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DEADLIFT MANUAL
By Dave Tate
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CONTENTS
DISCLAIMER
p.03
FORWARD
p.07
PART I: WHY
I HATE THE DEADLIFT
PART V:
CONVENTIONAL
PULLING FOR
THE SUMO
DEADLIFTER
PART VI:
FINNISH
DEADLIFT
SECRETS
By Zane Geeting
By Sakari Selkainaho
By Dave Tate
p.56
p.10
p.60
By Martyn Girvan
By Dave Tate
This is the king of all mistakes I see. Too many times lifters try to
squat the weight up rather than pull the weight. Think back to the
number of times that youve seen a big deadlift and thought to
yourself ...
p.24
p.68
By Dave Tate
Until recently, the deadlift was the bastard child of the strength
and conditioning community! Many lifters have shied away from
deadlifts due to their immense difficulty, only to walk away with
suboptimal strength gains and back development. Lately a
contingent of the games top trainers have covered the deadlift,
seemingly from every angle, in attempts of ...
ByJosh Bryant
p.74
By Team elitefts
By Steve Goggins
Elite level lifters who pull sumo, what have you found to be the
most effective means of increasing your pulling strength off the
floor? My technique is solid so Im looking for insights on any
special exercises that have yielded you significant results in ...
The deadlift is the one exercise that allows you to relax your
muscles in between each repunlike the bench press and the
squat when youre doing them for reps. Most believe that its best
to let the weight down fast and concentrate more on the positive
upward motion of the lift. And I agree with the fast, positive ...
p.42
p.78
By Dave Tate
The death liftthe one true test of strength and the one lift that
is still relatively untouched by the advancements of powerlifting
gear. Nowadays, people can put a lot of time into mastering
their supportive gear and get hundreds of pounds of carryover,
especially in the squat and bench. But the deadlift stands alone
as a lift that you either have or you dont.
p.104
p.82
By Eric Maroscher
By Zane Geeting
If you want to hit a deadlift PR, you need to build your training around it. The program Ive
written here is a ten-week cycle for an intermediate lifter who fails just below the knee.
On most deadlift training days in this cycle, you will pull from the floor for triples, doubles,
and eventually singles. After deadlifting from the floor, you will pull from six or four-inch
blocks. The percentages will increase each week, except for deload weeks.
His name was Master Chai, a multi-degree black belt who came to the United States
from the mountains of Korea. Thinking back, I dont recall the year, day, or date, but I
remember watching the event unfold right in front of me when I was a teenager, just like
it was yesterday. Master Chai had all of his Tae Kwon Do students, myself included, in the
parking lot after one of the students broke his hand trying to break a brick.
p.110
p.84
The following program is basic. Ive used this and similar setups with clients
and myself, and had great successit works. This exact program has been
used to take a clients max deadlift from 315 to 415 in 24 weeks. Theres
nothing revolutionary about this. Its just a smart, simple program that works.
This works exceptionally well for beginner and intermediate lifters.
p.88
Deadlift: All percentages below are based on a training max. His training max was 85% of
his true 1RM.
Squat: All percentages below are based on a training max. His training max was based
on 85% of his estimated 1RM. Since his squat technique wasnt as proficient as his
deadlift, I worked him to a 5RM instead of a 1RM. This was used to establish his estimated
1RM.
The training max or everyday max is a very important part of this program. Using a true
max for this program will not work properly.
p.92
FOREWORD
This is a 15 part article that would be better
thought of as a manual on deadlifting. This is
not something you will sit down and read in one
setting. I suggest you read this in sections and
bookmark to reference later. I have never seen
the need in using manuals as bait to get people
to sign up for our mailing list. As a business owner
I am part of hundreds if not a thousand mailing
lists. They provide quick insight of what is going
on in the industry (and others I follow) and inspire
ideas. Almost everyone in the strength, fitness
and conditioning industry uses this bait to get
you to sign up for their list so it must work right?
Maybe maybe not but I still like the elitefts way
betterGive you to the content first and let you
decide if you want to revisit the site, subscribe to
our newsletter (strength club), or support us with
your business. Maybe it doesnt work as well but
you wont have to keep closing annoying pop up
screens so that has to be worth something. Enjoy
this manual on The Deadlift.
Dave Tate founder Elitefts.com Inc
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THE DEADLIFT
The first and simple reason why I hate the
deadlift is that Ive always sucked at it and
making gains on it was the slowest process
in the world. Actually the only real time I made
decent gains was when I stopped doing them
altogether.
PART I
T
F
I
L
D
A
E
D
E
H
T
E
WHY I HAT
re
do in a meet befo
to
d
ha
u
yo
g
in
th
nt start
lift was just that
e the meet does
os
th
To me, the dead
of
e
on
T
O
arted on
nner. I was N
t meets NEVER st
os
you could go to di
m
e,
m
To
.
ys
s,
the floor gu
began. To regres
t
lif
ad
de
e
until the bar hits
th
n
he
ns
as hell wasnt w
, but it was a mea
ed
ck
su
ill
time and it sure
st
it
d,
What
eet wasnt that ba
t important thing.
os
m
e
deadlifting in a m
th
s
ay
w
al
total than
ought that was
hat I wanted to
w
to a total and I th
by
ed
in
rm
te
reer, I knew
ays more de
ter years of my ca
I pulled was alw
la
e
th
d
ar
w
the
To
.
adlift PR
n day, if I trained
ve
gi
y
an
by breaking a de
on
ds
finished
een 700-740 poun
based on how I
as
w
I could pull betw
ng
lli
pu
up
hat I ended
lift or if I didnt. W
nch.
the squat and be
SERIOUSLY
To me, the deadlift was just that thing you had
to do in a meet before you could go to dinner.
I was NOT one of those the meet doesnt
start until the bar hits the floor guys. To me,
most meets NEVER started on time and it
sure as hell wasnt when the deadlift began.
To regress, deadlifting in a meet wasnt that
bad, it still sucked, but it was a means to a
total and I thought that was always the most
important thing. What I pulled was always
ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL
NO MORE
Now that Im retired from the sport, I dont
care if I ever pull another deadlift in my life.
I dont write my own programs, but I will
admit if I see the deadlift or pin pull in the
program I WILL replace it even if I have to
do three extra movements for 12 extra sets,
I would much rater do that then a few sets
of deadlifting.
I CANT stand the deadlift!
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11
12
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WHY
I called for 770 pounds on my third attempt
for a 30 pound PR. The bar flew up and right
before lockout without even slowing down,
my right hand popped open and the bar hit
the floor.
At this point, I did the infamous hand stare.
Youve seen it. You may have actually done it.
This is when you drop a pull and look at your
hands like WTF just happened.
ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL
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13
VINCENT DIZENZO
BOTH
14
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MIKE ROBERTSON
ZANE GETTING
SUMO
SUMO
Arch hard
SUMO
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15
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CLINT DARDEN
18
JOSH BRYANT
CONVENTIONAL
BOTH
CONVENTIONAL
Disclaimer: Im such a nontechnical lifter and still learning,
so my thoughts may be
completely wrong.
MATT RHODES
MARC BARTLEY
BOTH
SUMO
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MOLLY EDWARDS
CONVENTIONAL
Setup is key
BOTH
SUMO
DAVID KIRSCHEN
JULIA LADEWSKI
AL CASLOW
SUMO
Arch hard
BOTH
HARRY SELKOW
BOTH
Dip
Grip
SUMO
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19
JO JORDAN
CJ MURPHY
MATT LADEWSKI
SUMO
BOTH
BOTH
MATT KROC
SUMO
CONVENTIONAL
20
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STEVE GOGGINS
BOTH
CONVENTIONAL
CONVENTIONAL
SUMO
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21
ADAM DRIGGERS
BOTH
CONVENTIONAL
Buy a Metal Pro Deadlift suit.
Im sorry, sometimes I pander
22
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HANNAH JOHNSON
BOTH
STEVE PULCINELLA
BOTH
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Strength Cast, Iron Subculture Podcast, and 40 pro training logs.
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INTRODUCTION:
PART II
F
O
S
I
S
Y
L
A
N
A
L
A
C
I
N
A
H
C
E
M
O
BI
T
F
I
L
D
A
E
D
E
H
T
erall body
e best tests of ov
th
of
e
on
as
s
ed
be consider
at in simple term
th
t
en
em
ov
The deadlift can
m
t
in
jo
ect
2000). It is a multi
standing to the er
d
an
or
strength (Groves,
flo
e
th
of the
up a barbell from
ent of the muscles
tm
ui
involves picking
cr
re
e
th
es
minals. If
ement includ
strings and abdo
m
ha
position. The mov
s,
ep
ric
ad
t
qu
per back,
in the developmen
e
us
to
se
ci
hip, lower back, up
er
ex
nt
e was
can be an excelle
ysis, the objectiv
al
an
is
used correctly, it
th
g
in
ur
s of
d and power. D
ciency of two type
effi
l
ca
of strength, spee
ni
ha
ec
om
for certain
contrast the bi
should be used
to compare and
pe
ty
ch
hi
w
e
in
d determ
deadlift styles an
body types.
