Physical Fitness Deadlifts?
- Thread starter wvfarrier
- Start date
Bear Pit Exercise Routine
Man, I’m envious of anyone who gets good sleep.
This…if your still shoeing horses you obviously don’t want to blow out your back but need to be in good shape as I’m sure you know that‘s why your doing dead lifts.
I hit 400# today for 1 rep and thats it. I am going to drop back to 175 for regular exercise. It kicked my ass. 500 just isnt realistic for me at my age and weight.
That's impressive. I made a run at the 1000 LB mark (bench, squat, DL) about 8 years ago. Maxed out at 365 on the deadlift. Torn rotator cuff was the result on my bench.
Well done on the 400 mark. That's no joke.
Getting old is a bitch
Can confirm.
Went for a PR in 2017 doing the rippetoe thing. Felt a slight tingle in my left foot afterwords. Been tingling ever since.
Very admirable. That is a high number for your size. I researched strength standards based off of weight and age a while ago. I wrecked a bike my last year in the army broke a lot and got weak. To be considered strong not like powerlifter or anything crazy I found To optimize the health of your body, you should be able to squat and deadlift ~1.5x your bodyweight, bench press ~1.25x your bodyweight, and overhead press ~0.75x your bodyweight.
What Is Strong? Real World Strength Standards For Raw, Natural Lifters
What is strong? I've analyzed the national records for several major drug-free powerlifting federations, and compiled my own set of raw strength standards.
www.muscleandstrength.com Now if you're 47, and on gear. Whether illegal or legal I can foresee you hitting that at your weight. As long as you're eating enough to sustain the grown, even though maxing out taxes the nervous system more then just muscles you'll still need to have that in check.
Male Strength Standards for Weightlifting (lb) - Strength Level
Printable strength standard tables for men in pounds. Includes exercises like bench press, squat and deadlift.
That second link is great. It allows you to see different levels of strength and input age or weight as you see fit.
I think you are doing a great job. Keep up the work. One of my buddies is making babies with a girl on the olympic powerlift team. Perks of living in colorado springs. The only advice I was given by her for the mens side of thing is to never use a belt, or wrist wraps (the kind that hold the bar) if you are doing anything under 300lbs, something about building supporting muscles. At 300+ it's recommended to use the aids to mainly help your skeletal structure.
Very admirable. That is a high number for your size. I researched strength standards based off of weight and age a while ago. I wrecked a bike my last year in the army broke a lot and got weak. To be considered strong not like powerlifter or anything crazy I found To optimize the health of your body, you should be able to squat and deadlift ~1.5x your bodyweight, bench press ~1.25x your bodyweight, and overhead press ~0.75x your bodyweight.
What Is Strong? Real World Strength Standards For Raw, Natural Lifters
What is strong? I've analyzed the national records for several major drug-free powerlifting federations, and compiled my own set of raw strength standards.
Now if you're 47, and on gear. Whether illegal or legal I can foresee you hitting that at your weight. As long as you're eating enough to sustain the grown, even though maxing out taxes the nervous system more then just muscles you'll still need to have that in check.
Male Strength Standards for Weightlifting (lb) - Strength Level
Printable strength standard tables for men in pounds. Includes exercises like bench press, squat and deadlift.strengthlevel.com
That second link is great. It allows you to see different levels of strength and input age or weight as you see fit.
I think you are doing a great job. Keep up the work. One of my buddies is making babies with a girl on the olympic powerlift team. Perks of living in colorado springs. The only advice I was given by her for the mens side of thing is to never use a belt, or wrist wraps (the kind that hold the bar) if you are doing anything under 300lbs, something about building supporting muscles. At 300+ it's recommended to use the aids to mainly help your skeletal structure.
The only "gear" I use is protein and pre/post supplements. Im not stupid enough to use anything else, I aint The Rock
I actually dropped back to doing 200 for reps twice a week. I do them after my cardio sessions
Well I mean you're old and close to decrepit, so you might need it jk jk. On a serious note. I've met a few older guys at my gym that got put on TRT from thier docs. Holy shit minus the face those dudes bodies look like they are in thier 20's. I feel like it's becoming the norm for most ex military dudes after 35.The only "gear" I use is protein and pre/post supplements. Im not stupid enough to use anything else, I aint The Rock
I actually dropped back to doing 200 for reps twice a week. I do them after my cardio sessions
It’s pretty phenomenal. I highly recommend it. Being over 50 is much easier now.
