Detailed Deadlift Program for Boosting Your 1RM

Are you striving to improve your deadlift? Want to build lean muscle mass, power, and stamina? Are you a novice at this compound exercise?

No need to rush and run to a random gym and climb out of your skin to squeeze out the maximum of your capabilities. Entrust your training regime and skilling up your deadlift to proficient Oly lifters.

That is  why we are here! We will pick up the proper combination of workout exercise options to develop your general strength and enhance your deadlift progression in the shortest time possible.

What Is a Deadlift?

The deadlift is a basic exercise which involves almost all the body muscles. Many athletes are familiar with and use this movement in their training program to develop their muscular system and strength.

Athletes often learn it as the first exercise in the gym and continue to increase the deadlift throughout their careers. Additionally, it can be found in every strength training plan in the gym.

The deadlift originally came from powerlifting. However, it is also used in Olympic weightlifting, fitness, strongman, and many other sports that have a strength component.

What Muscles Work in the Deadlift Exercise?

Deadlift is one of the most basic exercises for training and developing maximum power and strength at the same time. The main emphasis is on the largest groups – the muscles of the back and legs.

In addition, the hips, hamstrings, glutes, and lats work well in the deadlift. Trapezius, deltas, triceps, core, forearms, etc. are also actively involved in the work.

5 Deadlift Variations

Each variation of the deadlift program serves to achieve a slightly different result. Let’s take a look at the most common variations below:

1. Sumo Deadlift

This variation is mostly used in professional powerlifting deadlift routines. The technique of this exercise is more complicated than the classic deadlift. The main difference is that the athlete puts his feet as wide as possible and grabs the barbell with a shoulder-wide grip.

This technique significantly reduces the range of motion and more actively involves the muscles of the legs in comparison with the classical technique.

2. Romanian Deadlift

The Romanian deadlift (RDL) is a popular pull variation that is performed with almost straight legs. It helps to train the hamstrings, glutes, and erectors of the spine more effectively.

RDL is a variation of the deadlift that focuses on the posterior chain muscles and helps to increase the size and strength of the hamstrings, glutes, and erectors of the spine.

This variation is included in the deadlift training program of almost all strength athletes as the easiest and most effective way to work out the back of the body. As for other sports, it is often used as an auxiliary exercise. For example, strong spinal erectors are important for snatch and C&J, while hamstrings are critical for fast running and jumping.

3. Snatch Grip Deadlift

Snatch grip deadlift is ideal for Olympic weightlifters. This variation is almost a deadlift from the floor but executed with a wide grip. Its technique has almost the same structure as the traditional snatch exercise pull, but there is no power position and calf raise.

This exercise gives good results in increasing the strength of the upper back and lower body but without the phase of explosion.

Certain weightlifters choose snatch grip pulls as it puts less strain on the lower part of the back. The snatch deadlift is the main drill training of the snatch for strength development, balance, and movement control.

Weightlifters typically perform snatch deadlifts with heavier loads in comparison to snatch, which helps them develop specific strengths. The deadlift with snatch grip can be used as a corrective exercise with low loads to correct body position and angles or as an instrument for learning the snatch.

The snatch Olympic deadlifting involves almost the same muscles as the classical deadlift. However, due to the wide grip, it applies more stress on the upper part of the back than on the lower back. The snatch-style deadlift is a longer exercise than the classic deadlift.

A wide-style grip makes the athlete drive his hips back to complete the exercise. It targets the hamstrings and upper part back and can be effective for progressing with other drills, including classic pull.

To keep increasing the deadlift, you must do a similar load for a few weeks, which is usually achieved by adding weight, volume, and intensity each week. Keep in mind that linear and easy progress will one day end; subsequently, a variety of exercises can be planned to overcome the plateau.

It also helps you mentally. Any changes and updates in the usual routine make workouts way more exciting. It may seem obvious, but enjoying your sessions is critical to sticking with a training cycle for the long haul.

