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DEADLIFT PROGRAM
The greatest test of strength? Picking s**t up and putting it down. That’s
right, we talkin’ deadlifts. This program focuses on bringing your deadlift up in just 30 days. This program may be short, but it is anything but sweet.
While following this program, we suggest dialing back your heavy skwaat training so you
don’t go into these intense deadlift sessions compromised or under-recovered. This is a
two-day-a-week deadlift program that’s going to involve heavy deadlifts and speed deadlifts. The purpose of the heavy loads is to put your body in uncomfortable situations and
subject your Central Nervous System (CNS) to training with heavy loads. The speed deadlifts are to help you pull faster right off the floor as well as perfect your technique. For your
body to be prepared to hit a PR, it needs to make adaptations to heavy a$$ weight (ie. get
more STrongerest), and learn how to be fast from the floor all the way through to lock out.
In this 6 week program we’re going to gradually escalate the work from week to week. “Do
More. [Deadlift] more.”, right? We’ll start with a 4 week block of deadlift work and deadlift
specific accessory exercises that are going to be what get s you stronger. The first 2 weeks
of the 4 week block will be tough but manageable. Once you get used to that workload we
are going to ramp up the intensity and volume just a bit in weeks 3 and 4. Week 5 will a rest
week and then you’ll be ready to hit your PR in week 6! Once you get used to that workload,
MONDAYS
(DAY 1)
Mondays (Day 1) will be our Heavy Day. We want to go into each heavy day as recovered
as possible so that we get the most out of these heavy training sessions. If you don’t
train on Mondays, try to have at least two recovery days prior to deadlifting on whatever
day is going to be your heavy day. Even though our week finishes up with deadlifting,
it’s a lighter version of deadlifting, so it will be easier to recover from.
That being said, still give yourself about two days worth of recovery between your Speed
Day and your Heavy Day. On Mondays, we will do a deficit deadlift: stand on something
up to 1-2 inches off the ground (mats or a 45-lb. plate). This technique will increase the
range of motion of the lift, and will make the movement a little more difficult. We will use
the deficit deadlift to develop greater leg drive off the floor during the initial pull. You
can’t have a strong deadlift if it never leaves the floor.
Watch this video on how to set up a deficit deadlift.
THURSDAYS
(DAY 2)
Thursdays (Day 2) will be our Speed Day. The purpose of speed work is to increase our
acceleration through the floor and maximizing form through multiple sets and reps at a
submaximal weight. Although these weights will be lighter, this day should be intense,
explosive and performed with purpose. There is a famous saying from Louie Simmons,
“You can’t lift heavy weights slow” and he’s right. The more time we spend straining and
trying to grind through a weight, the more likely our muscles will tire out and be unable
to complete the lift.
When stepping up to the bar on each set of speed deadlifts, think about two things: 1)
Push the floor down through your feet and 2) don’t slow down on your pull. Keep that
speed going even towards the lockout. You know you’re doing your speed work right
when your last set of speed deadlifts is just as fast as your first set.
KEYS TO SUCCESS
THROUGHOUT THE PROGRAM:
1) Eat
2) Sleep
3) Drink water
4) Stop being an asshole. Stop wasting time hanging
out with friends drinking too much or smoking.
Pay attention and buckle down.
The reason why you downloaded this program in the first place was to be STronger.
You can’t just be STrong in the weight room and live a weak lifestyle, because building
strength doesn’t work that way. Strength needs to be a priority for the next few weeks
in order for you to make progress. Don’t be like everyone else. Don’t be the guy who
gave up halfway. At the end of 6 weeks, when you’ve completed this program and you
have a new PR deadlift then you can have a drink and it will be on me. Charge it to the
People’s Coach!
This following is the warm up for both of your deadlift days over the next 6 weeks...
WARM-UP
1. HIP CIRCLE WARM-UP
Wear a Hip Circle for 6-8 minutes. Walk forwards, backwards, side to side, perform squats with it, and
even leave it on for your first few sets of deadlifts. Just take it off when you can’t stand it anymore.
