8 - WEEK DEADLIFT PROGRAM
By: Josh Bryant MS
So why deadlift?
If you’re a powerlifter, it’s part of your three-lift total. For physique athletes, it’s a great way to develop your physique. It sort of like a swiss army knife. It does a lot of things really well. The deadlift has a
very simple learning curve and it forces your body to work together in concert. For example, for traditional
athletes, speed is king. Speed is king on the court and on the field. One of the best ways to get faster is to
improve your strength to body weight ratio in the deadlift. If you can deadlift 2.5 x your bodyweight you YOU
WILL BE MORE EXPLOSIVE!
- Josh Bryant MS
There is something primordially satisfying about ripping some heavy ass pig iron off the ground.
My gut says the deadlift is the oldest strength-training movement in existence. Squats and bench presses took
iron game pioneers some imagination, but picking up heavy objects? Putting it down and picking it up again?
That’s instinctual.
A caveman tells an opponent to pick up a rock. If the dude can, he gets to chow down on some prime wooly mammoth ribs. But, if he fails, he loses his ribs, his cave and his lady. That’s probably how the world’s first
powerlifting meet played out and not a whole hell of a lot has changed since.
Deadlift programming and technique have been refined through the ages and we have provided you with a video on
proper technique and are giving you the exact program to follow.
Watch the video here
https://www.gaspofficial.com/community/videos#/630/18873
What we need from you is a full commitment for eight weeks to our program. Besides following it to a tee, refrain
from alcohol and recreational drugs. Strive for eight hours of sleep a night, while keeping your nutrition on
point.
TRAINING MINDSET
The starting point of every dream and great achievement is intention and a deadlift personal record (PR)
is no exception.
To get the most out of your deadlift training, or
anything you are doing, you must take advantage of
the power of intention. When you harness intention,
forgive me for using a Jungian term, but synchronicity takes place, a flow that happens only when you
are concentrated on the presentmoment and immersed to
the task at hand. Things unexplainably just click in
a synergistic manner.
Follow these steps while following this deadlift program in training.
Pure Intention: Where your attention goes your energy flows! So, you must know the overarching purpose of each
of these training sessions, which is to increase your deadlift.
Before you begin each exercise, make a mental note of what you want to accomplish, here is an example:
-Deadlifts for any listed work set or warm-up weight over 50%, lift the weight in a compensatory acceleration
style. I.E., each rep should be lifted as explosively as possible through the entire range of motion as leverage
improves, compensate by pulling faster (of course, without sacrificing technique or tightness).
Pure intention focuses every ounce of being on what you’re doing to maximize the training session and subsequent
adaptations. Are you training to increase your deadlift or get followers?
Stay Off Your phone: Simply do not call people, text
people, or look at any social media updates, ever.
Phones are killing progress! Focus on each individual
training session and I recommend printing this program
out, writing it down and if you must pull it up on
your phone, put it on airplane mode. Things can wait!
Ed Coan survived without texting during training, you
can, too.
Detach From the Outcome: All you have is the present
moment! So, focus on it. You have a big deadlift to
accomplish, but inside of these training sessions, focus on exactly what you are doing; focus on the process
not the product. The product will be better when the
present process is the primary focus in the individual
training session. Victory is won in inches not miles;
focus on each session, each exercise and watch those
inches become miles.
Keep Your Eye on the Prize: As you move through a train-
ing session, it is normal for your attention to divert
and your mind to start to wander. So instead of throwing up the white flag and small talking about your latest right swipe on tender or politics, center yourself!
Bring yourself back to the present moment. No matter
how often your mind drifts, come back to the present
moment; as you do this it will happen less frequently
and for shorter periods of time.
Framing Pain and Discomfort: This can be painful! So,
excluding injury pain, you realize inducing pain is
going to induce a big ass deadlift. This discomfort
is part of maximizing yourself deadlift; going beyond
your comfort zone, it is a necessity, not a luxury.
Remember, when you feel these feelings, know they are
part of the process to becoming a better deadlifter and
a better you.
Associate this sacrifice with your success by embracing this hard work with your heart’s desire, a bigger
deadlift.
Remember Why You Are Training: Some folks’ workouts are rushed because they begin thinking about what they
“should” be doing instead of what they are accomplishing in the
present moment. If you find this thought process during your session, contemplate why you are training? When
you synchronize your “why” with your “how” (the #GASSTATIONREADY Deadlift Program) synergy takes place; in other
words, the outcome is greater than the sum.
