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Old Forum Bulgarian DL Program

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I just got that email too.  I also got a poorly written, profanity-laced post about building mass with bodyweight training.  A particular publishing company seems to be cranking out quite a bit of low-class and ill-advised training advice since it's primary author moved along.  About a step above T-Nation.

As I understand it, if my max deadlift is 350, I should load the bar to 455 and try to lift it 10 times.  Each attempt should last at least three seconds.  One day, I'll be surprised to find that it goes up.  When that happens, if I'm not in the hospital, I take the bar to 595 and start over.  Then 775. Then 1000.  It's got to work- it's Bulgarian.

 
 
That's my understanding as well.  It seems to me that those types of jumps are unrealistic.  From 500lbs to 650?  It's like trying to improve your bench press by pushing one of those big red balls outside the Target store.  Turns out they are concrete and won't move...Not to say that this type of training against an immovable load doesn't have it's place, but I could see this leading to injury and frustration.
 
<a title="View amdemarais's profile" href="http://www.strongfirst.com/users/amdemarais/">amdemarais</a>, I recommend asking this on the forum of the organization that wrote the article.

Steve Mathews, I also just got that email - I clicked on "unsubscribe" at the bottom.   I've gotten plenty of good training advice here; more is not necessarily better.

-S-
 
Agreed, Steve F.  What surprises me is that authors who have previously turned out excellent content have been reduced to such poor quality material in the absence of the strong, principled leadership previously provided there by Pavel.   I'm not bashing the "other guys" here, but simply pointing out as a literate observer, that the current state of these two organizations is a lesson in the fact that leadership matters.

I can't imagine that either of the recent emails from the organization in reference would have made it past Pavel's desk.
 
I've used the "supramax" attempt approach when trying to move up in my military press but haven't ever tried it with anything else. I also don't train with it but use it as a tactic to help train sticking with a rep under heavier loads.

Max's article looks pretty similar to an article I saw on DD a while back http://bit.ly/1gLcLH5
 
This immediately caught my eye, of course, when it went up. Max is a strong guy, and I find the program at least 'interesting'... I asked him on facebook whether he or anyone else he's trained have used it successfully. If you look at it one way, it is very similar to the Steve Justa singles programs that some here have been talking about a lot lately. Work up to a moderately heavy single, then do your isometric attempts. At some point, on a good day, your new weight will go up. I think that 130% is ridiculous, though, especially for those with big pulls, and 10 isometrics each day is also less than sane (though I will definitely be intrigued by who he has worked with, who has done this successfully, if anyone).

I've personally used isometrics with 'more than my max' deadlift to great effect several times; in fact, I'm about to start another cycle with them today. However, I really believe that if done right, just one (maybe two, once you get used to it) isometric attempt is all you need especially after heavy or even heavy-ish singles.

Based on my own progress using isometrics and heavy singles exclusively in the deadlift for certain periods of time, here is the way I would do it:

3 days each week (every other day) DL singles up to a working max for the day (definitely below 90% of your true max, likely around 80-85%, possibly lower on a bad day). Then, take a whack at ~105%1RM, or perhaps your 1RM +20 pounds. Done.

The other 3 days each week: DL speed singles or doubles with a start-pause. Work up to, at most 60%. Do no isometrics.

Assuming you start on Monday, I'd do whatever assistance on Saturday, i.e. shrugs, hypers, etc. as feeder work. Take Sunday off.

This will really only work if

1. you pull from a solid position and squeeze the bar off the floor. Konstantinovs-style explosive pullers won't really be able to do floor isometrics.

2. Your sticking point is the floor. Otherwise, your 'isometric' will end up with a grinding hold at the knee, which can't be done often, safely. Max seems to have tried to get around this by upping the weight percentage; but really, 30% is a huge margin to jump and I don't think it will work for most. Thus, if your sticking point is elsewhere, say, at the knee, pause there when doing your speed pulls. On your 'max' days, you can either work down from your daily max and do a paused pull (I wrote a bit about them here: http://affectinggravity.blogspot.com/2013/08/creating-perfect-training-routine-part.html) or do a traditional isometric in the power rack, pulling against pins.

3. You have at least somewhat favorable pulling leverages in general. Also, I'd use straps on some days to save the hands.

Just my .02 because it's a slow day....
 
...Update. Max says the article is not serious (the mention of moving from 650 to 800-whatever should've clued everyone in, haha). However, my recommendations/brainstorming above still stand, fwiw. I know at least one person who has done, and has trained several other people to do, rather heavy deadlifts every day with excellent results.
 
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