Don’t do them, risk to reward ration is to high. I wish I didn’t spend nearly as much time doing them as I did. Also don’t do heavy legs, do mild weight in high volume if you want to have a long healthy life….
Probably different for each person. I've been lifting for 35 years - most of the time 8-10 reps, 4-6 sets each muscle group, 5-6 days per week, and 2 or 3 days to do the whole body. Never had an injury while I was young.
Post-40, I decided I should change, and started going lighter and adding volume. Did "100's" 3-4X per week for a while, and did Muay Thai workouts the other days. 100's, as I called them, were 3 exercises per day, say deadlifts, bench press, and pull-ups. Do each body part separately, for 100 reps, as fast as you can, doesn't matter how many sets. The goal was to start with a weight you could do 12-15 times, and finish with 2-3 rep sets on the brink of failure in around 13 mins. If you finished in under 10 mins, too easy. If it took 17 or more, too hard.
Great workout - but it earned me my first injuries, which can be somewhat chronic now. I'm back to my old 8-10 rep sets, a different full body workout each day, and finish by hitting the bag for 10-30 mins depending, but fear if I went back to individual body part workouts, my body would start breaking again.
Part of me would love to embrace the crutch of some anti-aging regimen, but ultimately think I'd rather age naturally. The loss of physicality must help our minds to change, so we can become like our grandpas instead of remaining awesome man-children
Post-40, I decided I should change, and started going lighter and adding volume. Did "100's" 3-4X per week for a while, and did Muay Thai workouts the other days. 100's, as I called them, were 3 exercises per day, say deadlifts, bench press, and pull-ups. Do each body part separately, for 100 reps, as fast as you can, doesn't matter how many sets. The goal was to start with a weight you could do 12-15 times, and finish with 2-3 rep sets on the brink of failure in around 13 mins. If you finished in under 10 mins, too easy. If it took 17 or more, too hard.
Great workout - but it earned me my first injuries, which can be somewhat chronic now. I'm back to my old 8-10 rep sets, a different full body workout each day, and finish by hitting the bag for 10-30 mins depending, but fear if I went back to individual body part workouts, my body would start breaking again.
Part of me would love to embrace the crutch of some anti-aging regimen, but ultimately think I'd rather age naturally. The loss of physicality must help our minds to change, so we can become like our grandpas instead of remaining awesome man-children
I still remember being a freshman lifting weights for the football team and not being able to bench 100lbs. Then I discovered a real weight lifting regimen and GNC…Oh those where the days,
I was a gym rat for quite sometime in my younger years..
It all started as a pip squeak out of high school in 1989 working out at Richey Racquet in Florida weight then 135lb. around 5'7" and started around 75lbs on bench or so but I was there everyday.
I met a powerlifter named Mike Ferrantelli he was also a Pasco County Sheriff he still lifts and has set some world records..I can still see him walking around in that powerlifting shirt.. the one that makes you look like Ralphie's brother in the Christmas Story
I owe everything to him for teaching me form and technique on bench press ..
At the height of my lifting my PB Bench was 435lb and I weighed 220lb height 6'2" in 1996
Never cared for dead lifts, wait I fucking hated them
I’m the opposite, deadlifts are my absolute favorite movement. I could totally be ok with just doing deads for the rest of my lifting days
I’ll agree that arbitrary load goals are dangerous. Took some time off to have a hernia fixed last year and just got back at it recently.
I’ve started focusing more on squats and assistance work with deadlifts once a week or so. It’s better on me, and my new gym has a reverse hyper machine, which I love. Keeps my low back feeling strong
I’ve started focusing more on squats and assistance work with deadlifts once a week or so. It’s better on me, and my new gym has a reverse hyper machine, which I love. Keeps my low back feeling strong
Not that it's a lot, years ago at 180, had a clean 560 DL. I'm 60 now and haven't maxed in ages but can rep 365 for 10. My biggest problem is ripping the freaking calluses off, I mean off. Any way, go slow and remember one froggy day will set you back months. This what worked for me, everyone is different remember. I used the same approach on squat and bench. I did an eight week pyramid, followed by 1-2 weeks of active rest and repeated the cycle, slow gains but I would make the progress-SLOWLY.
