Front Squats
10xBW
10x20kg
5x35kg
3x50kg
1x62.5kg
3x5x75kg -- Last rep of each set didn't feel overly stable up on my shoulders thanks to fingers slipping out, so I was concerned that the bar would come crashing down in a spectacular fail in every set. But I got each rep.
Deadlifts
10x60kg
5x80kg
3x100kg
1x115kg
5x5x130kg -- I feel mantastic. Pretty sure my lower back will be thanking me tomorrow for sticking with bench first, deadlifts second; no chance I'd be getting any good work on bench press tomorrow.
GHR/Shrug/Calf Raise
3x6xBlue/15x71.5kg/16x300lb
I find it interesting the way different people respond to deadlifts. Some people can't productively deadlift more than once every 2-4 weeks. Others can deadlift multiple times per week. I see plenty of people online swearing that if you do more than 1 work set, more than 5 reps in a set, and more than 1 session with deadlifts in it per week, you'll overtrain. That sentiment sounds suspiciously Rippetoey*, and so I suspect that those people are speaking from a book and not from personal experience. Books on training are useful, but when it comes to training, even the most broadly applicable and effective rules are a guideline rather than absolute truth.
*Ironically, these sentiments don't actually reflect Rippetoe's apparent intentions when he prescribed 1x5 deadlifts in SS. Low reps were prescribed because beginners have sucky technique and even suckier consistency of technique, so he reasoned that 5 good reps are better than 5 good reps, 5 okayish reps and 5 fugly reps (a volume which is quite achievable with the weights you'd be using at the start of that program). And he only prescribed 1 set of deadlifts instead of a higher number of sets because you're already doing 9 working sets (plus a billion warm up sets) of squats per week which work similar muscles. If you did just as deadlifting as squatting, you probably would burn out on that program. But the point is that 1x5 deadlifts every other workout to minimise complications from getting it wrong are prescribed in the context of the program, rather than as a rule that everyone should adhere to
I like deadlifts. Was really upset at missing them last week, so the idea of doing them once ever 2-4 weeks for one set only would not make me a happy camper.
ReplyDeleteThere is something deeply rewarding about grabbing a lump of metal off the floor, feeling your whole body complain about it, then finishing knowing that was seriously heavy. Or maybe it's just me.
There is a lot of confidence with deadlifts too, people worry about them so much I think they defeat themselves before touching the bar. The advantage of being arrogant is I don' care, and will happily bust a few blood vessels lifting even if the bar doesn't move.
I wouldn't enjoy going that long without them, and then only doing them once, either. There's a real satisfaction out of doing them.
DeleteI'm feeling good today, and am quite confident that my 5x5 deadlifts yesterday will not impede on my performance tomorrow or the day after. I used to do 3x1-10 deadlifts back before I became aware of this whole phenomenon that multiple sets of deadlifts will make you overtrain, and oddly enough I didn't overtrain back then. I've been doing 3x10 and 5x5 deadlifts for 9 weeks now without fail and haven't overtrained yet, plus speed pulls on Saturdays. I've been struck with the argument that once I get to a 500lb deadlift I'll be glad that it's over in 1 set...if that's the case, I'll jump off that bridge if and when I come to it; but so far doing them twice a week and getting in plenty of volume is having positive effects.