PROCEDURE:
The participant was given instructions on
both conventional and semi round back
deadlift techniques. The video recording
equipment was set up at ninety degrees to the
demonstration at a distance of approximately
five metres away. This was to ensure parallax
and perspective errors were each accounted
for. Recordings were then made for a series
of conventional and rounded back deadlifts.
Multiple repetitions were performed in
ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL
PARTICIPANTS:
The participant for this study was one elite
level power lifter who has been competing
at national level for two years.
APPARATUS:
The equipment used was a Sony digital
handicam 120x zoom video camera set up
on a tripod to record the observations. A
weights belt was used for back support,
as well as an Olympic style barbell
in conjunction with weight plates. All
observations were conducted at Apollo
Fitness Centre.
LITERATURE REVIEW:
In competitive powerlifting, the deadlift is
the third lift in order following the squat
and bench press. It often comes down
to performance in the deadlift to decide
the difference between winning and
losing a competition. There is a saying in
powerlifting circles that the competition
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25
26
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DISCUSSION/ CONCLUSION:
Choosing a style of deadlifting can best be
suited to a persons individual body mechanics.
Many variables come into play that may affect
the efficiency of the lift. These factors include
torso, leg and arm length (Stone & OBryant,
1987).
WWW.ELITEFTS.COM
27
floor, as opposed to forty five degrees lean indicating that much caution must be taken
suggested in many texts.
when considering this method for athletes
as for the increased risk of injury to the lower
Previous research has suggested that a person back region.
maybe more biomechanical efficient in the
quarter squat position than in the half squat This type of lifting conflicts with much of
position. Studies have indicated that greater the research that suggests correct deadlift
loads can be used in the partial quarter squat form. In the absence of previous research,
movement than the half squat (Siff, 2000).
experiential evidence has indicated that using
the semi round back method has resulted in
The semi round method also allows for the bar three athletes breaking world deadlift records
to travel in a straight line. The shortest distance in WPC and WDFPL federations. Other
between two points is a straight line, therefore competition results include a further five
this can decrease the distance of travel. The lifters who have broken Victorian state and
conventional method causes the lifters lower Australian national records. This may be due
limbs to shift forward in the starting position. to reduced bar displacement and therefore
This will cause the bar to travel in a S type reducing the amount of work performed. This
motion with the load moving away from the technique has only worked for taller type
body and then moving back towards the body lifters, which may be more biomechanical
once the load has cleared the knees.
efficient for those with longer type levers.
This gives rise to the idea of trying to turn the Much assistance work must be employed
deadlift into the quarter squat motion but the to strengthen the abdominal, spinal erector,
load being off the floor. For this to occur, the hamstring, gluteal and upper back muscles for
lifter must have an extremely strong upper this method to be effective. Care and patience
and lower back. The higher starting position must be exercised if considering using the
can reduce the displacement of the load and round back method as a preferred style.
therefore in turn reduce the amount of work
performed.
Further research in this area is needed to
investigate differential leverages and the
Studies by Horn (1988) suggest that muscles responsible for effective motion.
electromyographic activity in the spinal erector When considering various techniques,
muscles were twice as active in conventional individual body leverages need to be taken
lifters when compared with sumo technique. into account along with the assessment of the
Cholewicki et al (1991) studied the lumbar individuals muscle strengths and weaknesses.
spine load of both sumo and conventional Caution should be used before considering
technique. No significant difference was this technique due to the increased risk of
found in disc compression force at L4/L5 injury. If employed correctly, the semi round
regions using both techniques. There were back method may lead to greater competition
significantly greater L4/L5 moments and load totals for the powerlifter.
shear forces in the conventional technique.
This may suggest that the greater forward
lean of round back technique may further
increase L4/L5 moments and shear forces
28
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REFERENCES
Cholewicki, J., McGill, S. and Norman, R. (1991). Lumbar Spine Loads During the Lifting of
Extremely Heavy Weights. Medical Science Journal of Sports Exercise. Vol 23, pp1179- 1186.
Daniels, D. (2003). Deadlift 101, Part 1. Powerlifting USA. Vol 26. No.8.
Groves, B. (2000). Powerlifting: Technique and Training for Athletic Muscular Development.
Champaign: Human Kinetics.
Farley,K. (1995). Analysis if the Conventional Deadlift. Strength and Conditioning Journal. Vol
15, No. 2, pp 55-58.
McGuigan, R.M. & Wilson, B.D. (1996). Biomechanical Analysis of the Deadlift. Journal of
Strength and Conditioning Research. 10(4), 250-255.
Piper, T.J. & Waller, M.A. (2001). Variations of the Deadlift. Strength and Conditioning Journal.
Vol 23, No. 3, pp 66-73.
Stone, M. & OBryant, H. (1987). Weight Training: A Scientific Approach. (2nd ed.). Edina:
Burgess International.
PART III
G
N
I
T
C
U
R
T
S
N
O
DEC
THE DEADLIFT
r
out doing anothe
ith
w
e
lif
y
m
of
st
first
g. Going the re
is that since my
is
th
r
fo
I hate deadliftin
on
as
re
. It was
e by me. The
been a struggle
s
ha
pull would be fin
t
lif
ad
de
y
in 1983, m
y strong lifts, and
m
e
ar
ch
hi
w
competition back
s,
pres
k, to
squat and bench
ree times per wee
th
g
tin
nothing like the
lif
ad
de
e) not
ng to fix it. From
th, and (my favorit
on
m
a
Ive tried everythi
ce
on
to
was able
once a week,
and eventually I
up
twice per week, to
ve
ga
r
ve
ne
d
However, I
ns to a total, an
ea
m
y
m
e
deadlifting at all.
m
ca
be
ence
a point where it
today. The differ
ts
lif
ad
to build my pull to
de
er
gg
t how I
ways to build bi
but do care abou
ll
pu
I still look for new
n
ow
y
m
t
u improve
nt care abou
about helping yo
is now I really do
is
le
tic
ar
is
to
Th
pull more.
. While its cool
ex
pl
m
co
y
can help others
gl
in
ris
laugh
e deadlift is surp
s not enoughI
at
th
t
your deadlift. Th
lif
d
an
r
t cut it
to the fucking ba
e. It certainly won
pl
m
si
say just walk up
at
th
as
w
be the worst
that. If only it
ting plateau can
every time I hear
lif
ad
de
a
d
an
a plateau
if youre stuck in
across.
youll ever come
3 THINGS
Like the bench press and squat, a deadlift
plateau is due to one of three issues:
Physical programming, flexibility,
strengthening weaker muscles and
movements.
Mental level of arousal/over-arousal.
Technical exercise technique and
execution.
Most lifters think their deadlifting slump is
due to physical issues. So they ask, What
exercises should I do? or How do I tweak
my programming? Do I pull every four days
or every five? They got it all wrong. In my
ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL
MENTAL: 10%
The deadlift is getting popular. Its weird,
considering its such a shitty experience, at
least in my opinion. While not nearing the
fan appeal of the squat or bench press, the
gap is definitely closing, which Ill concede
is a good thing. As a result, you now hear
guys spouting that the deadlift is the true
measure of strength. I must be in bizarro
world. Ten years ago the argument was
the squat or the bench press was the
true measure or strength, as too many
otherwise weak people can sport above
average deadlifts just by having the right
leverages. Heres the thing. Whatever a
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31
32
TECHNICAL: 70%
SETUP
The keys of proper deadlift setup are things I
learned as a young lifter from Bob Wahl, Louie,
Ricky Crane, Steve Goggins, and Ed Coan.
Honestly, I cant remember whom I learned
what aspect from, so I want to make sure they
all get credit. Thats a pretty esteemed list of
33
34
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35
36
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STICKING POINTS
ankles. This keeps the hips closer to the bar.
When I teach the sumo pull I tell people to get
their starting position so their crotch is over the
bar i.e., Balls over Bar. For some the easiest
way to do this is to start in a standing position
and squat down. Others find it easier to bend
over, get the grip, and then pull the chest up
to bring the hips forward. Go with what works
best, but I will say that from teaching hundreds
if not thousands of lifters its easier to teach
them to get the position by squatting down.
Even if they change later theyll get the feel
what the start should feel like.