Always started off with 2 sets of 10 warm up, 135, working in stiff legs into those for a good stretch. 2-3 intermediate sets to the working sets, usually 3. Started the cycle with 10 reps, working down to 3 and max out on week 9. At first, I tried longer cycles but hey just didn't work for me.
Now, form and where to start? I would remember that form is important and when moving heavy weight, one small dip of the hips, etc. will not end well. Never an injury, back off it you feel off-you can always repeat a week if needed.
Keep the hips square, weight on the heels, arms are hooks and drive the shoulders back. Wear good shoes, wrestling shoes are good or the Converse Chuck Taylors are ok.
DO NOT LET YOUR HIPS TURN, KEEP THE KNEES FORWARD AND NOT "DIP" INWARDS CAUSING THE BODY TO GO FORWARD
Hope it helps, eat good, rest and only do one other day of assistance for back, I did once per week heavy on the 3 lifts, one other assist day, usually with one of the other lifts. If you are working smart and hard your body needs rest.
Some folks "work" too much, 8-12 total sets per week is typical for big groups.
Always started off with 2 sets of 10 warm up, 135, working in stiff legs into those for a good stretch. 2-3 intermediate sets to the working sets, usually 3. Started the cycle with 10 reps, working down to 3 and max out on week 9. At first, I tried longer cycles but hey just didn't work for me.
Now, form and where to start? I would remember that form is important and when moving heavy weight, one small dip of the hips, etc. will not end well. Never an injury, back off it you feel off-you can always repeat a week if needed.
Keep the hips square, weight on the heels, arms are hooks and drive the shoulders back. Wear good shoes, wrestling shoes are good or the Converse Chuck Taylors are ok.
DO NOT LET YOUR HIPS TURN, KEEP THE KNEES FORWARD AND NOT "DIP" INWARDS CAUSING THE BODY TO GO FORWARD
Hope it helps, eat good, rest and only do one other day of assistance for back, I did once per week heavy on the 3 lifts, one other assist day, usually with one of the other lifts. If you are working smart and hard your body needs rest.
Some folks "work" too much, 8-12 total sets per week is typical for big groups.
As we age, chasing traditional one-rep maxes gets a bit silly. I don't live to impress anyone. But the idea of not training deadlifts at all is a bit ridiculous. They're one of the single best ways to build/maintain muscle mass, and the movement is completely functional (surely I can't be the only one that occasionally needs to pick something heavy off the floor). Just be a bit smart about the total stress applied, warm up properly, don't do them when tired, etc etc - basically all the smart advice that applies to doing any training in middle age.
Also be careful training high reps - you're still accumulating fatigue, which increases susceptibility to injury. It's remarkably easy to get hurt with shitty form at the end of a long set with light weight on the bar.
Remember that for men, one of the single largest mortality factors is loss of strength in our later years. Avoid injury because it impedes training, but don't be afraid to pull or squat if you're in reasonably good health.
Also be careful training high reps - you're still accumulating fatigue, which increases susceptibility to injury. It's remarkably easy to get hurt with shitty form at the end of a long set with light weight on the bar.
Remember that for men, one of the single largest mortality factors is loss of strength in our later years. Avoid injury because it impedes training, but don't be afraid to pull or squat if you're in reasonably good health.
One of the biggest hazards associated with deadlifts, though, is needing to pick anything up off the floor when you’re sore as shit. I used to get so pissed when I would drop a socket or bolt on the floor at work. I quickly learned to just keep my long grabbers on top of my toolbox to get things off the floor
I no longer do squats and deadlifts in the same day - that was a good way to get hurt.
I do agree that squats should be first, as: 1) the eccentric work required to lower the weight is quite tiring; and 2) failure is much riskier for squats than deadlifts.
