grip(advanced double overhand) in a small capacity to prepare them for long term and develop grip strength. Mixed grip has a tendency to allow the barbell to windmill at near maximum weight for some. While double overhand and hook seems to be more balanced for those who windmill. I personally prefer hook grip as it is more reliable for me.

jesselee10

In addition to what the first two posters said, as far as grip, most conventional gyms do not have traditional daadlift bars or ones thinner so it is harder to do hook grip since some women’s hands are small. I would prefer to hook grip vs mixed grip but can’t at my gym. I have been using lifting straps lately with more volume sets as that makes my lifts more even.

I started out a couple years ago doing 175 lbs for a few reps and now my 1 rep max is 340. I took some time off in that period so not consistently training it. Now I’m doing a ton of volume and seeing great results and will get back into heavier sets in a month or so. Switched from conventional to sumo as well because of body composition (legs long and arms shorter). Conventional lifting made my back hurt, but sumos feel more right for my body shape and I feel little back pain.

amandarawr06

Thanks everyone!! I appreciate the insights and I look forward to continuing my progression with them!