So I'm reading some of these posts, and a few of you have plateaued on DLs. I noticed that most (all?) of you guys do a lot of reps per set, and sometimes a lot of sets too. I used to subscribe to that mentality too, albeit, to a lesser extent. I think I remember reading that some of you guys do like almost a 5x5 for DLs, once or twice a week. DLs being tremendously traumatizing to the body, I stopped doing them more than once a week. In fact, I went from DLing once a week, 3x5 or 4x5, down to maybe DL'ing once every week or once every 2 weeks, with 1x5, 1x2, and finally 1x1.
So for me it would go:
-first set, warm up, five reps at 255 lbs
-second set, 1 set of 2 reps at 285 lbs
-final set, 1 rep 305 lbs; sometimes 1 more rep after resting a min or so.
DLs have always been a struggle for me. I've been doing it for probably 2 years and I've reworked my form over and over. At the beginning of this year, I probably maxed out at 285x2 tops on my absolute very best days. Having switched to less frequent DL, with fewer sets and fewer reps, I've pushed pass my plateau. I now subscribe to Christian Thibaudeau's perspective, explained in this video starting at 3:30 to the 5:40 mark.
Deadlift - YouTube
Essentially, Thibaudeau says that there's really no point in cranking out 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, to failure etc reps per set for DL, because every rep after the first rep is not the same in form or execution as that very first rep. It makes sense to me because I believe I lagged behind so much in DLs in the past partly because I was wearing myself out during my way up towards my last, heaviest set. With a lower back like mine, made out of jello and toothpicks, it's more efficient and sensible to do lower the reps and sets. Also, on the heaviest set, that 1 rep I do I know with almost certainty that I'm executing it with precision. But I don't think this solely applies to people like me. I think some of you guys could benefit from it as well.
If you guys want to talk about training smart, if you know you can do 225x10 easily, 245x10 easily, and 255x10 easily for your first 3 of 1,000 sets, why not just cut it down? Instead of going 225x10, 245x10, 265x10, 285x5, etc then finally reaching your last and heaviest set. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that you have no problem with 225-285lbs...