But really, splitting these workouts across multiple days is the way to go IMO. Every day should be leg day.
I do agree that squats should be first, as: 1) the eccentric work required to lower the weight is quite tiring; and 2) failure is much riskier for squats than deadlifts.
But really, splitting these workouts across multiple days is the way to go IMO. Every day should be leg day.
Don't die.
Well, I felt like this when I was in my 20’s. But I was single and didn’t have anything to do but go to work and the gym so I trained really hard
It was nothing like concrete work, but I could hold my own
I'm literally sitting here with an ice pack on my lower back reading through all these posts cringing.....pulled a muscle yesterday or somthing, I can't even pinpoint what I did, but man it takes my breath away if I move too quick. Need to get my core back in shape, but I won't be deadlifting 500# anytime soon....that's a LOT of weight. Don't wreck you back or you'll pay the price later in life.
It's pretty easy - either do light weights, low # of sets, or accept the fact that you won't be doing other meaningful work until next week's leg day.
I much prefer to spread them across alternate workouts. Quite simply, I get a higher quality of training for my purposes.
I had to stop doing them. The risk of injury is just too high and after fucking my back up twice it's not worth it.
Also most college and pro athletes no longer do them for same reason.
It's a great compound lift bit you can get similar results from other methods or a combination of lifts.
Also most college and pro athletes no longer do them for same reason.
It's a great compound lift bit you can get similar results from other methods or a combination of lifts.
Deadlift can be really hard on lower back if form breaks down. A trap bar is a good alternative that a lot of people feel is safer. I use it at times, especially if I’m feeling tight in my lower back.
Robert Oberst (worlds strongest man competitor) caught a lot of flak for saying deadlift had too high of a risk to reward ratio, and said hang cleans and power cleans are better for most athletes. However, he’s speaking from a perspective of someone who’s pulling 800lbs so I’m not sure how applicable that is for most people.
I deadlift all the time with no ill effect. But I pay attention to form and I pay attention to how my body feels.
Robert Oberst (worlds strongest man competitor) caught a lot of flak for saying deadlift had too high of a risk to reward ratio, and said hang cleans and power cleans are better for most athletes. However, he’s speaking from a perspective of someone who’s pulling 800lbs so I’m not sure how applicable that is for most people.
I deadlift all the time with no ill effect. But I pay attention to form and I pay attention to how my body feels.
Given your age 300pds is too heavy for a warm up if 375 is the max.
Also I would consider 10-15 sets with light weight.
If that's a sumo pull you are wrong for calling it a deadlift. I'm just saying.
#1, Gain weight.
I'd suggest going heavy once a week and having more of a volume day on your other DL day.
Empire Barbell on YouTube for training ideas.
Anecdotally, I think the leg press has more carry over to the DL than the squat. If I was to be focused on my DL, I'd forego squats for the leg press in addition to other accessory work.
When you see someone warning of the risks of injury from deadlifts, keep in mind these comments are not aimed at the casual middle-aged lifter that would struggle to punch out a single set of 8-10 reps at 1.5x bodyweight. If you're some monstrous defensive end who needs to focus on explosive strength, sure, save yourself the training stress and risk associated with pulling 600+ lbs; there are indeed better things to work on. If you've got an existing back injury, there may be more appropriate lifts (although many of those injuries were originally caused by insufficient conditioning, so continuing to avoid certain movements might create a bit of a doom loop). But if you're an average Joe who is looking for an excuse to avoid discomfort, stop it.
Start light, make small incremental progressions in weight and/or reps, modify the lift with a hex bar or decrease the ROM if you have a flexibility problem (the root cause of bad form for many lifters), and understand your limits. If you're getting tired, skip the last set or take some weight off the bar. If you're burned out, take a few weeks off from the list or reduce your training stress by adjusting weight and/or reps. But don't simply avoid a motion that involves the most elemental body mechanics just because someone in a completely different situation has decided to train differently, and think really hard about the consequences of artificially constraining the movement with a machine.
If we want to talk about movements with poor risk vs reward profiles and someone brings up the barbell bench press, then I might have a different take.
