How often do you deadlift?

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Replies

  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
    When I was doing RPT, I did deads 3x/week. it's all a matter of programming, to be honest. Bob Peoples pulled to a max single every day, and pulled 725 at 180 lbs with a double pronated grip.

    Not to derail the thread, but how did you find RPT? Not the Martin version? Something of your own devising?

    I started with Berkhan's program, but found that his split routine is probably better suited to someone way leaner than I was at the time (it would probably be a great recomp/pure aesthetics routine, but the volume was too low for me personally). I stumbled onto Andy Morgan's site, which is basically a "leangains for people who find Martin to be TL;DR" and liked his RPT Big 3 routine, which really is nothing dramatic or really even particularly clever. It's just squat/bench/deadlift every other day, with an RPT structure.

    I tend to do pretty well on autoregulated programs like RPT, GZCL Method, or this Bulgarian Method I'm trying right now, particularly while I'm cutting. Being in a deficit makes it a bit more challenging for me to follow a prescribed set/rep/% program. Any of these systems let me push myself to my capacity on a day by day basis, which, I think, brings us back around to being on-topic. You can pull as often as you can pull. Some people can do it daily (likely genetic outliers, obviously). Some are successful with doing it twice a month.

    My main piece of advice would be: if you want to pull with more frequency, take care not to miss reps. A missed rep on a deadlift is a seriously stressing affair for your body. Leave one in the tank.

    I'm also not a fan of missed reps on any compound lifts. I think you can train yourself to fail if you fail all the time. I'd rather keep progressing (no matter how slowly...). You keep greasing the groove by succeeding at the movement - reinforcing the pattern in the nervous system. I want to stay away from reinforcing failure!

    So I guess I agree: if you can pull multiple times a week without grinding yourself into dust, constantly missing lifts or stalling out quickly then you should go for it. I know I'd keel over in about 3 weeks of it though....

    Interesting how we all flourish on different types of routines though, isn't it? Guess once you get beyond the cookie-cutter stage, we're all special snowflakes, after all!

    To take it back OT again momentarily, the Bulgarian method: is that the olympic lifting programme?
  • Huffdogg
    Huffdogg Posts: 1,934 Member
    The original Bulgarian Method most people are familiar with is an oly lifting program, yeah. Several modifications of it are out there designed for more strength/PL-oriented lifting, however. I am currrently trying one such program. It's really pretty simple. You set a "minimum" weight for yourself for each lift which is the max you can hit on your worst day; the top end of what you know you could do no matter how you felt (injury/illness aside, ofc). Every day, you work up to that weight and see how you feel with singles at or above it. Hit a solid daily max for 1-5 singles at whatever you feel good for THAT DAY, then maybe a little backoff work (-10% for a couple of doubles, for instance). Then you're done.

    Right now I'm doing a squat, either bp or ohp, and a light upper back pull (chin ups, high pulls, etc) every day. Only 5 days in so far, but I am enjoying myself.
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
    The original Bulgarian Method most people are familiar with is an oly lifting program, yeah. Several modifications of it are out there designed for more strength/PL-oriented lifting, however. I am currrently trying one such program. It's really pretty simple. You set a "minimum" weight for yourself for each lift which is the max you can hit on your worst day; the top end of what you know you could do no matter how you felt (injury/illness aside, ofc). Every day, you work up to that weight and see how you feel with singles at or above it. Hit a solid daily max for 1-5 singles at whatever you feel good for THAT DAY, then maybe a little backoff work (-10% for a couple of doubles, for instance). Then you're done.

    Right now I'm doing a squat, either bp or ohp, and a light upper back pull (chin ups, high pulls, etc) every day. Only 5 days in so far, but I am enjoying myself.

    Sounds very similar to the sort of programme Dan John would put together. Sounds good! I'd be interested in how it shakes out for you in the longer term?
  • Showcase_Brodown
    Showcase_Brodown Posts: 919 Member
    No more than once a week for me. They really take it out of me, more than any other lift, and it seems to take a week before I feel like I am ready for them again.
  • Huffdogg
    Huffdogg Posts: 1,934 Member
    Sounds very similar to the sort of programme Dan John would put together. Sounds good! I'd be interested in how it shakes out for you in the longer term?

    Dan John's philosophies are certainly referenced in the book I read about this training style. As are Broz and a handful of other notorious daily lifters.
  • amastre
    amastre Posts: 176 Member
    Once a week for heavy deadlifts, but some variation of them is usually tossed into my barbell complexes for conditioning at a really light weight at least one other time a week.
  • Elektrolyfe
    Elektrolyfe Posts: 151 Member
    Once a week.
  • Mr_Excitement
    Mr_Excitement Posts: 833 Member
    Once a week. I've always hated deadlifts. They wear me out. :P
  • xombiebite
    xombiebite Posts: 276 Member
    i used to work at a funeral home so like a lot.
  • Lozz68
    Lozz68 Posts: 13 Member
    Twice: -

    One heavy day & one day of speed deficits after squatting

    I <3 Deadlifts!!! Favorite lift
  • jayche
    jayche Posts: 1,128 Member
    Once a week or never, deadlift is by far my strongest lift and I'm really just catching up my other lifts to it.
  • kathleenjoyful
    kathleenjoyful Posts: 210 Member
    I'm following what the program says, so one week you will do deadlifts 1x and the next week 2x. Also per the program you ony do one set, not 5.

    Same
  • caseys29
    caseys29 Posts: 63 Member
    Wow, I didn't realize the 5x5 program only calls for one set of deadlifts! I'm not following it, but I do all the lifts in it plus others. I was working on my deadlift form using just the bar last week and did 3 sets of 12 and 1 set of 8 and was absolutely exhausted. I was really disappointed with myself for being so tired, but maybe I shouldn't have been!
  • teaparty75
    teaparty75 Posts: 170
    Wow, I didn't realize the 5x5 program only calls for one set of deadlifts! I'm not following it, but I do all the lifts in it plus others. I was working on my deadlift form using just the bar last week and did 3 sets of 12 and 1 set of 8 and was absolutely exhausted. I was really disappointed with myself for being so tired, but maybe I shouldn't have been!

    i didn't realize that either at first but the deadlift is my fav so i've been doing 5x5 twice a week - 2 warmup sets then 3 working sets ...i'm about 5 weeks in going strong but i promised myself to pay attention to my body and fall back if i start hurting or anything
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,329 Member
    Wow, I didn't realize the 5x5 program only calls for one set of deadlifts! I'm not following it, but I do all the lifts in it plus others. I was working on my deadlift form using just the bar last week and did 3 sets of 12 and 1 set of 8 and was absolutely exhausted. I was really disappointed with myself for being so tired, but maybe I shouldn't have been!

    i didn't realize that either at first but the deadlift is my fav so i've been doing 5x5 twice a week - 2 warmup sets then 3 working sets ...i'm about 5 weeks in going strong but i promised myself to pay attention to my body and fall back if i start hurting or anything

    yeah i'm not doing strong lifts because i'm also working on pullups and olympic lifts and mobility drills, things that arent included in the program but i like doing.

    monday is deadlift/posterior chain day and i once again feel into a deadlift coma afterwards :laugh: i think for the moment i'll focus on 1 day of heavy deadlifts (5 sets of 5).

    i :heart: deadlifts .. i need that on a tshirt :laugh:

    ETA: close enough http://www.lookhuman.com/design/29900-shut-up-and-deadlift

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