I am a conventional deadlifter and train my deadlift using a routine that uses both periodization and WSB methods that have worked for me through the years. The combination of the two has worked the best for me and took my deadlift from 330 to 405 lbs. @ 145 lbs. The lockout of the deadlift is the most difficult for me and this routine is focused on strengthening that aspect. If one had a weak start, exercises that stress that area would be substituted.
The routine is broken down into two phases. The first phase is for building raw strength in the areas that currently limit my deadlift. I alternate 2 weeks of a max box squat with 2 weeks of a pulling movement to accomplish this goal. This first phase has no set length of time. I follow it consistently up to 5 weeks before a meet. No gear other than a belt is worn. The second phase is a peaking phase that works on polishing form and getting all the newly strengthened muscles moving together. Before a meet is the only time I implement this phase and I wear full competition gear during it. The peaking cycle is 5 weeks long and is comprised of singles. I prefer doing single rep sets to multiple rep sets for a number of reasons. One reason is I feel singles are safer. On a heavy multiple rep set, a lifters form tends to break down during the later reps. Ive seen a lot of hamstring pulls happen this way as the lifter tires and starts to stiff-leg their deadlift. Singles allow me to fully concentrate on my form. The other advantage I have found to singles is I get many more first pulls. When doing multiple rep sets, the first rep, or first pull, would be hard and then the following reps would be easier because I would have muscle tension to assist me and I would be in a better body position. 2 sets of 3 reps would only give me 2 true opportunities to practice the start of my deadlift. Doing those reps as singles gives me 6. I gain the most from doing what is most difficult for me and I find singles to be much harder than reps. When performing the singles in this peaking phase, concentrate on accelerating the bar as quickly as possible, while maintaining good form. I literally pull like I am going to try to clean the weight. Speed on these singles is very key. The more speed, the more force you can generate. There is always the fear with those that have tried this routine that only going up to 85% is too light. While 85% doesnt sound like a lot, 6 singles with it and only 30-45 sec. rest is quite the workout. I have found that by not going heavier, I bring my full strength with me to the meet and dont leave it in the gym, which is where I used to when training heavier. I have also found that I have the endurance and mental strength on meet day to make the extremely tough pulls, the pulls that are painful to watch. Those that have tried the routine have found the same. I really feel this is a result of the short rest periods during this phase and not exceeding 85% of a previous max.
All box squats are done using WSB form where you sit back not down on the box, keep shins vertical not letting the knees move forward and once on the box, the hips are relaxed for a split second before you flex to come back up. The back is kept tight at all times and no rocking is involved. Remember to sit on the box gently, do not drop or fall onto the box.
My training up to the 405 lb. deadlift at the WNPF Lifetime Drug-free Nationals was as follows:
Wk. 1 Manta Ray box squats (2 above parallel) - to a max single
Good morning with a close stance up to a max triple
Reverse Hyperextension w/ feet together 3-4 sets of 8-10 reps
Weighted Ab Ball Crunches 5-6 sets of 6-10 reps
Wk. 2 Manta Ray box squats (2 above parallel) - to a max single greater
than the previous week
Good morning with a close stance up to a max triple
Reverse Hyperextension w/ feet together 3-4 sets of 8-10 reps
Weighted Ab Ball Crunches 5-6 sets of 6-10 reps
Wk. 3 Reverse band deadlift to a max single
Glute/ham Raise (weighted bar behind back) 4-5 sets of 6-10
