Guest viewing limit reached
  • You have reached the maximum number of guest views allowed
  • Please register below to remove this limitation

Testing 1rm deadlift each week?

Wizzle47

New member
Hi guys - just after a bit of advice really!

Ive recently got back into deadlifting and each week for the past month or 2 I have been attempting a new 1rm.

First week I couldn't get 120kg up (felt form getting sloppy so stopped the lift). The week after I managed 120kg for 1.

4 weeks on and I have consistently increased my 1rm by 5kg each week.

Managed 135kg last week with decent form (trainer watched me).

Question is, can I keep attempting a new 1rm each week whilst my lifts are increasing? My plan is to add 5kg each week and when these gains stop, take a week off and deload. Eg;

Week 1: 140kg
Week 2: 145kg
Week 3: 150kg - failed
Week 4: deload - 100kg for low reps
Week 5: 145kg again
Week 6: 150kg
Week 7: 155kg

If I fail my 150kg again I'd adopt a routine like 5/3/1.

Is this dl routine okay? Any criticism? Im enjoying these weekly gains and would like to milk them for as long as possible!
 
if you wanna get stronger lift more weight..


or follow a proven routine, which I would strongly recommend doing instead
 
Sean1332 said:
if you wanna get stronger lift more weight..

or follow a proven routine, which I would strongly recommend doing instead
Click to expand...

If I'm lifting more weight each week then I'm getting stronger, like I say, as soon as I stall I'll switch to a proven routine.

If I adopted the 5/3/1 routine at 120kg, and add 5kg each cycle as recommended, it would take 16weeks to get to 140kg rather than the 4 or so it's taken. Even longer if I started at the 90% of 1rm.
 
Wizzle47 said:
If I'm lifting more weight each week then I'm getting stronger, like I say, as soon as I stall I'll switch to a proven routine.

If I adopted the 5/3/1 routine at 120kg, and add 5kg each cycle as recommended, it would take 16weeks to get to 140kg rather than the 4 or so it's taken. Even longer if I started at the 90% of 1rm.
Click to expand...

Slow steady progress never goes out of style. Make the switch to a proven routine.

Good luck...
 
Not if you want the best possible progression. The deadlift takes a big toll on the CNS and it is not the best idea to train them in that fashion every week.
 
Your initial progress was due to a learning effect. You've become more efficient at doing the movement, you are recruiting the right muscles (and motor units) in the right order at the right times. Eventually you will top out via the learning effect, and then what? It may occur way before your goal weight in 6 weeks. You may top out the motor programming response in 2-3 weeks. In the meantime, you are not working to as hard to strengthen the muscles that go into the deadlift, like the glutes, hamstrings, and spinal erectors.

Like previously mentioned, the deadlift has a large CNS recruitment, and CNS fatigue and drain is always a concern - a concern that will affect the rest of your lifts.

My suggestion is to work within a program like 5/3/1 or westside for skinny bastards, etc. You can test your deadlift once every 3-4 weeks to monitor progress, and determine where the weak link is. I think over the course of 6 weeks you will see a greater improvement in the DL than with what you have proposed.
 
ZiR RED said:
Your initial progress was due to a learning effect. You've become more efficient at doing the movement, you are recruiting the right muscles (and motor units) in the right order at the right times. Eventually you will top out via the learning effect, and then what? It may occur way before your goal weight in 6 weeks. You may top out the motor programming response in 2-3 weeks. In the meantime, you are not working to as hard to strengthen the muscles that go into the deadlift, like the glutes, hamstrings, and spinal erectors.Like previously mentioned, the deadlift has a large CNS recruitment, and CNS fatigue and drain is always a concern - a concern that will affect the rest of your lifts.My suggestion is to work within a program like 5/3/1 or westside for skinny bastards, etc. You can test your deadlift once every 3-4 weeks to monitor progress, and determine where the weak link is. I think over the course of 6 weeks you will see a greater improvement in the DL than with what you have proposed.
Click to expand...
I agree with what is being said here.... sure its fun to make progress but essentially you aren't really making any progress or getting stronger... you are just getting more efficient at deadlifting...
 
Inarius said:
I agree with what is being said here.... sure its fun to make progress but essentially you aren't really making any progress or getting stronger... you are just getting more efficient at deadlifting...
Click to expand...