4. Trap Bar Deadlift

This variation is performed with special equipment. It helps to more evenly distribute the load between the legs and back and, therefore, is more comfortable and safer for the lower back. This makes the trap bar deadlift one of the best choices for a beginner deadlift program.

5. Deadlift from a Deficit Position

This variation is performed from an additional platform of regular weight-lifting plates. You can vary the height to make the exercise more difficult. The deficit deadlift aims to improve breakaway technique and starting speed and teaches you to use all the important muscles and correctly distribute the load between them.

6 Deadlift Advantages

Let’s take a look at the main benefits that can be achieved by performing regular deadlifts.

✅ The Hip Extensors Activation

The deadlift and its variations are the best exercises for hip extension training. These muscles include the gluteus maximus and the hamstring.

✅ Explosive Power and Jump Development

Jumping is a key skill for many sports. The quality of the jump integrally reflects the development of the strength of the lower body. In addition, jumping power is transferred to other activities with maximum power, such as sprinting.

✅ Increased Bone Density

Decreased bone mineral density is a common problem with aging, which can lead to osteoporosis, greatly increasing the risk of fractures in the elderly. A large amount of scientific research supports the use of resistance training to slow bone density loss, including exercises such as deadlifts.

✅ Strengthening the Muscles of the Trunk

Coaching experience and research have shown that the deadlift and other free-weight strength exercises are an effective way to activate and strengthen the core muscles that stabilize the spine.

✅ The Metabolism Acceleration

Weight loss is a common goal of many fitness programs. Qualitatively, losing weight through fat requires a person to burn more calories than they consume. When it comes to effectively boosting your metabolism through movement, strength training with exercises like the deadlift is one of the most effective methods.

✅ Minimum Number of Equipment

An important advantage of the deadlift is the simplicity of the equipment. All you need is a barbell and some discs to complete the movement.

Try Our Programs to Achieve New Result

If you would like to work more on your deadlift, try our program to improve your technique or gain a new personal best.

DEADLIFT 2.0 is a 12-week Olympic weightlifting training program designed to peak your deadlift to hit a new personal record.

8 Tips for Improving Deadlift Performance

Here are 8 top tips to improve your deadlift performance.

1. Regularity and Systematic Approach

The deadlift is a physiologically stressful exercise. You can recover from it in 48-72 hours, but for progression in the result of this exercise, it should be in the weekly plan 2-3 times a week. With a proper deadlift workout plan, you will begin feeling the progress in 6-8 weeks of systematic training.

Experienced trainers believe that in exercises such as squats, bench presses, and deadlifts, a full training cycle should last about 12 weeks or more.

2. Using an Optimal Grip

In Olympic weightlifting, there is only one grip option: the hook grip. But when we talk about basic strength training, there are many more rational options:

• regular overhand grip;
• mixed grip;
• straps and hooks.

It all depends on your training goals. If an athlete trains the deadlift as an accessory exercise for their sport, the more varied the training and grip, the more functional the strength will be.

3. Grip Strengthening

Everyone who watches powerlifting competitions knows that unsuccessful attempts by athletes happen not only because they cannot pull up the barbell but also because the weight slips out of their palms. For this reason, many strength athletes pay special attention to grip strength endurance.

There are two helpful suggestions:

• perform all the assisting exercises with a regular grip: bent over rows, pull-ups, farmer’s walk, shrugs, etc.
• on the last rep of the set, always hold at the top for 4-5 seconds to help strengthen your grip with static.

4. Increasing the Initial Speed of Movement

For pulling maximum weight, starting speed in the initial position is significant. To do this, it is important to not only pay attention to this phase of the movement but also develop strength in other auxiliary exercises:

Combined pulls:

• with varied grips (narrow, regular, medium, wide);
• with pauses or stops;
• with an explosive start;
• slow eccentric mode;
• T&G;
• variations of lunges;
• variations of jumps.

The development of strength in these exercises is an important condition for increasing the starting speed in pulling.

5. General Physical Fitness

The deadlift effectively develops the strength of all the muscles of the athlete’s body. However, the safe and reliable performance of the deadlift itself is impossible without an additional strengthening of smaller muscles and stabilizing muscles.