reps
Barbell Shrugs 3-4 sets of 8-10 reps
Decline Abs w/ bands 5-6 sets 6-10 reps
Wk. 4 Reverse band deadlift to a max single greater than the previous
week
Glute/ham Raise (weighted bar behind back) 4-5 sets of 6-10
reps
Barbell Shrugs 3-4 sets of 8-10 reps
Decline Abs w/ bands 5-6 sets 6-10 reps
Wk. 5 Safety Bar box squats using close stance (2 below parallel) -
to a max single
Good morning with wide stance up to a max triple
Reverse Hyperextension w/ feet apart 3-4 sets of 8-10 reps
Weighted Roman Chair Sit-ups 5-6 sets of 6-10 reps
Wk. 6 Safety Bar box squats using a close stance (2 below parallel)
- to a max single greater than the previous week
Good morning with wide stance up to a max triple
Reverse Hyperextension w/ feet apart 3-4 sets of 8-10 reps
Weighted Roman Chair Sit-ups 5-6 sets of 6-10 reps
Wk. 7 Deadlifts w/ 100 lbs. of chain added to the bar to a max
single
Glute/ham raise w/ bands 3-4 sets of 6-10 reps
Dumbell Shrugs 3-4 sets of 8-10 reps
Weighted Spread Eagle Sit-ups 5-6 sets of 8-10 reps
Wk. 8 Deadlifts w/ 100 lbs. of chain added to the bar to a
max single greater than the previous week
Glute/ham raise w/ bands 3-4 sets of 6-10 reps
Dumbell Shrugs 3-4 sets of 8-10 reps
Weighted Spread Eagle Sit-ups 5-6 sets of 8-10 reps
Wk. 9 Front box squats (parallel) - to a max single
Good morning down to pins (lower to pins, relax muscle tension, re-flex
back up)- to a max triple
Reverse Hyperextension w/ bands (feet together) 3-4 sets of
8-10 reps
Weighted Janda Sit-ups 5-6 sets of 8-10 reps
Wk. 10 Front box squats (parallel) - to a max single greater than the
previous week
Good morning down to pins (lower to pins, relax muscle tension, re-flex
back up)- to a max triple
Reverse Hyperextension w/ bands (feet together) 3-4 sets of
8-10 reps
Weighted Janda Sit-ups 5-6 sets of 8-10 reps
Wk. 11 Platform deadlifts with bands to a max single
Weighted Glute/ham raise with back of bench raised 10 3-4
sets of 8-10 reps
Barbell Shrugs while lying face down on a high incline bench 3-4
sets of 8-10 reps
Standing Ab Crunches w/ Pulley 5-6 sets of 6-10 reps
Wk. 12 Platform deadlifts with bands to a max single greater than
the previous week
Weighted Glute/ham raise with back of bench raised 10 3-4
sets of 8-10 reps
Barbell Shrugs while lying face down on a high incline bench 3-4
sets of 8-10 reps
Standing Ab Crunches w/ Pulley 5-6 sets of 6-10 reps
Wk. 13 Box squat using close deadlift stance (2 above parallel) to
a max single
Good morning w/ bands up to a max triple
Reverse Hyperextension 3-4 sets of 8-10 reps
Barbell rollout w/ bands 5-6 sets of 8-10 reps
Wk. 14 Box squat using close deadlift stance (2 above parallel) to
a max single greater than the previous week
Good morning w/ bands up to a max triple
Reverse Hyperextension 3-4 sets of 8-10 reps
Barbell rollout w/ bands 5-6 sets of 8-10 reps
Wk. 15 Competition deadlift 65% of previous max for 15 singles with
30 sec. rest between
Reverse Hyperextension 3-4 sets of 8-10 reps
Smith Machine Shrugs 3-4 sets of 8-10 reps
Weighted Ab Ball Crunches 5-6 sets of 6-10 reps
Wk. 16 Competition deadlift 70% of previous max for 15 singles with
30 sec. rest between
Reverse Hyperextension 3-4 sets of 8-10 reps
Smith Machine Shrugs 3-4 sets of 8-10 reps
Weighted Ab Ball Crunches 5-6 sets of 6-10 reps
Wk. 17 Competition deadlift 75% of previous max for 12 singles with
30 sec. rest between
Reverse Hyperextension 3-4 sets of 8-10 reps
Barbell Shrugs 3-4 sets of 8-10 reps
Decline Band Sit-ups 5-6 sets of 8-10 reps
Wk. 18 Competition deadlift 80% of previous max for 8 singles with
30-45 sec. rest between
Reverse Hyperextension 3-4 sets of 8-10 reps
Barbell Shrugs 3-4 sets of 8-10 reps
Decline Band Sit-ups 5-6 sets of 8-10 reps
Wk. 19 Competition deadlift 85% of previous max for 6 singles with
30-45 sec. rest between
Reverse Hyperextension 3-4 sets of 8-10 reps
Barbell Shrugs 3-4 sets of 8-10 reps
Decline Band Sit-ups 5-6 sets of 8-10 reps
Wk. 20 Meet (9-10 days after the last deadlift workout)