DEFICIT DEADLIFTS
37
38
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GRIP
Grip is tricky. Many guys screw it up. In terms
of placement, your thumb should overlap the
first one or two fingers. Your thumb shouldnt
be crushing all your fingers, just these two.
But you should squeeze the shit out of them.
Typically, when a grip fails, the little finger
fails first. Ed Coan used to say you want to
keep that finger breaking first, which meant
strengthening the pinkie finger and ring finger.
To accomplish this, buy one of those heavy
black paper clips from an office supply store
and do pinches against the thumb, first with
the pinkie finger and then with the ring finger.
I never had a grip issue. Louie would say its
because I never pulled enough to develop
a grip issue. Chuck Vogelpohl, however, is
someone who did have one. Hed often lose
pulls due to failing grip, which drove him crazy.
What finally fixed it for him was single dumbbell
holds using a hex dumbbell. Be careful not to
let the fingers rest in the grooves where the
numbers are stamped in.
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39
DEAD TO RIGHTS
You dont have to like every
exercise you perform. And you
wont get any grief from me if you
say you hate the deadlift. However,
like it or not, you need to respect
it. And if something is so important
that you force yourself to do it
despite hating it with every fiber of
your being, then you might as well
do it right. Give these tips a run and
make your pull a thing of beauty.
40
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41
JAMES SMITH: Elite level lifters who pull sumo, what have you found to be the most effective
means of increasing your pulling strength off the floor? My technique is solid so Im looking for
insights on any special exercises that have yielded you significant results in the low end/off the
floor strength component.
DAVE TATE: The best thing Ive found is getting stronger. This sounds very simple but has
worked for so many lifters. What I mean by this is that you have to increase your overall body
strength. This would be quads, hamstrings, low back, abs, etc. This is really basic stuff, but
something that people may forget. The start depends on position. If your hips are off, they
move too far back and you lose your force. If you can film the pull, let me see it. I have to see
whats going on to make any type of assessment.
PART IV
S
T
F
E
T
I
L
E
:
T
F
I
SUMO DEADL
N
O
I
S
S
U
C
S
I
D
E
ROUNDTABL
u found to
mo, what have yo
su
ll
pu
ho
w
rs
te
the
ite level lif
lling strength off
pu
ur
yo
JAMES SMITH: El
ng
si
ea
special
tive means of incr
r insights on any
fo
g
be the most effec
in
ok
lo
Im
end/off
que is solid so
results in the low
nt
floor? My techni
ca
ifi
gn
si
u
yo
ve yielded
exercises that ha
component.
the floor strength
J.L. HOLDSWORTH: I used to suck at these, but then I started pulling my sumo deadlifts off of
mats and it seemed to make a big difference. You can try three inches or so (three mats). You
can also get a similar training effect by using 35-lb plates on the bar rather than 45-lb plates.
The 35-lb plates are obviously smaller and will require larger ROM. Or you can just put on more
equipment like Dave does.
DAVE TATE: I dont even take that as an insult.
J.L. HOLDSWORTH: Its not. I admire that in you.
JAMES SMITH: JL, thanks brother. I actually tried pulling sumo off of elevated surfaces. I just
didnt keep it around long enough to experience any significant training effect. My dumb ass
fault. I think Ill perform a cycle of those for my next training block.
Thats also my logic for increasing pulling strength off the floor increasing the ROM. I just
didnt know if maybe I had overlooked or was unaware of another means of strengthening
the bottom end such as using a cambered bar bench press. For strengthening the low end
press, Ive also thought of performing low wide stance squats (although these are hell on the
hips) and perhaps even a repetition version of partial deadlifts such as dumbbell presses and
suspended push-ups.
JIM WENDLER: I agree with Dave on this one. Sometimes were too busy looking for the
magical exercise rather than doing the ones that we know work and doing them hard and
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with purpose. My deadlift went up simply because I quit screwing around with the light weights
on my assistance work and did movements and weights that were challenging and had a great
carryover. Remember, there is a difference between training with exercises to get stronger and
training to rehab a muscle group. I think these lines get crossed too much.
Ive also found that sumo deadlifting is more technique than conventional pulling. You have
little room for error when pulling sumo. A conventional deadlift is more of a grunt, caveman lift.
So if your technique is even slightly off, an easy pull can turn into a max effort. Unfortunately,
most people think they are going to be great sumo pullers when they do their speed deadlift
work. This is because its easy. Its only when you start pulling around 85 percent does the form
start really making a big difference.
J.L. HOLDSWORTH: Never forget that the special exercises are for refining problems. Nothing
fixes getting a sumo dead off the floor like getting stronger hips and legs (if youre in the
position). All of your basic accessories are still the best ways to increase the deadlift. I think so
many times we get caught up in being so smart about training we forget that grabbing a heavy
ass deadlift and pulling is a great way to get stronger. Even the simple things like shooting
hoops helps with the basic conditioning and muscle coordination. The bottom line is that you
shouldnt leave your glute hams, reverse hypers, and other basic accessories for the magic
bullet exercise.
incline sit-ups
pull-down abs
Pull thrus with a wide stance: This is great for the hip drive needed to finish the sumo deadlift.
Duck under: This is a great/mobility movement. Set a power bar up in the power rack so that
its chest level. Stand off to the side and squat down, side step and duck under the bar while
keeping the chest up. This is great for hip mobility. As you get better, lower the bar.
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JAMES SMITH: Thanks, Brian. Im going to have to try some of those exercises.
JIM WENDLER: You can do something other the train heavy?
J.L. HOLDSWORTH: I can see the light bulb flickering over your head.
TIM HAROLD: Damn it! I saw this thread, and my eyes lit up. Why is Dave the only one who
said anything about form? Special exercises are great, but you can throw that into the water
if your technique isnt up to par and youre unable to use the strength youve worked so hard
to develop. If your form is off because of a weakness somewhere in your body, thats another
story. Make sure your form is correct before you start trying all these cool exercises. Otherwise,
youll end up with a great good morning but your deadlift will still suck because you cant do it
right. Once your form is correct then we can talk about exercises to make you strong and raise
your deadlift.
Whats good form? Well, I dont necessarily think that I have the best sumo form in the world.
However, I dont think there are too many people who can rip big weights off the floor with the
speed that I do. How do I do it? Before every deadlift attempt, I have Joe Bayles and Bob Coe
shove a grenade up my ass. Its simple. I see all these people who want to ease a sumo deadlift
off the floor because somewhere along the timeline of weightlifting some fucking jerkoff said
that sumo is hard off the floor and easy at lockout. Also, they said that conventional is the
opposite easy off the floor and hard lockout. BULL FUCKING SHIT! Maybe thats why there
are only a few people who have pulled 900 pounds with sumo style. Im really rambling but
hopefully youll learn something to take to the gym with you. The deadlift, whether youre
pulling sumo or conventional, is about attitude. Every time you pull a deadlift, snap it off the
ground! But to do that, you have to have perfect form.
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But for seniors, Im going to try a few ideas that Ive gathered from conversations with other
lifters. Im going to apply them to deadlift training and see if can pull three times per month
without affecting my overall training too much. I would like to get two good pulling sessions on
DE day per month. I want to work up to a moderately heavy weight for a few singles, and then
take another good jump for a big single and stop. Nothing too hard. But when Im fully jacked
and ready for seniors, Id like my last pull workout to be 800 lbs for 3-4 singles and then 845865 for a single. This wont be necessarily be a full bore max workout, but if its heavy enough,
I think I can get some good form work in. (Also, for WIW, I dont think youll need to do speed
pulls at all. I really havent done them in a long time. I believe that if youre training your squat
properly and not squatting on too high of a box, force development will transfer to the deadlift.)
I also hope to get in one pulling sessions on ME day per month where Ill do something fun
like reverse band deadlifts of a box deadlift for an absolute max. This might also be the only
max effort work I do at all leading up the seniors too. The rest of the ME days will be rest pause
workouts on the back attack. Ill talk more about the rest pause later, but its a training method
that I picked up from Dante Trudel (who owns Truepreotein.com). I can tell you its the real deal,
and its fucking hard. Its working so far, and I believe it will be rewarding on meet day. Its also
the perfect compliment to the Westside style do training, although some may disagree. I think
it used properly it will make you brutally strong and BIG. This stuff is the best of both worlds.
Powerlifters make fun of bodybuilders and vice versa, but there are many things we can learn
from each other.
DAVE TATE: I agree 100 percent with Tim, and Im actually kind of proud of him for his great advice.
Tim has come a long way since I first met him, which proves that you need to keep learning to get
stronger. Very few get as strong as he is without figuring some shit out along the way.
