But do you think that's a smart thing to do while still developing the technique? I don't disagree that there's merit to that, my gut just tells me that the learning phase is probably not the best time for such a thing. At 6 months, I still feel like I'm trying to really hammer in the technique and while I'm certainly more consistent than at the beginning, I still think I make minor adjustments often enough that trying to max out right now wouldn't be very beneficial.
@BJJ Shawn, watch Ed Coan talk about any lift, and he'll talk about how everyone who is a student of a particular lift should "make minor adjustments" regularly, looking for what works best for them. I imagine Ed Coan might not need to do this, but I am still adjusting my technique in minor, and even not-so-minor ways and I've been at this for, I think 17 years since my first competition.
Certainly some of this will depend on how you approach lifting. If, as advised at StrongFirst, you focus on maximum tension for strength exercises ("grinds"), you will increase not only your performance but your safety. Speaking personally here, I have never injured myself doing max attempts, only when not paying sufficient attention while using lighter weights (which is one of the reasons why I avoid them).
I don't counsel taking someone who's never deadlifted and having them do a max attempt, but if you look at programs like PTTP, you'll find you start conservatively and, when the weight starts to feel heavy, you cut down on the reps in each set and you end when you feel like you've done a max or near max single, double, or triple. The "American" periodization program also works in this way, steadily progressing in weight while lowering the reps/set and the overall volume.
And if you go by feel like that, switching from 5's to 3's and possibly doubles and an ending single, you'll have a 1RM. It's worth noting that this approach doesn't require knowing a 1RM in advance, and perhaps my closing point here should have been my first, that one doesn't need to know one's 1RM to start a program like this and therefore a program like PTTP is a fine way for people to start deadlifting, and programs that require any sort of 1RM aren't the only kinds of programs out there.
The 5 x 5 Faleev that Pavel talks about in the Tim Ferriss interview is another - you just keep putting weight on the bar until 5 sets of 5 gets tough, then you taper for a competition. I think this is brilliant, simple programming and I've used it myself within the last few years as I returned to 3-lift competition from being a DL specialist.
I'm coaching my wife on her barbell deadlift now, coaching her form and writing her program, and we're being simple with the weight, but we'll end up with something heavy, for sure. To start, she's pulling a little less than her bodyweight and I'm giving her PlanStrong type waviness of volume. My guidance for the weight is simple - when it starts feeling light, put some more weight on the bar, and we usually try that together once a week, mixing the old weight and the new weight and gradually transitioning to using the new weight for everything.
-S-
