DL training

[Velkar182]

I have pulled 800, but with 3-4 inch head start off the bottom (from rack) with straps. I would be psyched if I could even hit lower to mid 700's by March for states, but my best in competition is 625. My coaches have me training grip twice a week and indirectly once a week. I am doing an ME and DE each week for the DL. I have been doing deadlifts on a box and I will be doing Zercher DL for the first time next week. I was thinking about sneaking in some extra hamstring stuff including stiff legged DL's. My GPP workouts will be pretty rugged and packed with assistance movements. Do you guys think this is the correct approach? Any suggestions?

[Doc.Sust]

I have pulled 800, but with 3-4 inch head start off the bottom (from rack) with straps. I would be psyched if I could even hit lower to mid 700's by March for states, but my best in competition is 625. My coaches have me training grip twice a week and indirectly once a week. I am doing an ME and DE each week for the DL. I have been doing deadlifts on a box and I will be doing Zercher DL for the first time next week. I was thinking about sneaking in some extra hamstring stuff including stiff legged DL's. My GPP workouts will be pretty rugged and packed with assistance movements. Do you guys think this is the correct approach? Any suggestions?

a what is the zercher dead, i am familiar with the zercher squat.
stiff leg deads are extremely helpful, also ghr.

i myself find westside is not the way to triain deadlifts, i don't beleive that not deadlifting will make my dead nubers move. i have tried and my weights droped quick! besides chuck V the westside boys are marginal deadlifters IMO. hey but if it works or you..by all means keep it up.i can do 600 + at 181 and 650 at 198 and raw and drug free, all i do is deadlift,cleans.stifflegs and GHR and occasional rack deads conventional deads

[Velkar182]

Actually, I adjusted the Deadlifting/squat day that west side does. First of all I split them up. For some this doesn't work, but I can take on incredible volumes. I also use a variety of DL's on my DE and ME days, only replacing DL with goodmornings whenever my gains drop off. Then I am back to DL after a week or two. I think the reason why good mornings are so effective is that the weakest parts of EVERYONE'S back are the erectors. By the way, the Zercher DL is a DL that you put the bar (better if it is thick) in the crook of your elbow and do deadlifts. Obviously the weight will be much lighter than most of your usual deadlifts. The idea is to be really low and into the DL. It is like doing a DL on a Box that is a foot high.

[OldPLer]

It sounds like you are doing things right, personally I could not do the amount of work you are doing, I would never recover. My DL is weakest lift and I have tried everything, including no DL, just squats, legs, back etc. It did not work for me. If your back can take it, IMO do the stiff leg DLs and keep doing the box DLs. My best lift is squat, why doesnt anyone ask about those. Ha
Good luck Velkar

[Doc.Sust]

Actually, I adjusted the Deadlifting/squat day that west side does. First of all I split them up. For some this doesn't work, but I can take on incredible volumes. I also use a variety of DL's on my DE and ME days, only replacing DL with goodmornings whenever my gains drop off. Then I am back to DL after a week or two. I think the reason why good mornings are so effective is that the weakest parts of EVERYONE'S back are the erectors. By the way, the Zercher DL is a DL that you put the bar (better if it is thick) in the crook of your elbow and do deadlifts. Obviously the weight will be much lighter than most of your usual deadlifts. The idea is to be really low and into the DL. It is like doing a DL on a Box that is a foot high.

do you have sepreate squat and deadlift ME and DE days all in the same wk??how many days are you lifting in a wk? zercher deads sound like a damn painin the balls, i don't know how you could get that low, i will have to try them out.

[Velkar182]

Zerchers are havok on the balls and more so for me because of affinity to kegs of beer, my gut gets in the way. I lift ME and DE on a total of 4 days a week for Squat and DL. Through in ME and DE for bench and 5 GPP workouts a week and cycle in strongman and Olympic lifts and you have my general routine. Because of my volume I train with three partner at different times, because no one can handle my intensity over the duration. Eating 7 times a day is essential in this case along with the half pound of mushrooms a day to spike insulin, creatine doses and so on. I randomly take off about 5 weeks a year to recover. I do go through cycles where I only lift 3 days in the week, but I usually kill myself. My lifts are meticulously drawn up by two coaches and one pain in the a$$ is that I have 45 minutes to complete each workout and sometimes that is bad. After 45 minutes, as I understand, the testosterone drops and cortisone begins to go through the roof. I am doing my own nutrition planning right now, but I think the current plan fits what I am doing.

[Doc.Sust]

so am i getting this straight, you max effort in squat one day, , than max effort dead another day in the same week plus 2 more days of speed work for legs?

[Velkar182]

yeah. I get the impression that you think the way I used to think. I was told that legs need 72 hours to heal and such and such muscle needs x amount of time to heal. Then I did a Bulgarian training cycle (which was hell) and involved heavy work with speed type days and a load of assistance training. Totaling about 10-14 workouts per week. My results were profound. Pretty much everyone I tell that I split the max effort days between squat and DL either don't beleive that I do them the same week, or think I am full of it. If all the kkey pieces are in place, ie the workouts are under 45minutes, food intake and nutrient levels are adequate, stretches are being done once aday to stimulate repair, as well as receiving a massage daily, etc, there is no reason that soreness can't be subdued to take on a second max effort day for the DL. Perhaps the only difficult part at first is gauging the amount of glutamine one is to consume, especially considering it is difficult to get into the body without you intestines messing with you intake.