Who is this program for? There is nothing more raw or powerful than loading some heavy ass weight on a bar and doing the simplest possible thing you can do - LIFT! When was the last time you pulled a deadlift PR? Do you feel like your strength in all of your lifts has been increasing, but your deadlift just won’t budge? Do those big milestone numbers like 225, 315, or 405lbs always seem just out of reach? Then this is the program for YOU. It’s time to double down. Over the next 4-weeks, this training plan will take you through a rigorous deadlift protocol designed to set a new PR when you retest at the end of the program.You will still squat, bench press, and hit accessory movements, but at the end of the day, this program is all about building a big pull. How to read the program Each training day has prescribed movements as well as rep and set schemes (all following the notation of SETS x REPS). Be mindful as these vary from week to week - as seen below, Deadlifts on Day 1 are prescribed at 7 sets of 5 repetitions at 75% of your training max (more on this later) on Week 1, however Week 2 prescribes 8 sets of 4 repetitions at 78%. For each day, read down the column corresponding to the week you’re on in the cycle and complete the recommended percentage and within your week column.
For example, on Day 1 Week 2, I would complete 3x3 squat @70%, 8x4 deadlift @78%, 3x5 bench @ 78% and 3x10 lat pull downs at a weight you can handle for ~12 reps. How to pick your training max Read this section carefully, and then read it again. This is probably the single most important question here - picking an unrealistic training max that is too heavy will be the surest way to halt your progress. This program incorporates the use of percentages, all of which are to be calculated off of your training max. Your training max should be a weight you can hit for a heavy single on any day of the week without a doubt. This is not some all time 1-rep max that you hit months ago but haven’t touched since. This weight should be challenging, but something that you could hit for two reps on a great day. This provides some autoregulation that means you will still be able to complete the required work on the worst of days (you’re sick, tired, stressed out, etc.), while still able to push for new PRs on your AMRAP sets on Day 3 of each week. This training plan is 3x per week, but I usually train [4/5/6] days per week. Can I still lift this many days? This program is built around three training sessions per week performed on non-consecutive days. These sessions should be heavy and taxing. Remember, the #1 goal during this program is to build a bigger deadlift. Doing more than is prescribed will take away from your ability to recover from the work that will ultimately support your end-goal. We strongly recommend that everyone running this program stick to the 3 training sessions per week layout for the entire 4-week duration of the plan. If after 4 weeks you feel full of energy, you can reintroduce additional weekly training sessions.
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I’ve only been deadlifting for a few weeks - is it okay for me to run this program? We strongly recommend that lifters running this program have been deadlifting consistently for 3+ months. This volume requirement of this training plan is very demanding. Performing 14 sets of deadlifts in a week above 80% (in addition to assistance work) is incredibly challenging, and maintaining good form is absolutely crucial to your success. The required degree of technical proficiency is rarely found in lifters who have been deadlifting for fewer than 3 months. Finally, this program uses progressive overload based on percentages of your training max. Lifters who have been deadlifting consistently for fewer than 3 months tend not to have an accurate training max, which would limit their progress over the next four weeks. If you’re a new lifter, and still looking for a program, check out our free Brogram on strongstrongfriends.com.
Why is week 4 so easy? Week 4 is a planned taper. After 3 ramping weeks of intensity and volume to create an overreaching effect, we use week 4 as an opportunity to reduce total training tonnage, increase our recovery through supercompensation, and prepare ourselves for a heavy 1-rep max deadlift attempt on Week 3, Day 3. How would I go about adding cardio to this type of split? Cardio can be added at the end of your training sessions as desired. As this plan is very challenging, We recommend low intensity steady state cardio as opposed to other, more taxing variants. We also recommend that lifters wait until the second week to begin adding in cardio, as this will allow them more time to adjust to the demands of the program. Can this program be performed on a cut / bulk? For best results, this program should be run while eating at a caloric surplus or maintenance.
What is a 10RM or 12RM? Your 10RM and 12RM stand for your 10-rep max and 12-rep max, which represents a weight you could challengingly complete for 10- and 12-repetitions, respectively. When selecting weights, it is advised to err on the conservative side if in doubt. It is more valuable to pick a weight that you can hit for 10 reps today (even if you may feel like you have one repetition left in the tank upon completion) rather than an all-time PR that may be out of reach at this point in time.
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Day 1
Squat Deadlift Bench Lat Pull Downs
Day 2
Squat
Bench
RDL Ab Roll Outs
3x3 7x5 8x4 10x3 3x5 3x10 3x5 4x4 5x3 4x6 5x6 6x6 4x6 4x8 4x10 3x10 Top set:
Day 3
Deadlift
Good Mornings DB Rows Planks
1x6 2x4 3x3 4x6 4x8 4x10 3x10 3 rounds
Week 1 70% 75%
Cycle 1 Week 2 70%
Week 3 70%
78% 75% 12RM
78% 12RM
81% 80% 12RM
Week 4 5x2
50%
Deadlift
3x1
90%
Bench
3x2
60%
Squat
3x1
50%
Bench
3x2
50%
Deadlift
3x1
60%
Squat
80% 85% 88% 80% 80% 80% 10RM 10RM --
--
10RM --
1x5+ 87% 78%
1x3+ 92%
1x2+ 94%
RETEST DAY Deadlift
83%
WORK UP TO A NEW 1RM
85% 10RM 10RM 12RM 30s
12RM 45s
10RM 12RM 60s
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