BY Dennis B. Weis "The Yukon Hercules"
Criticalbench.com
HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADD AS MUCH AS 10% ONTO YOUR MAXIMUM SINGLE EFFORT POWER DEADLIFT IN A SHORT TIME?
For instance, let’s say you are now power deadlifting 400 lbs. for a single rep. How would you like to be deadlifting 440 lbs. within a few short workouts? Sounds good eh? Sure it does.
And you will do it, believe me.
Back in the early 1970s my maximum single deadlift record was in a slump at around 500 lbs. I decided to seek out a solution to this problem and immediately got in contact with Ernest F. Cottrell (who had been giving highly professional bodybuilding and powerlifting instruction for more than 20 years) through his personalized mail-order bodybuilding instruction service. Ernie sent me a Power Deadlift Specialization workout that literally catapulted my deadlift poundage almost overnight. The deadlift specialization program was performed twice per week on Monday and Thursday (Tuesday and Saturday is another option I used from time to time). Here is the schedule as it was out lined for me:
MONDAY Power Deadlift Workout
TUESDAY Squat/Bench Press
WEDNESDAY Rest
THURSDAY Power Deadlift Workout
FRIDAY Squat/Bench Press
SATURDAY Rest
SUNDAY Rest
Since my primary goal was to specialize on the deadlift, Ernie had me only doing maintenance work on the squat and bench press, just enough for slight improvement.
THE WORKOUT
CONVENTIONAL DEADLIFT
Load a bar to your best 10-rep maximum poundage. Perform 2 sets of 6 reps (rest 3 minutes between the sets).
This exercise is performed like the regular conventional deadlift except for two important differences. First, as you reach the vertical lockout position, shrug the shoulders up and back as far as anatomically possible while slightly bending the arms to activate the biceps. Hold this position for 2 seconds, and then lower the barbell until the plates are about 2 inches off the floor, stop any further movement and hold for about 2-3 seconds, then begin the upward pull again and repeat the whole process again for 2 sets of about 6 reps. Upon completion of the 2 sets of 6 reps, I was advised to rest 8-10 minutes. Next:
MEASURED MOVEMENT POWER DEADLIFT
(Wooden-Plank Concept)
This is the secret exercise that will give a person that fantastic boost of power they are looking for in the deadlift. Prior to beginning this exercise you will need to obtain a couple dozen or 2-foot long planks measuring 2 inches deep and 12 inches wide. Arrange them in even stacks so that when a barbell is placed on them, the bar is positioned at the knees.
Place a barbell on the planks and load it up to a poundage 10 percent over your maximum single effort. My deadlift was 500 lbs., so I added 50 more pounds.
Now, begin performing this lift in a conventional deadlift style, but for only one single effort in a s-l-o-w deliberate manner and with a firm lockout. Do 6 to 10 single attempts (depending upon your energy level), resting 3-5 minutes between attempts.
Though you are deadlifting 10 percent more poundage than you could normally, the pull will psychologically seem easier because the heavier than normal weight is easily lifted only a few inches (from knees to lockout). Ernie mentioned in the letter correspondence to me that the key to this exercise is to remove one plank from each stack each workout. He further went on to say that sometimes two and three planks could easily and safely be removed. Ernie advised me to continue with the plank removal until I was finally doing the single-rep deadlifts from the floor.
Personally, I found that removing one plank each workout wasn’t always possible and sometimes I would remove a plank from each stack ever 4th workout instead. Regardless if I was removing a plank every workout or every 4th workout, I found the wooden plank concept to be a really fast way to gain strength in the deadlift.
Note: Always begin the first single effort of the Measured Movement Power Deadlift from knee level to lockout, even if you have graduated to the removing of many planks; work your way down to your present "level" of strength. Once you are down to pulling the deadlifts from the floor, add 10 percent more to the barbell and begin the procedure all over again as described. After two cycles of the Measured Movement Power Deadlift, eliminate them from your deadlift program for two or three months and then implement them back into your workout again if you wish.
The next exercise in the routine is:
PRONE BACK HYPEREXTENSIONS
Do 1 to 3 sets of approximately 25 reps, holding the "back arch" position of each rep about 1 second. Rest 1.5 minutes between sets. Upon completion of the recommended sets, rest 5 minutes, then finish off the workout with the:
STIFF-LEGGED DEADLIFT
At this point in the program this exercise will be most welcome. Stand on a sturdy wooden box, and using a moderately light poundage, lower the bar to the toes, stretching, the back, shoulders and legs.
Perform 1-2 sets of 15 reps each. Rest 2-3 minutes between sets.
Note: You may find doing the POWER DEADLIFT WORKOUT twice in a seven-day cycle simple too taxing from the standpoint of localized muscle recovery and that of systemic recovery of the
central nervous system. If this is the case I suggest that you modify the workout into an eight-day cycle (do the deadlift workout on one day and then don’t do it for the following three days).
Linear Mode