The only thing I would add is that with speed work, you should reinforce your technique with
each and every rep. Make damn sure that they are all dead on. If you ever pull for one more
rep, let go of the bar and reset each rep. This way youll learn to pull one rep. Also, when you
do speed pulls, you should use 40-60 percent weights to work on technique. For most, this
will be okay, but some will need to work up to heavier pulls to the get the full effect. In other
words, some will look great with sub-maximal weights while others will look like crap with
bigger weights.
There are two ways to avoid this. One, you can always pull in a slightly fatigued state (same as
meet) such as after a speed squat session. If you pull on ME day, do more warm up sets then
you do now (double them). Second, you can work up the weights on the days that your speed
pulls feel great. Most of the time, they feel great because your form is on. Work up to see if it
will transfer to bigger weights. If it does, thats great. If not, analyze the breakdown and youll
discover your muscular weak points. When you find your weak points, add in some special
exercises to bring them up.
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3
Get your fucking head up:
We all know this, and we all
still need to be told about it
from time to time. Fucking
do it.
TIM HAROLD: As far as the post I made about training sumo deadlift some time ago, dont pay
attention to it. I dont even remember whats in the post. I dont remember what the reasoning
behind what I was doing at the time was or whether or not it would work now. Every time
I train for a meet or talk to lifters from around the country, I learn new things. My training is
CONSTANTLY evolving. I take what works and keep it in and throw away what isnt cutting it.
As my training evolves, so does my philosophy on training. What I said 1-2 years ago may not
jive with what I would tell you today. Scrap that article or read it and try some of it out to see
what works for you! Evolving as a powerlifter involves immeasurable amounts of trial and error.
You will and should try everything that Louie, Dave, or the other great minds of the sport have
already said is retarded and dont work or will get you hurt, especially the hurt part. Daves
crippled ass has a PHD in fucking yourself up.
The ultra-wide speed pulls are gold. Do them as a special exercise or do them hardcore for a
month or two until you start getting strong on them. After youve done them for 1-2 sessions
and your progress stagnates (or youre just flat bored with them), drop them completely for a
while. When you come back to them, you probably wont be right where you left off you may
only be at 90 percent from where you stopped but youll surpass that easily when you train
the ultra-wide hard again. I FIRMLY believe in the saying, One step back to take two steps
forward.
This is going to be a process, but eventually, youll start feeling how everything works together
and your deadlift will improve a great deal. I think when seniors come around you should be
able to really grasp my concept on sumo pulling and hit a big PR. Thats if your fat hands can
hold on to as much weight as youll be able to pull.
MARK OSHEA: Tim, ages ago you posted the routine you used when you switched from
regular to sumo. Im not sure if you remember it, but it was something like this:
DE cycle
ultra-wide, 70 percent
bands, 70 percent
How did this go, and what changes have you made?
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In other words, look at it like this. As a lineman in high school, we used a technique when we
were down blocking called the drop step. You take one step with your outside leg (whichever
way youre going). This gives a little ground but youve positioned yourself to get on that guys
outside shoulder more quickly so that you can take him out of the play. Give to take. Enough
rambling. I do that too much sometimes.
JIM WENDLER: Spud, you had some tips on the Q&A about sumo deadlifting. And since you
have perfected your style, what are some tips? I know you have some unique views on this.
MARC BARTLEY:
Speed deadlift work. This was a tremendous help. I went up to 500 lbs and did five sets
of triples for five or six weeks. I didnt squat on this day. I did wide-stance leg press with
a dead stop in the bottom. Sometimes, I would mix in conventional speed pulls with the
sumos. Check out my Saturday logs.
The sumo is mostly a pinch off the bottom and then you slam the speed to it. So dont
worry about speed out of the hole. Form must be first. Drive the head and back up the
whole time so that when you get to the suit, it wont pull you over. The sumo is basically
a wide-stance squat so you have to treat it as such. Take your suit straps and put them
right over your delt, not the traps. When you go to pull, lift your arms over your head.
This will cause an erector shirt type effect to help hold your shoulders back even more.
Line your feet up pigeon toe if possible. Or, in other words, try to line up your feet parallel
to the bar as much as you can stand it. Youll have to practice this. Its very uncomfortable,
but it will keep you in line better to lockout the bar. When you put the suit on and line up
on the bar, spread the knees out towards the plates and push back. This will eliminate
the tail tuck caused by the suit. I like the Metal deadlifter or one ply squatter suit for this
type of pulling.
Over exaggerate the top of the movement. I learned this by watching the Europeans
in Finland. Right above the knees, they throw the shoulders back as hard as possible
so that the upper body is slightly behind the hips. Its old-school deadlifting like the
Strongmen do on car deadlifts. This shortens the lockout distance and puts your hips
and lower body into a better position to lockout (squat-like). Do lots of rack lockouts for
threes right above the knees on ME day and remember to over exaggerate.
JIM WENDLER: What about people who get stuck the last couple of inches?
MARC BARTLEY: I would say the tightness is hip flexor related. There are a couple of dudes
at the compound with the same thing. You might try some good hip flexor stretches before and
after squat/pull. Dont do too much during but do a lot after. I had the same problem with the
ducking feet. Its very hard to over pull at the top. I pull my toes in slightly so that I can get
more overextension at the top. I wouldnt say that youre weaker with the extra weight but less
coordinated. Work on speed deadlifts on DE day first to cement the form and lockout. Im also
deficit pulling speed off a three-inch box for three-week waves. This seems to help on both ends.
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JIM WENDLER: I know you have sausage fingers. What are some grip exercises that you do to
help you when pulling?
MARC BARTLEY: I would do rack pulls just below the knees. This will help with the lockout and
holding weight. Do triples without straps until you cant hold anymore, and then go to the straps
and continue doing threes. This is what Steve Goggins suggested to me, and it seemed to help
me out. Another thing is to do soap swings one-handed sumo style with heavy kettlebells. Go
outside somewhere and out of the way, soap your hands thoroughly, and do 8-10 violent swings
on each hand or until the weight pops out of your hand. My grip has always been an issue
because of my short arms and fat fingers, which I do believe limited my lockouts. If I could use
straps in a contest, I know I could pull well into the 800s so this tells me the grip is limiting me.
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PART V
G
N
I
L
L
U
P
L
A
N
O
I
CONVENT
R
E
T
F
I
L
D
A
E
D
O
FOR THE SUM
pt to your
pulled a PR attem
er
ev
u
yo
e
av
H
deadlifter?
Are you a sumo
d completely?
ve a
knees and stalle
e questions, I ha
ov
ab
e
th
of
th
past
yes to one or bo
and help you blow
t
lif
If you answered
ad
de
ur
yo
add pounds to
sure-fire way to
your current PR.
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1
GENETICS
To be able to lift a lot, you have to be talented athlete. Most of the guys had long arms and
legs. You could see middleweights pulling over 200 kilos the first time they saw a power
bar. But thats only a good start. The best deadlifters in the late 70`s and early 80s had two
things in common. Most of them had a background of hard labor, like lumberjacks, construction
workers, farmers or something similar. They carried, lifted and dragged for their living. That
laid a perfect background for deadlift training and very often ensured a hard grip too. The
second thing was Olympic lifting background, they had pulled alot before their powerlifting
career. Raimo Vlineva held Scandinavian records in Olympic lifting and was able to clean 330
pounds with straight legs. He had World records of 688 in 148s and 716 in 165s in early 80`s.
When weightlifting had the press it was more a pure strength sport as now when speed and
technique more critical.
Many of the new lifters have some type of athletic background from other sports. Ismo Lappi,
338,5 kg deadlifter in 165s, has thrown javelin over 75 yards and ran 100 meters in under 11
seconds in his teens. He is fast and explosive enough to deadlift big.
All of the former record holders and many of todays too, squatted with a narrow stance. This
had two advantages. First, it served as an excellent special exercise for deadlift. Many trained
the squat three times a week. Twice back squatting and once front squatting. The other back
squat could be a high bar session.
Other squat exercises were something like lunges, or step squats, using bar on back. These
were done sometimes a box under front or back feet, varying how it hits glutes and hamstrings.
A 8-12 inch box under back feet hits the upper part of glutes quite hard.
PART VI
FINNISH
S
T
E
R
C
E
S
T
F
I
L
D
DEA
sport here
en our national
be
s
ha
t
lif
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hat
years, the
e early 70s. W
nc
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ok
Through out the
br
en
records has be
et ?
in Finland. World
what is their secr
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makes Finn
w and
ation of many ne
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after collecting
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I took a look and
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re
former greats, he
Many used different stances. The narrow stance high bar was the most common but many, like
Taito Haara, Reijo Kiviranta and Hannu Saarelainen, squatted with 3-4 stances.