End on a Positive Note: Take time to cool down at the end of the workout, you can stretch or foam roll. After
this, lie down, embrace the present moment and feel the effect of all your hard work.
THE PROGRAM
You should consult your physician or other health care
professional before starting this or any other strength
program and you are assuming all risk by following it.
All weights listed are a percentage of your desired
one-repetition max (1RM) you will hit on week eight.
More experienced lifters should shoot for a five percent increase, beginners for a 10 percent increase. For
example, if you currently deadlift 500, a five percent
increase would be 25 pounds (500 x 1.05 = 525).
Follow the program exactly as written! If the weights
feel too light, EXPLODE HARDER, if they feel heavy and
slow, have the intent to move the weight faster.
Remember, week 4 and week 7 are light reloads, DO NOT
EXCEED LISTED WEIGHTS. Watch this video on the importance of reloads.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIGVw3yLfyg
On accessory movements, do not compromise technique; the goal is to progressively overload these exercises each
week but do not add weight at the expense of form. If you are unable to do pull-ups, you can substitute any
other vertical pulling movement or do them band-assisted.
If you do not have a glute ham raise, you can substitute Nordic leg curls or any leg curl variation. No cable
stack for pull throughs? Use bands! No trap bar, substitute one-inch deficit deadlifts (as long as you can
maintain good positioning)or if you are a lifter that has difficulty with block pulls (weight elevated), perform two-to four-inch block pulls.
Video your progress for a chance to be featured on our YouTube channel and thank you for the privilege of letting us be a part of your strength journey. As someone who has coached dozens of deadlift world records, I can
assure you, we get just as excited hearing about your progress!
Because of people like you we get to do what we love for a living, so this program is designed for you as a
way to express our gratitude.
TEST YOUR LIMITS. PUSH PAST BOUNDARIES. STAY #NOCOMPROMISE
The 8-Week Deadlift Program
Week
1
Week
2
Week
3
Week
4
Week
5
Week
6
Week
78
&
ExerciseWeightSets
Deadlift75%1
Deadlift
60%
6
Trap Bar Deadlift
65%
2
Neutral Grip Pull-ups
3
Pull Through3
Glute Ham Raises 3
Suitcase Deadlift 3
Reps
3
3
6
5
12
8
3
Rest Interval
ExerciseWeightSets
Deadlift80%1
Deadlift
60%
8
Trap Bar Deadlift
68%
2
Neutral Grip Pull-ups
3
Pull Through3
Glute Ham Raises 3
Suitcase Deadlift 3
Reps
3
3
5
6
12
7
3
Rest Interval
ExerciseWeightSets
Deadlift85%1
Deadlift
70%
6
Trap Bar Deadlift
75%
3
Neutral Grip Pull-ups
3
Pull Through3
Glute Ham Raises 3
Suitcase Deadlift 3
Reps
3
3
3
6
12
6
3
Rest Interval
ExerciseWeightSets
Deadlift60%6
Trap Bar Deadlift
50%
2
Neutral Grip Pull-ups
2
Pull Through3
Glute Ham Raises 2
Suitcase Deadlift 2
Reps
1
2
5
12
6
3
Rest Interval
60 sec
60 Sec
60 sec
60 sec
60 sec
60 sec
ExerciseWeightSets
Deadlift90%1
Deadlift
75%
4
Trap Bar Deadlift
78%
2
Neutral Grip Pull-ups
3
Pull Through3
Glute Ham Raises 3
Suitcase Deadlift 3
Reps
2
2
3
7
12
5
2
Rest Interval
ExerciseWeightSets
Deadlift95%1
Deadlift
80%
3
Trap Bar Deadlift
80%
2
Neutral Grip Pull-ups
3
Pull Through3
Glute Ham Raises 3
Suitcase Deadlift 3
Reps
1
2
3
7
12
5
2
Rest Interval
60 sec
120 sec
90 sec
75 sec
60 sec
60 sec
60 sec
120 sec
90 sec
75 sec
60 sec
60 sec
105 sec
120 Sec
90 sec
75 sec
60 sec
60 sec
120 sec
120 sec
90 sec
75 sec
60 sec
60 sec
120 sec
120 sec
90 sec
75 sec
60 sec
60 sec
[3] Rest 120 seconds between sets.
For Week 7, repeat Week 4, then attempt a new deadlift max in Week 8.
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