For those who dream of serious kilograms in the deadlift, it is important to regularly train the following groups of exercises:

• weighted pull-ups with different grips;
• vertical and horizontal pulls;
• farmers walk;
• squats variations;
• static and dynamic planks;
• kettlebell swings.

6. Intensity and Progressive Overload

In order to progress, you need to increase training weights, i.e. in order to become stronger, you need to purposefully develop loads. One method of developing strength is setting up a deadlift progression program.

In simple terms, it includes progressive overload, which is an alternation of training methods that exposes the athlete to specific stress that they have not experienced before. Adapting to these “unaccustomed loads” makes him more resilient, more powerful, stronger, and faster.

7. Pulling Barefoot

Performing barefoot deadlifts for an Olympic weightlifter sounds unexpected and strange, and for a fitness amateur, it will seem not like the best deadlift program but more likely as unsafe and unhygienic.

However, for powerlifters, this approach is absolutely acceptable. In fact, deadlifting without shoes is much more biomechanically rational than in any shoes.

When the lifter has no heel, the overturning action of the bar is practically absent, and the buttocks and thigh, especially the hamstrings, are turned on much more efficiently. Another detail: the trajectory of the bar is reduced. For an ordinary person, it may seem insignificant, but when you pull a world record, it matters a lot.

8. Mental Preparation

Never underestimate the power of mental preparation. There is an unspoken rule that at the World Championships and the Olympic Games, the first five athletes have almost the same strength level. Nevertheless, there is always one winner — the one whose nervous system remains stable in a stressful situation.

Another important aspect of mental preparation is visualization. Sports psychologists recommend that athletes play in their imagination a successful scenario of performance or performance of individual exercises or their elements while preparing for a competition. In physiological terms, this approach is called autogenic training.

Technique in the Deadlift for Beginners and Intermediate to Advanced Lifters

The deadlift comprises 4 main phases:

• starting position;
• pull;
• lockout;
• descending.

Below you can find a detailed description of each phase of the deadlift exercise, including its characteristics, advantages, drawbacks, and performance techniques.

1. Starting Position

After the athlete has approached the bar, they must correctly set the feet. To do this, the athlete needs to put feet shoulder-width apart, and the projection of the bar passes through the middle of the foot. The bar should be as close as possible; touching the shin is allowed.

In the classic deadlift, the standard grip is slightly wider than the setting. There are three most common barbell grip options: overhand, mixed, and hook.

The overhand grip is the simplest one in terms of technology. Nonetheless, this grip has an important drawback: for many athletes, in the process of movement, fingers open underweight, and the bar simply rolls out.

However, it does not mean that this grip is useless: to secure the bar, many athletes use straps, metal hooks, leather and synthetic training gloves, and other accessories that help solve the problem of grip stability.

The mixed grip is used not only in professional powerlifting but also in the strength training of athletes and mass fitness. When grabbing the bar, the athlete holds the bar from below with one hand and from above with the other.

This technique significantly increases the reliability of the grip. The disadvantage of the mixed grip is the asymmetric distribution of the load and, as a result, the muscular imbalance of the right and left parts of the body, i.e. different muscle development of the arms, shoulders, or back.

The hook grip is the optimal solution primarily for professional weightlifters as well as athletes of other sports. With this technique, the athlete wraps their fingers around the bar and thumb. This approach allows one to hold large weights and keep arm muscles as relaxed as possible.

Although this grip can cause some pain, all athletes get used to it and feel that this position is quite natural.

After placing the feet and arms correctly in the starting position, it is necessary to place the torso and legs. The back must be arched and tense. The legs must be bent at the knee and hip joints, so that the pelvis is approximately in line with the knees.

The shoulders should be positioned above the bar or slightly cover it. The gaze should be directed forward, while the neck should be in a neutral position.

2. Pull

After the athlete has taken a correct and comfortable starting position, they need to perform several more important preparatory actions. It is necessary to bend the lower back, open the chest, and bring the shoulder blades together.