During the last years, the box squat has become very popular in Finland. Janne Toivanen put it
in practice by hauling up 804 in `96 IPF Worlds in Austria. Many have followed. Ano Turtiainen
started using the box and now pulls over 859 in every meet he enters. Ismo Lappi, the new
WR holder in 165s in IPF, does box squats as assistance. Veli Kumpuniemi stated that if would
have known how to use a box in his prime he would have lifted a lot more. How much more?
He tore his hamstring while trying 804 in the 181s back in 1981. He hit 822 ( 373 kilos ) in a
national before that weighing under 190 pounds. All his hamstrings could handle he hauled
up. He never really recovered but wanted to send his compliments to Louie Simmons for this
excellent exercise.
DEADLIFT VARIETY
Many still train the deadlift two times a week. In the early days, it was not rare to deadlift three
times a week. Veli Kumpuniemi, the only man we call Mr Deadlift in Finland, trained deadlift
sometimes four times a week. Heres some pulls to use:
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PARTIALS.
Sumo lifters with a strong back, like Veli Kumpuniemi, Janne Toivanen and Aarre Kpyl locked
out their legs way before extending their torso. Aarre Kpyl, who pulled 10661 via conventional
too, got the most out of his hips by keeping his legs almost straight. Jarmo Virtanen, an eight
time IPF World champ, used the technique.
People used to think that Jarmo Virtanen was just very talented and had good leverages.
They couldnt be more wrong. He had many things on perfecting the technique. Once he
demonstrated the difference between relaxed and flexed shoulders. By dropping shoulders
and using sumo, the distance was 12 inches shorter than using conventional with flexed upper
body. He stressed the importance of being relaxed while deadlifting .
You should climb to tree from bottom. Most advised to learn to pull conventional first, then
switch to sumo. Reijo Kiviranta, Kullervo Lampela and other conventional style greats stressed
two key points. The is to push your knees over the bar in the start position. This brings the hips
closer to bar and makes the leverages better. The other thing was to turn feet out. This helped
the lockout and enabled specially the bigger lifters to use their hip muscles.
OLYMPIC PULLS.
These were done many times as a warm-up
or speed work before the deadlifting. High
pulls, raw cleans, raw snatches were the most
common. The old school did some pulls with
straight legs like Russians.
HACK DEADLIFTS.
Many long armed lifters were able to pull with
the bar behind their back. This form of deadlift
developed the leg drive and helped to get the
bar off floor.
4
TECHNIQUE
Veli Kumpuniemi stated that if his foot stance was half inch off, the bar stayed on floor. And Veli
was ranked rather a power puller than a technique expert which he was too. The conventional
deadlift was always mostly back work. But the sumo pullers were sort of split in two categories.
People like Raimo Vlineva and Hannu Malinen, the 1988 IPF World champion, used the hips
alot. Raimo Vlineva was the developer of the style maximized hip drive in sumo deadlift.
Lifters with extreme tecnique had quite a difference between sumo and conventional deadlift.
Ari Virtanen, the little brother of Jarmo had one of the best technique I have ever seen. Every
weight he got off floor he finished too. Aris best conventional was around 570-580 and he
pulled 677 with sumo in `91 Worlds. Pirjo Savola, the European Record holder in 123s with 446
said she has a best conventional of 360-370 range.
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Like mentioned in beginning, many early day deadlifters did physical labor which laid good
background for training heavy and often. Olympic lifting was an aid too.
Many of todays lifters dont do any other physical work than train with weights. So the GPP has
to come from somewhere else. Janne Toivanen did an extra workout six times a week, early
in the morning. He did abs, side work and sometimes lower back work together with some
aerobic training and streching. His training program would kill most people, but he found a way
to back it up. Ismo Lappi does the same type of workouts too. It keeps the bodyfat low and
aids recovery.
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Jarmo Virtanen, who many consider the best powerlifter ever in Europe, was great in the
deadlift. He was an excellent squatter too. Heres some things behind his success.
At the moment five or six our strongmen pull 800 pounds or more. They have long competitive
season when their weight training is mostly for conditioning and recovery. Their training is
one form of conjugate method. They carry, drag, lift stones and flip tires and cars using the
same muscles that are important in deadlifting. Jukka Laine did 804 in September 98 and had
deadlifted twice during the summer. All he did was the event training and many meets. Jouko
Aholas deadlift stayed in the same range with no deadlift training at all. He used a short cycle
to peak and succeeded with 853 in meet. Janne Virtanen and Juha Rsnen both pull over
800 too, 837 is their best in training but either of them havent attended in any meets so far.
ASSISTANCE WORK
Most supplemented their training with wide variety of assistance exercises. Two key muscle
groups were upper back and lats and the abs.
As you noticed, I ranked Mr Deadlift, Veli Kumpuniemi as a strenght puller. Heres why. What
do think about chins with up to 200 pounds for 5-6 reps, bent over rows using 400+ pounds
or doing one arm rows with 185 pound dumbbell for 8-10 reps ? It was usual stuff for him and it
was assistance work, not something he shot for.
Weighted chins are quite common still but the variety is wide. Ano Turtiainen likes to do lat pulls
with different handles, and low pulley rows. He does chest supported and bent over rows too.
Many do shrugs every now and then.
The lifters in the early 80`s or late 70`s trained abs with flat or incline sit-ups using weight many
times. Side work was done using a short bar or dumbbell. One other thing they did was one
arm deadlifts. They stressed the stabilizing muscles a lot too. Today a variety of leg raises, pull
down abs in lat machine and abs done in a ab machine add the number of exercises alot. One
thing that has become popular last years is the ab wheel. Most lifters do it on their knees using
plate on their back, it targets the abs more instead of hip flexors.
As you see, the low back was trained pretty much with the main exercises, squats and pulls.
The older school did also good mornings, mostly after squatting for 5-10 rep sets. Then they
became a forgotten exercise until last years. Ano Turtiainen went way over 700 pounds using
bands and two sets of chains as an extra resistance during his preparation for WPO semis. The
other thing many did and still do is back extensions. These are usually done with a bar on back.
Rauno Rinne used these regularly and pulled 799 in 220s.
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In his youth he trained both power lifting and weightlifting at the same time. He also trained
other sports like football and has always done some sort of physical labor. His GPP has always
been high. A lot of different squats and deadlifts insured a high SPP level. A nine time IPF World
Champ did lifts like high bar, front and squats with different stances. He deadlifted with both
conventional and sumo, he estimated that he may have done little more conventional work
than sumo. Sometimes he used the snatch grip too. One of his deadlift variations was sumo off
an 1 inch blocks. He sometimes went quite high on these, 694 was his best.
He pulled conventional sets where he stopped the bar before it hit the floor to develop static
strength and tightness in the start position. When using sumo, he always did every rep as the first
one. Jarmo said that bouncing the bar off is a waste specially in the sumo style. He developed
speed by high pulls. He did not extend his hips in the weightlifting style. He continued the pull
with upper back and traps to the navel level.
He had a picture perfect technique, specially in the 80s when he hasnt hurt hips thigh. He
developed that by squatting with an ultra wide stance, sometimes he used a Smith-machine
to be able to squat as upright as possible. He practiced technique with no weights in front
of mirror. It was his routine every day for six months. As far as assistance go, he did a lot of
ab work but has never done good mornings. He felt they make you too stiff. He stressed the
importance of being relaxed, specially in the upper body area and felt it was crucial for getting
better leverages in the deadlift and squat too.
Jarmo never really maxed out in the gym and usually stayed under 300 kilos in training. He was
great competitor. In 1988, in our national record breakers in the biggest ice hockey venue at
the time, he hauled up 358 kilos twice but dropped it just before down signal. With torn hand,
he came back and pulled it again just to loose the grip again before the down command.
Year before, when lifting in 75 kilo class he was on a roll. In the Worlds in Norway he opened
with 677 and went to WR 333 and pulled it nicely. Then he attacked twice to 340,5 kilos ( 750
pounds ) but the grip was his nemesis. Before he got the grip problem fixed, he hurt his outer
thigh. There was, and still is, some scar tissue that is pressing to nerves. With the grip he had in
`90s and the better technique and flexibility of `80s he would have gone a lot more. Many times
I have wondered why his squat went up 20 kilos but the deadlift stayed the same. Believe it
or not, he never got the best out of him in the deadlift. A 815-826 deadlift and 900 kilo ( 1984
pound ) total where something he capable of but never achieved.
We have had lots of great pullers and power lifters and we had Jarmo Virtanen. He is one of
a kind. One sign of his true sportsmanship was this interview. He has always willing to help
anyone whether it is training, coaching or giving seminars.
