Routine #1

In September of 2001, had the pleasure of meeting one of the best lifters from the Golden Age of Powerlifting: GUS RETHWRITCH. Gus watched me pull at a WABDL meet in New Orleans, and offered to coach me. So, upon returning home I gave Gus a call.

His first question was “Are you coming to the WABDL Worlds in Reno?” My reply was, not unless I can pull 600 lbs (my best was 562 lbs). We only had six weeks to get me there.

Here is an example of my last three workouts leading up to the 2001 WABDL Worlds.

Light week:

With suit bottoms on (using a single ply HC) straps down! Pausing each rep at the floor.

3 sets of 8 reps at 400 lbs.

Heavy week:

10@135, 6@225, 3@315, 2@405, 1@495, 94% of my goal-1@565, the 3@495 pausing each rep at the floor….

Rack week:

2 inches below the kneecap, 3 sets of 8@405.

2 inches above the kneecap, working up to a 700 single, NO LIFTING STRAPS!

Week #1

Squats were on a two-week rotation, assistance for Deadlift. Suit with straps down 4 sets of 4 reps.

Week #2

Rack squats, you are only moving the weight 6-8 inches, but you will go all out for a heavy single.

Gus really believes in the partial movements to strengthen the Deadlift, and it worked very well for me. On to the Worlds, Gus called all my attempts 1^st 540, 2^nd 573, & 3^rd 600…three for three! Gus only had six weeks to get me there, and did. Gus and I have been good friends ever since!

Some of you only know Gus as the owner and President of a single lift federation, the WABDL, but what most of you don’t know is, Gus was the promoter and meet director of some of the most famous powerlifting meets in history, “The Hawaiian Record Breakers, and at that time had powerlifting on The Wide World of Sports!

Thank you Gus for all you did for me, and all you have done for the sport of powerlifting! If you ever get the chance to sit down with Gus and listen to some of his stories, I would. He has more to offer then most of us will ever experience.

Routine #2

I also had good success with this routine. This routine comes from good friend Tony Caprari, from Biloxi, Mississippi. This is a brutal routine, consisting of pulling from the floor, and doing rack pulls the same night. My Deadlift went from 611 to 652.

Example:

Light week:

Three sets of 6, starting at 425, 475, and 525.

Then rack pulls 3 sets of six, ending about 625 from above the knees.

Leg extensions and hamstring curls

Heavy week:

Three sets of 3, starting at 525, 575, 625

Then rack pulls 3 sets of three, ending about 725 from above the knees.

Leg extensions and hamstring curls

Repeat Leg extensions and hamstring curls on squat night also!

Meet day, 573, 622, 652 another 3 for 3 day…I don’t have very many of them…. lol.

Routine #3

This routine is my own twist, with a idea’s from a Ed Coan, and a Andy Bolton article I read in Powerlifting USA years ago. The one from Ed talked about training sumo for the conventional deadlifters. The one from Andy talked about one of his earlier 900 pulls and how he didn’t go over 700 for reps in training. This is a 8 week, progressive overload routine. I increase poundage for each set by 25 lbs. a week! I always want to add about 15 lbs. to my best set every training cycle.

Everyone thinks they have to pull heavy singles to get stronger, but that is just not so! This is how I pulled my first 700, at 42 years of age and only weighing in the 220’s.

For me sumo is a very slow and awkward way to lift (for me). I know it is the only way for some. My sumo form can come and go so easily. Although I have pulled 700+ with both methods! The purpose in training sumo, is to strengthen my hips and increase my speed off the floor when I switch back to conventional.

Volume will, and does convert!!!

I was not training for a meet, just playing with my sumo pull trying to find a way to increase my dead. Well a friend (Mike “Gunny” Green) approached me and wanted me to pull in a small SPF meet in Hartford, Alabama in two weeks. I told him no, but he was very persistent. At this point in training I had only been up to 600 for 6, sumo style. Well for lack of better judgment I agreed. I think just so he would leave me alone…lol…

Well on Monday (12 days out) I could barely pull 3 singles with 500 sumo. Now my mind was shot. So, I quit and tried it again the following Monday (now only 5 days out) Still 500 might as well been 700…so I step up to the bar conventional, and ripped it up. I then told my wife Carol Ann, that I was pulling convention on Saturday. Three for 3 again – 605, 660, 700 single ply HC.

Here is my last good workout before my sumo method decided not too show up…lol.

10 @ bar, 10 @ 135, 6 @ 225, 6 @ 315, 6 @ 405, 6 @ 495, 6 @ 555, and 6 @ 600

NO rack pulls during this training period, although I have since added them back into my training, but only about every three to four weeks. As you can see, I do not do much assistance work with this routine, not enough energy when I am finished.

Three for 3 again – 605, 660, 700 single ply HC.

Then the next week went to Sam Byrd’s meet in Chattanooga, after judging all day went two for 2 with a 625, and a 725.

All of my workouts are done bare- handed. NO lifting straps. It doesn’t make any difference what you could pull, if you can’t hold onto it. Grip is very much a part of the Deadlift!

While training for a meet 2-2-08, I had yet another injury. My best set leading up to the meet was 6 @ 665. All healthy now and training again, looking for a bigger Deadlift!

I am now 45 years old, and found out that I recover faster from reps then heavy singles. I also keep my legs and hips involved if I train sumo the switch over on meet day.

Remember this is critical in a big pull: it is all about leverage points. Some come by it naturally and others, like me, it takes a little longer. I think your optimum starting position is with your shins as vertical as possible…straight up and down, with your back and thighs about the same angle. Don’t think of a Deadlift as a pull. Think of it as a push-pull.

GOOD LUCK. Hope you can find something in these routines to increase your Deadlift!