A movement starts with the legs. It is important to not just strive to lift weight but push the platform away with the maximum force.

During the exercise, maintain the position of the shoulders above the bar and synchronously unbend the back and legs. After the bar has passed the level of the knees, it is necessary to actively engage and compress the gluteal muscles.

To maintain an economical and efficient trajectory, the athlete must pull the bar as close as possible. It is allowed to touch the legs throughout the entire trajectory. If the lifter lets the weight go away, then there is a risk that their back will round and the whole biomechanics of movement will break.

3. Lockout

The pull is considered completed after the full extension of the knee and hip joints. Overextending the trunk back can lead to spinal injury. Therefore, the athlete must ensure that their position is as vertically straight as possible. This position must be held for about a second to fix; afterwards, the bar must be correctly lowered onto the platform.

4. Descending

Lowering the barbell must be done in a controlled manner. In fact, the lifter must copy the path of the bar up when moving down. You cannot relax the muscles immediately after fixation and throw the barbell onto the platform, as it can lead to unpleasant consequences and even injury.

Moreover, in a competition, if the lifter has not escorted the barbell down to the platform, the judges will not count the attempt as a good lift.

Lastly, if the pull is performed for a large number of repetitions, you need to maintain back tension throughout the entire set.

Progress in the Deadlift

Progress in the deadlift depends on the athlete’s fitness level. Let’s take a brief look at the development of the deadlift performance for each level of training.

1. Novice Deadlift Progress

For athletes whose training experience is less than 6-9 months and the training frequency is up to a 3-day deadlift program, it makes no sense to strive to set records.

Their training process in deadlift should be aimed at studying and improving the technique of all phases of movement, developing general physical fitness, and strengthening the core as well as small stabilizing muscles.

Overall, they should follow a general deadlift strength program to build their body strength capabilities to lift more in future.

2. Intermediate Deadlift Progress

Intermediate lifters perform full-fledged deadlift training programs and actively participate in competitions. They are very familiar with the technique, progress steadily, and move with their intended results. Depending on the weight category, intermediate athletes are able to reach weights equal to two body weights and more.

3. Progress in an Advanced Lifter’s Deadlift

An advanced-level athlete has more than 3 years of training experience. Most often, those who are engaged in advanced deadlift programs or other power sports professionally fall into this category.

Such athletes train under the guidance of a personal trainer and have an individualized training program, which is compiled taking into account the following aspects:

• competition schedule;
• the level of training of the athlete;
• a basic law of periodization;
• the individual characteristics of an athlete.

2 Key Factors in a Deadlift Program

Obviously, in order to progress, a personalized deadlift workout program is a must-have. That means you need to increase the load, and in order to become stronger, you need to purposefully develop strength. One method of developing strength is progressive overload.

In simple terms, progressive overload is the alternation of training methods that puts the athlete under stress that they have not experienced before. Adapting to that stress makes one bigger, stronger, and faster.

However, it is not just about increasing the weight of the barbell, sets, and reps, as it can also involve the following:

• frequency of training;
• prescribed number of sets and reps;
• rest time between sets.

A combination of these methods can help speed up progress and avoid deadlift plateaus. It is very important to remember that all of the above WITHOUT correct angles and technique is a direct path to injury.

1. Training Frequency

Deadlift training for maximum results always works with heavy weights. The experience of high-level powerlifters shows this type of deadlift cycle. They practice super-heavy deadlifts 1-2 times a week, and the last heavy deadlift is done 3-5 weeks before the performance.

These intervals should help you understand how important physical and mental recovery is and that it takes time. It is also important to remember that powerlifters can develop tremendous strength but often lose out to weightlifters, strongmen, and functionalists in terms of power, speed, and flexibility.

2. Intensity

Regarding deadlift training and specific load parameters, you need to remember that effective strength work is a load of 75-85% of your 1RM, for 3-8 reps.