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PART VII
14 DEADLIFT
S
K
C
I
R
T
D
N
A
S
TIP
1. STARTING WITH
THE HIPS TOO LOW
2. WHERE TO LOOK
WHEN YOU PULL
Your body will always follow your
head. If youre looking down,
then the bar is going to want to
travel forward. At the same time,
you dont want to look at the
ceiling. Focus on an area that
keeps your head in a straight, up
and back position with the eyes
focusing on an upper area of the
wall.
3. DIMEL DEADLIFTS
This exercise helped Matt Dimel
increase his squat from the mid800s to over 1000 pounds in a
two-year period. To perform this
exercise, grab a barbell with
an overhand grip, hands about
shoulder-width apart. Pull the
bar up to a standing position.
At this point, arch your back and
get your abs tight. Keep your back
as arched as possible, push the
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4. DUMBBELL HOLDS
There are very few things that
Ive found to work when it comes
to helping with dropped deadlifts
due to grip. Dumbbell holds,
however, are one movement
thats shown great results.
Grab the top of a hex dumbbell,
making sure that you dont touch
the numbers. Grab, stand, and
hold for as long as you can. If
you can go over 20 seconds,
then up the weight.
5. BINDER CLIPS
One easy thing that will help
your grip for pulling is to use
binder clips. These are the big
paper clips that have a black
end on them (and other colors).
Use these like you would use
grippers, but only use your
thumb and little finger. You can
work all fingers, but the little guy
is the first to go.
Ed Coan told me this one a
few years ago at the SWIS
conference.
6. GET STRONG(ER)
If you drop your pulls, one
solution is very simpleget
stronger! Lets say you always
drop 700 pounds, but you can
pull 650 pounds easy and
pulling 700 pounds with straps
is no problem. Well, get strong
enough to pull 750 pounds with
straps. Then, 700 pounds will
feel like 650 pounds.
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8. MULTIPLE-REP
DEADLIFTS
Next time you see someone
doing multiple reps on the
deadlift, take note of the form
of each rep. Youll notice that
the later reps look nothing like
the first. In competition, you only
have to pull once, so you need
to learn how to develop whats
known as starting strength for
the deadlift. This is the strength
that is needed to get the bar off
the floor without an eccentric
(negative) action before the start.
In other words, you dont lower
the bar first and then lift the
weight as you do with the squat
and bench press. When you
train with multiple reps, youre
beginning to develop reversal
strength, which isnt needed with
the deadlift. These two reasons
are enough to keep the deadlift
training to singles. If youre using
multiple reps with the deadlift,
then stand up in between each
rep and restart the lift. This way
youll be teaching yourself the
proper form and developing the
right kind of strength.
9. NOT PULLING
THE BAR BACK
The deadlift is all about leverage and
positioning. Visualize a teeter-totter. What
happens when the weight on one end is
coming down? The other end goes up. So if
your body is falling backward, what happens
to the bar? It goes up! If your weight is falling
forward, the bar will want to stay down. So if
you weigh 250 pounds and you can get your
body weight to work for you, it would be much
like taking 250 pounds off the bar. For many
natural deadlifters, this is a very instinctive
action. For others, it has to be trained.
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So when you reach the point where you begin 13. PULLING YOUR SHOULDER
to really have to fight with the weight, let out BLADES TOGETHER WHEN
small bursts of air. Dont let all of it out at one
YOU DEADLIFT
time or youll lose torso tightness and that will
cause the bar to drop down. By letting out This is a mistake I made for years. Stand in a
small bursts, you can keep your tightness, deadlift stance and pull your shoulder blades
continue to pull, and lock out the weight.
together. Take a look at where your fingertips
are. Now if you let your shoulders relax and
even round forward a little, youll see your
12. ROUNDING THE LOWER
fingertips are much lower. This is why we
BACK WHEN DEADLIFTING
teach a rounding of the upper back. First, the
This is another mistake I see all the time, and bar has to travel a shorter distance. Second,
most lifters know better. It happens most of the theres less stress on the shoulder region. Itll
time because of a weak lower back or a bad also help keep your shoulder blades behind
starting position. Even though your shoulders the bar.
should be rounded, you must keep your lower
back arched. This will keep the shin straight 14. PULL THE SLACK OUT OF
and the shoulders behind the bar, allowing
THE BAR
your body to be in the proper position to pull
big while keeping the back under minimal Even if you are not using a texas deadlift bar,
stress.
you still want to make an effort to pull the slack
out of the bar before accelerating the bar to
If you pull with a rounded back, the bar is
lockout. What this basically means is to begin
going to drift forward away from the legs
pulling until you feel the bar get tight against
putting your back in a very difficult position
the plates and begin to bend. Once you reach
from which to recover. When the bar drifts
that pointwhere you feel the bar bending
forward, the weight of it will begin to work
THEN begin the pull off the floor, thinking of
against your leverages and cause you to have
accelerating the speed more and more with
a sticking point just below the knees or midevery inch the bar moves.
shin level. When you pull, you can either arch
your back in the beginning standing position
before you crouch down to pull or once you
grab the bar. Either way, its important to keep
the lower back arched and tight.
There are many ways to strengthen the lower
back for this. Good mornings, reverse hypers,
and arched back good mornings are a few.
You can also use a band around your traps
and feet for simulated good mornings. With
this technique, you only use the bands and
train for higher reps (in the 20 to 30 rep range)
for local muscular endurance.
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PART VIII
S
T
F
I
L
D
A
E
D
G
N
I
LIGHTN
rength and
d child of the st
ar
st
ba
e
th
as
w
lifts
e deadlift
away from dead
d
ie
sh
ve
Until recently, th
ha
rs
te
al
munity! Many lif
ay with suboptim
aw
k
al
w
conditioning com
to
ly
on
of the
ense difficulty,
tely a contingent
La
due to their imm
t.
en
pm
lo
ve
om every
and back de
lift, seemingly fr
ad
strength gains
de
e
th
d
re
ve
es
rs have co
erstone lift in on
rn
co
e
th
games top traine
as
it
s of resurrecting
angle, in attempt
program.
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medicine
ball
throws,
compensatory DEVELOP FORCE PRODUCTION
acceleration deadlifts and of course, speed WITH THE LIGHTNING
deadlifts against accommodated resistance.
DEADLIFT
These methods are tried and true, but one
technique is missing from the list.
Every athletic endeavor will be enhanced by
an increased rate of force development!
PROGRAMMING
CONSIDERATIONS
Lightning Deadlifts are performed for doubles.
The first rep is performed with a chain on the
bar, generally for speed. These are done with
40-50 percent of ones maximum deadlift and
the chains are an additional 10-20 percent
added on the bar. The first rep is performed
with the chains on the bar. Immediately when
the bar touches the ground, have the two
people on the sides pull the chains off the
bar. Then, pull the weight as explosively as
possible to lockout without chains. This will
be the most explosive deadlift you have ever
pulled you will literally feel like you are
going to fall over backward. Why? Simple,
because you have intensified the effect of
elastic energy that aids you in the lift. You
have created an eccentric portion to a lift that
does not have one. Lightning deadlifts will
teach you new meaning to pull explosively
it will train your CNS to learn and adapt to that
explosive motor pattern, resulting in bigger
pulls and if youre a powerlifter bigger totals!
Do 3-6 sets
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77
PART IX
:
S
N
I
G
G
O
G
E
V
STE
S
P
I
T
G
N
I
N
I
A
R
T
DEADLIFT
es in
relax your muscl
to
u
yo
s
w
lo
al
at
n youre
e one exercise th
d the squat whe
an
s
The deadlift is th
es
pr
h
nc
be
eight down
punlike the
best to let the w
s
between each re
it
at
th
ve
lie
lift.
be
ps. Most
d motion of the
ar
w
up
e
doing them for re
tiv
si
po
e
u can
trate more on th
ion; however, yo
ot
m
d
fast and concen
ar
w
up
e
overall,
the fast, positiv
t to be stronger
en
And I agree with
em
ov
m
d
ar
ng lockout.
gative downw
d help with a stro
also train the ne
an
or
flo
e
th
off
ove speed
and this will impr
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PINS VS BOXES
My program called for pin-pulls, but
considering Im doing these for hypertrophy
instead of pure strength, I went with pulls
off blocks instead. Theres a BIG difference
between pin pulls and pulls off blocks in how
the bar and movement acts. For example:
PART X
:
O
E
D
I
V
G
N
I
N
I
A
R
REAL T
W
O
N
K
O
T
D
E
E
N
WHAT YOU
F
F
O
S
T
F
I
L
D
A
E
ABOUT D
S
K
C
O
L
B
D
N
A
PINS
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83
PERCENTAGES
PART XI
E
T
A
I
D
E
M
R
E
T
10-WEEK IN
M
A
R
G
O
R
P
T
F
I
L
DEAD
nd
your training arou
ild
bu
to
ed
ne
u
rmediate
t a deadlift PR, yo
k cycle for an inte
ee
If you want to hi
w
nte
a
is
re
days in
e written he
t deadlift training
os
m
it. The program Iv
n
O
.
ee
kn
ly
e
st below th
les, and eventual
ub
do
s,
le
ip
lifter who fails ju
tr
r
fo
fourpull from the floor
pull from six or
ill
w
u
yo
this cycle, you will
,
or
flo
e
pt for
adlifting from th
each week, exce
se
ea
singles. After de
cr
in
ill
w
s
e percentage
inch blocks. Th
deload weeks.