2. BARBELL WARM-UP
From the strongest person to the weakest person in the gym, everyone always warms up with light
weights. I suggest you do the same. Start your warm-up by doing a set of 10 reps with just the 45 lb
bar.
NOTE: In our warm-up, we want to conserve energy for the main working sets, so we don’t need to
do tons of reps here. As the weights go up, the reps are going to come down.
This warm up was inspired by my boy, Matt Wenning, who’s a former All-Time World Record holder in
powerlifting. This warm-up is designed to help you get blood flow and activation to the muscles you
1
Hip Circle Walk: 4x10-10-10-10 (forwards - backwards, side step left - side step right)
(forwards - backwards)
(side step left - side step right)
2
Lying Leg Curl: 4x25 (Keep weight light. Do not strain any reps.)
3
Decline Crunch/Weighted Sit Up (pause in different spots with heavy A$$ weight): 4x25
4
45 Degree Back Ext: 4x25
WEIGHT SELECTION
The most crucial part of this program is selecting
your weights appropriately.
How you should select your weights:
You need to look at the percentages as if they represent the level of effort and struggle
that you’re going to experience during the workout. For example, let’s take 80% of your
1 rep max, and if you’re not a numbers person like me, that looks like a level 8/10 of difficulty. You don’t need to use a calculator in order to make it work––you can judge it by
yourself on a scale from 1-10.
Each training session should utilize the principle of
light/medium/heavy for your working sets.
PERCENTAGES:
Light: 65-70%
Medium: 75-80%
Heavy: 85-90%
RPE
For those using the RPE 1-10 challenge
level scale:
Light: 6-7
Medium: 7-8
Heavy: 8-9
SAMPLE WORKOUT
(For an individual who deadlifts 315lbs)
Empty bar x10 reps
135 lbs. x 5 reps
185 lbs. 5 reps
Working sets:
220 lbs. x 6 reps (Light/70%)
255 lbs. x 6 reps (Medium/80%)
255 lbs. x 6 reps (Medium/80%)
Week 1:
Mondays (Day 1)
3 sets x 6 reps – Deficit Deadlift – Light, Medium, Medium
Accessory Work:
-Bent Over Row: 4x10 (Heavy)
-Pull Ups/Pull Down: 4x15
-DB RDL: 4x10
-GHR: 4x10
Superset:
-DB Side Bend: 4x10 (Heavy)
-DB Farmer Walk: 4x25yrds (Heavy)
Thursdays (Day 2)
6 sets x 1 rep – Speed Deadlift – @ 65%
Accessory Work:
-Stiff Leg Deadlift: 3-4x10
-Leg Curl: 4x15
-45 Degree Back Ext: 4x20
Superset:
- Paused Shrugs: 4x10
- Bent Over DB Rows: 4x15
Superset:
- Plank: 3x1 min
- Side Plank: 3x30s (Each Side)
Week 2:
Mondays (Day 1)
3 sets x 4 reps – Deficit Deadlift – Medium, Medium, Heavy
Accessory Work:
-1 Arm DB Row: 5x10 (Heavy as possible with good form)
-Pull Ups/Pull Down: 5x10+
-DB RDL: 5x10
-GHR: 5x10
Superset:
-DB Side Bend: 5x10
-Barbell Suitcase Hold: 5x15s (Heavy)
Thursdays (Day 2)
8 sets x 1 rep – Speed Deadlift – 70%
Accessory Work:
-Stiff Leg Deadlift: 5x10
-GHR: 5x10
-45 Degree Back Ext.: 5x20
Superset:
-Paused Shrugs: 5x10
-Bent Over Barbell Rows: 5x15
Superset:
-Plank: 5x1 min
-Side Plank: 5x30s (Each Side)
Week 3:
Mondays (Day 1)
3 sets x 3 reps – Deficit Deadlift –
­ Medium, Heavy, Heavy
Accessory Work:
-Bent Over Row: 4x8 (Heavy)
-Chest Supported Rows: 4x10
-Pull Ups/Pull Down: 4x15
-DB RDL: 4x8
-GHR: 4x12
Superset:
-Cable Side Bend: 4x10 (Heavy)
-DB Farmer Walk: 4x25yrds (Heavy)
Thursdays (Day 2)
10 sets x 1 rep – Speed Deadlift – 75%
Accessory Work:
-Stiff Leg Deadlift: 4x10
-DB Step Up: 4x10 (each leg)
-Leg Curl: 4x15
-45 Degree Back Ext: 4x20
Superset:
-Paused Shrugs: 4x10