5 Common Deadlift Programming Mistakes

For many, the deadlift seems to be a fairly technically simple exercise. In fact, however, learning the right movement is not so simple. A large number of novice athletes often make similar mistakes, and some of them can be traumatic.

❌ Rounding Back

Rounding back is a common mistake among both beginners and experienced athletes. The back can round out if the lifter releases the bar forward during the upward movement and, as a result, the center of gravity moves to the forefoot.

Another reason for rounding the back can be an incorrect starting position: when the athlete’s hips are too high and the entire load is shifted to the back as much as possible.

In addition, this error can occur if the athlete has not arched enough and strained the lower back and back muscles in the starting position. This skill is essential to keep your torso in the correct position throughout the entire pull.

❌ Overextension during Fixation

Overextending the trunk back can lead to spinal injury. Therefore, the athlete must ensure that his position is as vertically straight as possible. This position must be held for about a second to fix; subsequently, the bar must be correctly lowered onto the platform.

Athletes must always remember that this fixation phase ends when the knees and back are straightened but the torso is not tilted back.

❌ Release the Bar Forward

When an athlete releases the bar forward, it causes a lot of dangerous and unnecessary leverage in the body. With this position and angles, the spine receives a very large load and compression of the lumbar discs, which can injure them. To minimize the risk of this mistake, always pull the barbell as close to your shins and thighs as possible.

❌ Wrong Projection of the Bar

Both in the starting position and in the deadlift, the projection of the bar should be in the middle of the foot. If this balance is shifted further forward or backward, the entire biomechanics of the pull is disrupted. In this case, the athlete is more likely to make the mistake we discussed first on this list.

❌ Too Narrow Grip

The optimal grip width in the classic deadlift should be slightly wider than the width of the feet. If an athlete performs an exercise with grip that is too narrow, it can provoke a number of more errors. For example, the arms may be bent at the elbows to make room for the knees in the starting position.

With this technique, there is a strong tension in the muscles of the arms, which significantly increases the risk of injury and rupture of the biceps.

Training Plan for Every Grade Level

Choose your own deadlift workout plan based on your fitness level, experience, training needs, and goals.

Grade level	Beginner	Intermediate	Advanced
1-week training plan	Includes: ● Training frequency is up to a 3-day deadlift program ● Aim: studying and improving the technique of all phases of movement ● Developing general physical fitness ● Strengthening the core and small stabilizing muscles ● Build body strength capabilities for further lifting	Includes: ● Full-fledged deadlift training programs ● Progress steadily, and move with the intended results ● An athlete is already able to reach weights equal to two body weights and more	Includes: ● Training under the guidance of a personal trainer ● Have an individualized training program, which is compiled taking into account: ○ Athlete’s competition schedule ○ The level of training of the athlete, his general condition

A 1-week Olympic weightlifting program that includes the deadlift cycle with the following training schedule:

Monday:

• General warmup
• Hyperextension: 3 x 10 x 55-70% of 1RM
• ABS: 3 x 10 x 55-70% of 1RM
• Muscle snatch: 4 x 6 x 55-70% of 1RM
• Deadlift:
        1 x 5 x 50% of 1RM of DL
        1 x 5 x 60% of 1RM of DL
        1 x 5 x 70% of 1RM of DL
        4 x 4 x 80% of 1RM of DL
• Good morning: 3 x 12 x 50% of 1RM
• Plank: 3 sets x 45 sec
• Post-workout stretching

Tuesday:

day-off

Wednesday:

• General warmup
• Superman: 3 sets x 15 reps
• Gakk squat: 3 sets x 12 reps
• Snatch: 4 x 3 x 50% of 1RM of SN
• Front Squat+Jerk: 4 x 1+2 x 50% of 1RM of C&J
• Front squat:
        1 x 4 x 50% of 1RM of C&J
        1 x 4 x 60% of 1RM of C&J
        1 x 4 x 70% of 1RM of C&J
        4 x 4 x 80% of 1RM of C&J
• Wrists flexion: 3 x 15 x 55-70% of 1RM
• Post-workout stretching

Thursday:

day-off

Friday:

• General warmup
• Hyperextension: 3 x 10 x 55-70% of 1RM
• ABS: 3 x 15 x 55-70% of 1RM
• Deficit clean: 3 x 3 x 50% of 1RM
• Deficit deadlift:
        1 x 5 x 50% of 1RM
        1 x 5 x 60% of 1RM
        4-5 x 5 x 75% of 1RM
• Romanian deadlift: 3 x 12 x 55-70% of 1RM
• Reverse plank: 3 sets x 45 sec
• Post-workout stretching

Saturday:

day-off

Sunday:

Depending on the grade, the deadlift workout cycle can vary in the number of sets and reps, by performing different ratios of the RM. For starters, the repetition deadlift may look as follows: 2-3 sets x 8-12 reps at 50% of 1RM, or 1 set x 5 reps at 50% of 1RM.

Additionally, when an athlete has a day off, it’s possible to do some accessory movements to maintain proper body form.

FAQ

How Many Days a Week Do You Deadlift?

It depends on your fitness level: a beginner can train one to three times a week, with a longer period for recovery between exercises. While an experienced athlete who has already been training regularly and has already been performing deadlifts can work out five or six times a week. Recovery time can be decreased.

Are 3 Sets of 6 Good for Deadlift?

Yes, it is considered to be a standard number of sets and reps. Generally, you should choose a set and rep range, and weight according to your capabilities. For strength training, it is recommended to perform 3-4 sets of 2-6 reps. For building muscle mass, it is better to do more – 4 sets of 6-12 reps will be enough.

Conclusion

Pick up your surefire way to improve your sports performance, particularly excelling at deadlifting with a properly selected deadlift workout plan. Master your pulling technique, hit your personal record in deadlift, and build up raw power under the guidance of top sportsmen and Olympic weightlifters.

Also read:

• Average Deadlift
• Deadlift Stances
• Bad Deadlift Form
• Is Sumo Deadlift Easier
• Rack Pull vs Deadlift
• Deadlift Bar Weight
• Deadlift Progression

References:

1. Giuseppe Coratella, Gianpaolo Tornatore, Stefano Longo, Fabio Esposito, Emiliano Cè, “An Electromyographic Analysis of Romanian, Step-Romanian, and Stiff-Leg Deadlift: Implication for Resistance Training,” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 19, no. 3 (2022): 1903. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8835508/
2. Isabel Martín-Fuentes, José M. Oliva-Lozano, José M. Muyor, “Electromyographic Activity in Deadlift Exercise and Its Variants. A Systematic Review,” PLoS One 15, no. 2 (2020): e0229507. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0229507
3. Iván Chulvi-Medrano, Xavier García-Massó, Juan C. Colado, Carlos Pablos, Joao Alves de Moraes, Maria A. Fuster., “Deadlift Muscle Force and Activation Under Stable and Unstable Conditions,” The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research 24, no. 10 (2010): 2723-2730. DOI:10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181f0a8b9
4. Mark E. Hammer, Rudi A. Meir, John W. Whitting, Zachary J. Crowley-McHattan, “Shod vs. Barefoot Effects on Force and Power Development during a Conventional Deadlift,” Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 32, no. 6 (2018): 1525-1530. DOI:10.1519/JSC.0000000000002246
5. Rafael F. Escamilla, Anthony C. Francisco, Andrew V. Kayes, Kevin P. Speer, Claude T. Moorman III, “An Electromyographic Analysis of Sumo and Conventional Style Deadlifts,” Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 34, no. 4 (2002): 682-688. https://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/Fulltext/2002/04000/An_electromyographic_analysis_of_sumo_and.19.aspx
6. Ulrika Aasa, Victor Bengtsson, Lars Berglund, Fredrik Öhberg, “Variability of Lumbar Spinal Alignment among Power- and Weightlifters during the Deadlift and Barbell Back Squat,” Sports Biomechanics 21, no. 6 (2022): 701-717. DOI:10.1080/14763141.2019.1675751
7. All photos are made by Torokhtiy Media team.