Start light, make small incremental progressions in weight and/or reps, modify the lift with a hex bar or decrease the ROM if you have a flexibility problem (the root cause of bad form for many lifters), and understand your limits. If you're getting tired, skip the last set or take some weight off the bar. If you're burned out, take a few weeks off from the list or reduce your training stress by adjusting weight and/or reps. But don't simply avoid a motion that involves the most elemental body mechanics just because someone in a completely different situation has decided to train differently, and think really hard about the consequences of artificially constraining the movement with a machine.
If we want to talk about movements with poor risk vs reward profiles and someone brings up the barbell bench press, then I might have a different take.
I spent 20 years in the gym , now at 57 there are days that I struggle to pick up my AXSR with one hand or throw a football to my grandson
When I go out west hunting I have to get on prednisone for the shoulder pain
Wish I had never seen a gym mirror!
When I go out west hunting I have to get on prednisone for the shoulder pain
Wish I had never seen a gym mirror!
Props to this dude:
Note that he's getting coached. I think that's a better contributor to health and safety than just not doing the exercise.
Note that he's getting coached. I think that's a better contributor to health and safety than just not doing the exercise.
I had to quit for a while. I got kicked in the stomach by a horse, it tore a hole in my diaphragm which had to be repaired
I’ve seen 120 head done in a day and a half. I’ve also seen one of the best geldings on the ranch freak out on the way down and damn near rip all the hide off his pastern. Spent a lot of money to keep that one alive.
Hope you’re healing up man. Ain’t no MLOA pay for a horseshoer.
Ive shod horses for most of my life, I have never cared for shoeing stocks or turn tables. Too risky in my opinion.
I have no use for them either. It wasn’t my choice to roll that contraption in. They said it was because they were batshit crazy. I say they were batshit crazy bc of the table.
So the people who said you'd get hurt were correct - they just didn't specify how.
This…. Ruptured one in August and haven’t been able to lift since. Got to feeling pretty good a couple months ago and hit the gym one day for an “easy” workout, nothing to strain my back. Was hurt for another 5 weeks after that.
Trying to figure out how to strengthen it enough to do pretty much any free weights.
Have fun...me, I'm 70, had a herniated disk operation 15 years ago, started dead lifts to try to strengthen core and got a bit carried away perhaps, and I'm having three lumbar vertebrae fused in early Mar as that disk is completely collapsed (as in not really there anymore) and the one below it is starting to collapse.
But you guys go for it....yessiree.
But you guys go for it....yessiree.
Lol, Ronnie Coleman is disabled because he’s a fucking monster. He also fully acknowledges why he is in the condition that he is in and says he has no regerts about how he was, and will always be(my biased opinion) the greatest bodybuilder in history. I get what you’re saying but using Ronnie as your example is a bit disingenuous
I have been training for about 30 years. I will say everyone is a little right on this.
Deadlifts are risky. It’s true, pro athletes avoid them due to the risks. If you are young, and developing glutes and hamstrings to their maximum potential they are definitely useful though. So it’s important to decide what your goals are.
If you are over 40, I wouldn’t recommend them. But I wouldn’t judge if you decided you needed them in your routine.
If you really want to do them, I would suggest RDLs with weight that you can handle for 10 reps or more with good form. I believe that by not touching the floor between reps, you avoid the unloading and then reloading of your disks which is a type of impact load on them. Keep the weight/tension consistent throughout the set. If you can’t do 10 reps you are probably going too heavy, especially if you are older like I am.
The best exercise for that same posterior chain imo is the reverse hyper.
Deadlifts are risky. It’s true, pro athletes avoid them due to the risks. If you are young, and developing glutes and hamstrings to their maximum potential they are definitely useful though. So it’s important to decide what your goals are.
If you are over 40, I wouldn’t recommend them. But I wouldn’t judge if you decided you needed them in your routine.
If you really want to do them, I would suggest RDLs with weight that you can handle for 10 reps or more with good form. I believe that by not touching the floor between reps, you avoid the unloading and then reloading of your disks which is a type of impact load on them. Keep the weight/tension consistent throughout the set. If you can’t do 10 reps you are probably going too heavy, especially if you are older like I am.
The best exercise for that same posterior chain imo is the reverse hyper.