-Bent Over DB Rows: 4x15
Superset:
-Plank: 5x1 min
-Side Plank: 5x30s (Each Side)
Week 4:
Mondays (Day 1)
3 sets x 2 reps – Deficit Deadlift – Heavy, Heavy, Heavy
Accessory Work:
-Bent Over Row: 5x8 (Heavy)
-Chest Supported DB Rows: 5x10
-Pull Ups/Pull Down: 5x15
-DB RDL: 5x8
-GHR: 5x12
Superset:
-DB Side Bend: 5x10 (Heavy)
-Barbell Suitcase Hold: 5x10s (Heavy)
Thursdays (Day 2)
8 sets x 1 rep – Speed Deadlift – 70%
Accessory Work:
Stiff Leg Deadlift: 5x10
DB Step Up: 5x10
Leg Curl: 5x15
45 Degree Back Ext.: 5x20
Superset:
Paused Shrugs: 5x10
Bent Over Barbell Rows: 5x15
Superset:
Plank: 5x1 min
Side Plank: 5x30s (Each Side)
Week 5 + 6:
Rest and test week:
Here are two things I want you to do during week 5 and 6:
1) You will take 5-7 days off from deadlifting completely; Friday through the following Sunday. Continue to lift, but don’t do any deadlifting and keep your skwaats
light. Just go into the gym and get some blood flow to the lower body, but don’t do
anything crazy. You want to give your CNS time to recover for the big PR coming
up.
During this rest week try to catch up on some sleep.
TIPS:
• Set an alarm to go to bed just like you would to wake up. Netflix is great, but
your PR is better.
• Keep eating to be STrong. Make sure you are getting in enough calories to support your training and maintain size. No mid training cycle cuts.
• Visualize the PR you’re going to hit on test day. Visualize what the bar is going
to look like on the platform. Visualize what the plates are going to look like all
lined up next to each other.
• Think about how you are going to step up to the bar, how the chalk feels on
your hands, how the cold steel feels against your shins. Visualize all this and
prepare your mind to go to war with the bar.
2) On testing day, don’t eat anything weird. Don’t do anything drastically different
than what your body is already used to. Perform the same warm up, and make the
same weight jumps just as you would on any other day.
Week 5:
Rest
Week 6:
Monday: Test
Example test for someone who deadlifts 315 lbs.
Warm up to 50% using doubles, utilizing singles for the remaining jumps.
Your first PR attempt should be an additional 1-5% of your former max.
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FAQ:
What do I do if the weight feels too heavy?
If the weights feel like a ton of bricks for the day, you may need to use the lower percentage.
For example, instead of using 80% for medium, use 75%.
Sometimes we have to use less weight than we anticipated. Have the courage to bring the
weight down slightly and complete all your sets and reps with perfect technique. This happens
in all aspects of fitness and in life. Sometimes we have to take steps backward to go forward.
What do I do if I miss a lift?
B*TCH PLEASE. Don’t. Just don’t. You should not miss any lifts during this program. Have the
courage and disicpline to lower the weight if it feels too heavy. Second, by making sure that
your sleep, nutrition, hydration, and warm ups are on point, you will significantly decrease your
risk of missing a lift. Don’t miss any lifts, unless it is a PR attempt in week 6!
Dedicate the next six weeks of training to being STronger. Cowards talk about what they’ll
never do. Don’t tell me you’re going to follow this program and hit a big PR just to drop out on
week two.
Now, get more STrongerest and start lifting some heavy a** weight.
The People’s Coach - Mark “Smelly” Bell