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SETUP
ACCESSORY EXERCISES
Choose accessories based on your
weaknesses. For my deadlift, I need to build
my upper back, so I have been doing a lot of
rows and dumbbell shrugs. If your weakness
is in your hamstrings and glutes, it wont do
you any good to program rows and dumbbell
shrugs. You need to pick accessory exercises
that will help your deadlift. If your weakness is
in your hamstrings and glutes, do glute ham
raises. If your weakness is in your abs, do
planks to the front and to both sides.
Train your traps to build a strong starting
position. I also like to throw in reverse
dumbbell curls from time to time to help the
forearms and biceps tendons. These need to
be strong to remain injury free when pulling
heavy.
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PART XII
S
D
N
U
O
P
0
0
1
D
AD
TO YOUR PULL
tups
is and similar se
th
ed
us
e
Iv
c.
is exact
ogram is basi
essit works. Th
cc
su
The following pr
t
ea
gr
d
ha
315 to 415
myself, and
max deadlift from
with clients and
s
nt
ie
cl
a
ke
t,
ta
used to
is. Its just a smar
th
t
ou
ab
ry
program has been
na
tio
nner
es nothing revolu
nally well for begi
io
pt
ce
in 24 weeks. Ther
ex
ks
or
w
that works. This
simple program
lifters.
and intermediate
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He squatted and deadlifted every week. When working him up to his training 5, 3 or 1RMs, we
avoided missing reps. He was instructed to always leave at least one rep in the tank.
Accessory work: Im not going to get into what he did because everyone has different
weaknesses. Just do what YOU suck at. Train YOUR weak points.
I wont be detailing the event days below, but typically it looked like:
WEEK A:
WEEK B:
Farmers Carry
Yoke Walk
Atlas Stones
Carry or Medley
For those who dont train strongman events, organize the template slightly different. Id like
to see another day or two of rest between squat/deadlift days, with the strongman events
removed from the program:
EXAMPLE #1:
EXAMPLE #2:
EXAMPLE #3:
90
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91
PART XIII
24 WEEK
DEADLIFT
His
a training max.
on
d
se
ba
e
ar
w
rcentages belo
DEADLIFT: All pe
M.
85% of his true 1R
training max was
ax. His
on a training m
d
se
ba
e
ar
w
t
entages belo
M. Since his squa
1R
ed
at
tim
SQUAT: All perc
es
s
hi
5RM
based on 85% of
worked him to a
I
t,
lif
ad
training max was
de
s
hi
t as proficient as
ated 1RM.
technique wasn
tablish his estim
es
to
ed
us
as
w
. This
this
instead of a 1RM
important part of
ry
ve
a
is
ax
m
erly.
or everyday
will not work prop
m
The training max
ra
og
pr
is
th
r
a true max fo
program. Using
PHASE ONE
Deadlift: All percentages below are based on a training max. His training max was 85% of his
true 1RM.
Squat: All percentages below are based on a training max. His training max was based on 85%
of his estimated 1RM. Since his squat technique wasnt as proficient as his deadlift, I worked him
to a 5RM instead of a 1RM. This was used to establish his estimated 1RM.
The training max or everyday max is a very important part of this program. Using a true max for
this program will not work properly.
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Week 3: Deadlift: 3 reps @ 60%, 3 reps @ 70%, 3 reps @ 80%, 3 reps @ 90% (Continue
working up making 5% jumps until a 3RM is met.)
Week 4: Squat: 3 reps @ 60%, 3 reps @ 70%, 3 reps @ 80%, 3 reps @ 90% (Continue
working up making 5% jumps until a 3RM is met.)
WEEK B Deadlift
94
Week 2: Squat: 5 reps @ 55%, 5 reps @ 65%, 5 reps @ 75%, 5 reps @ 85% (Continue
working up making 5% jumps until a 5RM is met.)
Week 5: Deadlift: 3 reps @ 65%, 3 reps @ 75%, 3 reps @ 85%, 1 rep @ 95% (Continue
working up making 5% jumps until a 1RM is met. This is a training 1 rep max. Not a true 1
rep max. There is some left in the tank, but the bar is approached aggressively.)
Week 6: Squat: 3 reps @ 65%, 3 reps @ 75%, 3 reps @ 85%, 1 rep @ 95% (Continue
working up making 5% jumps until a 1RM is met. Not a true 1 rep max. There is some left
in the tank, but the bar is approached aggressively.)
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95
PHASE TWO
Deadlift All percentages below are based on a training max. We have now added 10 pounds
to his deadlift training max.
Squat All percentages below are based on a training max. We have now added 10 pounds to
his squat training max.
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Week 4: Squat: 3 reps @ 60%, 3 reps @ 70%, 3 reps @ 80%, 3 reps @ 90% (Continue
working up making 5% jumps until a 3RM is met. Go for a 3 rep PR here.)
Week 5: Deadlift: 3 reps @ 75%, 3 reps @ 85%, 1 rep @ 95% (This is a training 1 rep
max. Not a true 1 rep max. There is some left in the tank, but the bar is approached
aggressively. Continue working up making 5% jumps until a 1RM is met. Go for a heavier
single than phase 1.)
Week 6: Squat: 3 reps @ 65%, 3 reps @ 75%, 3 reps @ 85%, 1 rep @ 95% (This is a
training 1 rep max. Not a true 1 rep max. There is some left in the tank, but the bar is
approached aggressively. Continue working up making 5% jumps until a 1RM is met. Go
for a heavier single than phase 1.)
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PHASE THREE
Back off sets are added after hitting RM for the day. All back off sets are done beltless.
Deadlift All percentages below are based on a training max. We have now added 10 more
pounds to his deadlift training max.
Squat All percentages below are based on a training max. We have now added 10 more
pounds to his squat training max.
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Week 3: Deadlift: 3 reps @ 60%, 3 reps @ 70%, 3 reps @ 80%, 3 reps @ 90% Continue
working up making 5% jumps until a 3RM is met. Go for a 3 rep PR here. Back off sets: 3
sets of 5-8 @ 70%
Week 4: Squat: 3 reps @ 60%, 3 reps @ 70%, 3 reps @ 80%, 3 reps @ 90% (Continue
working up making 5% jumps until a 3RM is met. Go for a 3 rep PR here.) Back off sets: 3
sets of 5-8 @ 70%
Week 5: Deadlift: 3 reps @ 65%, 3 reps @ 75%, 3 reps @ 85%, 1 rep @ 95% (This is a training
1 rep max, not a true 1 rep max. There is some left in the tank, but the bar is approached
aggressively. Continue working up, making 5% jumps until a 1RM is met. Go for a heavier
single than phase 2.) Back-off sets: 3 sets of 3-5 @ 75%
Week 6: Squat: 3 reps @ 65%, 3 reps @ 75%, 3 reps @ 85%, 1 rep @ 95% (This is a training
1 rep max, not a true 1 rep max. There is some left in the tank, but the bar is approached
aggressively. Continue working up making 5% jumps until a 1RM is met. Go for a heavier
single than phase 2.) Back-off sets: 3 sets of 3-5 @ 75%
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99
PHASE FOUR
Back off sets are added after hitting RM for the day. All back off sets are done beltless.
Deadlift All percentages below are based on a training max. We have now added 10 more
pounds to his deadlift training max.
Squat All percentages below are based on a training max. We have now added 10 more
pounds to his squat training max.
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Week 3: Deadlift: 3 reps @ 60%, 3 reps @ 70%, 3 reps @ 80%, 3 reps @ 90% (Continue
working up making 5% jumps until a 3RM is met. Go for a 3 rep PR here.) Back-off sets:
3 sets of 5-8 @ 70%
Week 4: Squat: 3 reps @ 60%, 3 reps @ 70%, 3 reps @ 80%, 3 reps @ 90% (Continue
working up making 5% jumps until a 3RM is met. Go for a 3 rep PR here.) Back-off sets:
3 sets of 5-8 @ 70%
Week 5: TEST Deadlift: 1 rep @ 65%, 1 rep @ 75%, 1 rep @ 85%, 1 rep @ 95% (Continue
working up making 5-10% jumps until a 1RM is met. Go for an all time PR here.)