I understand everyone's point about being more efficient at deadlifting rather than being stronger at it.

But does it not make sense to increase my efficiency to the maximum level and then start the 5/3/1 routine basing my 1rm calcs off my true 1rm? rather than base them off an artificially low 1rm which is due to inefficiency?

I don't want to sound ignorant or like I am disregarding people's valuable information, I'm just curious!
 
Wizzle47 said:
I understand everyone's point about being more efficient at deadlifting rather than being stronger at it.

But does it not make sense to increase my efficiency to the maximum level and then start the 5/3/1 routine basing my 1rm calcs off my true 1rm? rather than base them off an artificially low 1rm which is due to inefficiency?

I don't want to sound ignorant or like I am disregarding people's valuable information, I'm just curious!
Click to expand...

You have the right train of thought concerning efficiency and technique, but a 10-20lb difference is not going to make that big of a difference in a template such as 5/3/1.
 
I've been going through a strength phase leading into a bulk - following a Madcows 5x5 program and I've put about 40 lbs on my deadlift in the last 9 weeks. Granted, I haven't really trained the Big 3 with reps below 6-8, but I'm consistently pulling heavier each week. Deads are only programmed in once per week, but squatting heavy and doing specific squat/deadlift accessory work each week has been a great recipe for a better deadlift.

That said, we're pushing the 5RM up each, not the 1RM, so the toll on your CNS would be different, so to answer you question, I don't think you should test your 1RM each week. As someone said above, maybe once every 3-4 weeks would be better. Just keep pulling heavy!
 
Doss said:
following a Madcows 5x5 program and I've put about 40 lbs on my deadlift in the last 9 weeks. Granted, I haven't really trained the Big 3 with reps below 6-8, but I'm consistently pulling heavier each week.
Click to expand...

huh?
 
There is a difference between building strength and testing strength. Read anything about west side conjugate method, Texas method, block periodization, ect. You'll fry your CNS doing 1rm every week.
 
ZiR RED said:
Your initial progress was due to a learning effect. You've become more efficient at doing the movement, you are recruiting the right muscles (and motor units) in the right order at the right times. Eventually you will top out via the learning effect, and then what? It may occur way before your goal weight in 6 weeks. You may top out the motor programming response in 2-3 weeks. In the meantime, you are not working to as hard to strengthen the muscles that go into the deadlift, like the glutes, hamstrings, and spinal erectors.
Click to expand...
I've never heard this phenomenon explained like this before. Makes perfect sense.

Now that we've put 1 and 1 together ... this lack of an ability might account for the ability for beginners to be able to frequently (not constantly) make progress lifting near their current training 1RM - if they're not fully recruiting everything they have for the lift, they're not exactly frying their nervous system like someone who is recruiting far more muscle and motor units for the lift.

But, they're mostly only training their nervous system for the exercise, not really the muscles. By not also hitting all the right accessories they're selling themselves short. Interesting.
 
Wizzle47 said:
Hi guys - just after a bit of advice really!

Ive recently got back into deadlifting and each week for the past month or 2 I have been attempting a new 1rm.

First week I couldn't get 120kg up (felt form getting sloppy so stopped the lift). The week after I managed 120kg for 1.

4 weeks on and I have consistently increased my 1rm by 5kg each week.

Managed 135kg last week with decent form (trainer watched me).

Question is, can I keep attempting a new 1rm each week whilst my lifts are increasing? My plan is to add 5kg each week and when these gains stop, take a week off and deload. Eg;

Week 1: 140kg
Week 2: 145kg
Week 3: 150kg - failed
Week 4: deload - 100kg for low reps
Week 5: 145kg again
Week 6: 150kg
Week 7: 155kg

If I fail my 150kg again I'd adopt a routine like 5/3/1.

Is this dl routine okay? Any criticism? Im enjoying these weekly gains and would like to milk them for as long as possible!
Click to expand...

1RM should not be done till the end of the program. Im not sure what you doing or are attempting to do besides burning yourself out.
Normally at the end of a program one would take a week off then attempt the 1RM.
 
Deadlift until you plateau 2 weeks in a row then drop to your 80% and begin again. Of course it's been a long time since I was at the op's stage.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top