Heavy singles cost a lot
A max-effort pull takes more out of you than almost anything in the gym. Do one every week and you spend the week recovering from it, not building on it.
The weights that build a deadlift sit lower: roughly 70% to 85% of your max, for sets of three to six, with every rep looking the same.
Top set, then back off
Work up to one solid top set. Then take weight off and do a few more sets with clean reps. The top set keeps you used to heavy. The back-off sets do the building.
| Weight | Sets × reps | |
|---|---|---|
| Top set (about RPE 8) | 180 kg | 1 × 3 |
| Back-off (about 10% off) | 162.5 kg | 3 × 5 |
| Next week | 182.5 kg top set | Back-offs to 165 kg |
That’s for a lifter with a 200 kg best. Scale it to yours: top set around 90% for a triple, back-offs about 10% lighter.
Four rules for back-off sets
- 01
Stop the top set early
Leave one or two reps in it. A grinder there spoils every set after it.
- 02
Same reps, every rep
If the back-off reps start to look different, the set is over.
- 03
Pull once or twice a week
Deadlifts recover slowly. Once heavy, maybe once light, is plenty for most.
- 04
Add weight slowly
2.5 kg a week on the top set is good going. Five weeks is 12.5 kg.
If your pull has been flat for a month, try four weeks of this before you try anything heavier.
From the Compound founder. Notes on training, not medical advice.