Week 6: Squat: 3 reps @ 65% TM, 3 reps @ 75% TM, 3 reps @ 85% TM, 1 rep @ 95% TM
(This is a training 1 rep max, not a true 1 rep max. There is some left in the tank, but the
bar is approached aggressively. Continue working up, making 5% jumps until a 1RM is
met. Go for a heavier single than phase 3.)
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101
He finished this phase with a PR pull of 415 pounds, a full 100 pounds heavier than his pull just
24 weeks before. And he had some left in the tank. Even on this testing day, I didnt allow him
to miss a lift.
So what will we do now?
He will continue to follow these 6-week phases above, slowly increasing his training max,
setting 5 and 3 rep PRs, hitting a heavier training single than the phase before, and progressing
on this as long as he can. A lot of people like changing programs, switching things up, etc., but
I firmly believe if its not broke, dont fix it. This is working for him, so theres no need to change
a thing. When the weights start becoming too heavy to finish without missing reps or missing
weights, we will reset his training max. Id simply subtract 20 pounds from the current training
max and progress from there. Eventually he will have milked it for all its worth. Then, the
changes will come. The only changes we will make before this happens will be his accessory
work. This will be determined by how his heaviest single of the previous phase looks like and
what his weak point is at that moment.
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ED COAN
PART XIV
!
T
F
I
L
H
T
A
E
D
E
TH
lift that is
th and the one
ng
re
st
of
st
te
.
e one true
powerlifting gear
of
ts
en
em
The death liftth
nc
va
ad
tive
touched by the
ring their suppor
te
as
m
to
still relatively un
in
e
tim
e squat
le can put a lot of
r, especially in th
ve
yo
Nowadays, peop
rr
ca
of
ds
er have
ndreds of poun
a lift that you eith
as
gear and get hu
e
on
al
ds
an
st
e deadlift
and bench. But th
or you dont.
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105
did three weeks of eight, three weeks of six, competition style and training to become
and three weeks of four. I also paused them powerful through that exact range of motion
on the bottom.
and from that position. Dont be lazy and say
that rack pulls are good enough because
The mental approach is easy! If you set up youre tired from squatting, and dont do band
a good program that is very doable, your pulls and tell yourself that theyre as good
confidence builds during the whole cycle. or better than pulling weight from the floor
By the end, youre as strong as shit mentally. powerlifting style.
People forget that its a long process to be
good at any lift. Your expectations have to be
reasonable. Dont think that you can go up
3040 pounds every cycle. Take your time and
youll get there. I really did have great training
partners along the way. They knew me and all
my little hang ups and let me be me.
VINCE URBANK
Some common misconceptions Ive found
are that lifters assume their lifting should be
tied to a particular frequency (i.e. I have to
squat every week or I have to deadlift every
week). A lifters recovery depends on age,
body weight, sex, lifting experience, current
strength level, training style leading up to that
point, and other factors. So if your recovery is
constantly changing, why would you always
rest the same amount?
Beginner/weaker lifters need to train more
often while experienced/very strong lifters
need more rest. Be honest with yourself. If
youve been powerlifting for ten years and
you deadlift 500 lbs at a body weight of 308
lbs, you arent an experienced lifter limited by
your genetics. You dont need more rest. You
havent trained and recovered properly and
now youre paying the price for your mistakes.
Youve essentially kept yourself at a beginner
level despite training for a considerable
amount of time.
Assistance exercises can help, but there isnt The squat and deadlift are both heavy, lower
any replacement for doing the movement body exercises that tax the nervous system.
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STEVE GOGGINS
Most elite lifters say that you shouldnt use
straps when deadlifting. For me, I find this to
be untrue. I was able to build a tremendous
amount of strength in my back by using straps.
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108
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PART XV
:
M
Y
G
E
G
A
R
A
G
MONSTER
A
S
T
I
1
0
1
P
I
HOOK GR
P
I
H
S
N
O
I
T
A
L
E
LOVE-HATE R
came to
black belt who
ee
gr
de
tiul
m
a
t
aster Chai,
king back, I don
in
Th
a.
re
Ko
His name was M
of
ns
fold
from the mountai
ing the event un
ch
at
w
r
be
the United States
em
m
erday.
y, or date, but I re
st like it was yest
ju
,
er
recall the year, da
ag
en
te
a
uded, in
e when I was
ents, myself incl
ud
st
right in front of m
o
D
on
Kw
e
k
all of his Ta
nd trying to brea
ha
s
hi
e
ok
Master Chai had
br
ts
en
ter one of the stud
the parking lot af
a brick.
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*Try this on something thinner than a barbell, such as the handle of a wooden spoon or
something of that likeness, so you can see what it is like to engulf that implement into your
hand and use this hook grip.
The key to the hook grip is the lesson of Master Chai. The reason his hand did not break is
because he tightened his fist so much that there was no room for the carpels in his hand to
move. Thus, there were no moving parts to break, just one big non-breakable mass. The hook
grip is like that. If there is no space between your thumb and the bar, you can pull tremendous
weight and not really feel the hook grip much.
The hook will feel fine for lighter weight that you can still hold with a double pronated grip,
even if you are doing it incorrectly and not gripping it as tightly as you should. However, when
the weight is greater than what your double pronated grip can hold, you have to grip that bar
as if someone is trying to steal your paycheck in order for the hook to work properly. And with
a tightand I mean TIGHThook grip, you are smashing your own thumb to the deadlift bar. If
you grab the bar with less than your tightest grip, the bar will smash your thumb as the bar is
lifted, so now you have gravity, the barbell, and 700 pounds smashing your thumb. The tighter
the grip of your hook, the less pain to your thumbs. Now, when I say less pain to the thumb,
that is a relative term. The hook grip is not a pleasant grip. When I say that, I dont mean a
going to the dentist kind of unpleasant. I mean it is significantly unpleasant. You are going to
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have to mentally commit to this grip in order THAT SAID, HERE ARE SOME
to do it. It is not like lifting sumo for a training CONS I HAVE FOUND WITH
cycle and then doing another training cycle
THE GRIP:
with a conventional stance. This is like getting
tattooedyou kind of just get through it.
Hook grip is a big hands grip. If you have
one of the elitefts deadlift bars and you
have smaller hands, you should be okay
IN MY EXPERIENCE, HERE ARE
since they are something like 27-28mm.
SOME PROS TO THE HOOK
But the hook can be a challenge for
GRIP:
smaller hands.
Your body wont twist or windmill as it can Reps are tough. You have to re-grip with
with a pronated and supinated grip.
each rep, so this might mean using straps
on your lighter sets.
Your supinated bicep is not actively
engaged, so it is not exposed to rupture.
If you have shorter arms, your fingers can
The distance is a little less to pull (every bit The hook takes months to get used to.
There is a callous to build up, and it just
counts).
plain old takes some practice.
You wont drop the bar because you
really cant drop the bar if you are doing You cant half-ass a hook grip deadlift like
you can with a traditional grip. You have
the hook correctly. You will run out of air
to commit 100 percent. Even if you dont
pulling before you would lose your grip
have to pull hard to get the weight up, you
with the hook.
will have to grip hard to make it tolerable.
You are far less likely to have a chunk of
your hand rip away, which can happen Plain old unpleasant.
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PART XVI
SO YOU THINK
T
F
I
L
D
A
E
D
N
A
YOU C
pular
att Wennings po
M
to
p
-u
w
llo
fo
e expert
long-awaited
e pull in the sam
th
s
Welcome to the
et
rg
ta
t
at
M
This time,
yal elitefts
e brought in lo
SYTYCS series.
W
t.
ua
sq
e
th
our
did with
yan Minney as
R
or
tit
pe
fashion that he
m
co
orough
ateur strongman
analyzed and a th
n,
w
customer and am
do
en
ok
br
d his form is
training subject an
-out.
his deadlift is laid
plan to improve
Welcome to the long-awaited follow-up to Matt Wennings popular SYTYCS series. This time,
Matt targets the pull in the same expert fashion that he did with the squat. We brought in loyal
elitefts customer and amateur strongman competitor Ryan Minney as our training subject and
his form is broken down, analyzed and a thorough plan to improve his deadlift is laid-out.
WENNING COVERS:
7) basic set-up
3) body position/mechanics
4) spinal arch
He starts Ryan at 135, progresses to 225, 315, 365 and around 405. Bar speed is important.
Make every one of your reps (including warm-ups) fast, violent and perfect!
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