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Barbell How to program a once a week DL maintenance program for doublebodyweight?

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guardian7

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My work year is light and gets busier in March. During the winter I concentrate on getting my doublebodyweight deadlift back each year. This year I am following PTTP which I paln to run until the end of this month. Then it is back to Kettlebells and Muay Thai with a strength-endurance focus (ladders, goblet squat volume etc.). I want to lose five pounds as well, which is easy once I start boxing.

I want to do a better job of maintaining my DL this year. I think I can plan one heavy barbell session every Friday . Mon and Wed for the Muai Thai gym (just for fitness) and KB there and at home two other days. I have no time on the weekend.

What would be the best way for me to program a once a week DL assuming I am at 75KG bodyweight and 150KG DL? Two sets of five singles at 80% RM? Add 5KG or reps if it feels easy? I want a minimalist maintenance program. I normally reset completely for each rep with ten breaths for sets of five in my usual training. What kind of progression should I build in?
 
I've run this single day per week deadlift template which worked well.

Week 1
4x5 @ 80%
6x3 @ 60% (EMOM)
* finish with rows (e.g barbell, dumbell, kettlebell) for 3x10 @ RPE 8

Week 2
2x1 @ 90%
3x3 @ 85%
6x3 @ 65% (EMOM)
* finish with rows (e.g barbell, dumbell, kettlebell) for 4x10 @ RPE 8

Week 3
6x3 @ 70% (EMOM)
* finish with rows (e.g barbell, dumbell, kettlebell) for 3x8 @ RPE 8

Week 4
1x1 (test max)
* restart cycle with new max
 
adam80 said:
I've run this single day per week deadlift template which worked well.

Week 1
4x5 @ 80%
6x3 @ 60% (EMOM)
* finish with rows (e.g barbell, dumbell, kettlebell) for 3x10 @ RPE 8

Week 2
2x1 @ 90%
3x3 @ 85%
6x3 @ 65% (EMOM)
* finish with rows (e.g barbell, dumbell, kettlebell) for 4x10 @ RPE 8

Week 3
6x3 @ 70% (EMOM)
* finish with rows (e.g barbell, dumbell, kettlebell) for 3x8 @ RPE 8

Week 4
1x1 (test max)
* restart cycle with new max
Click to expand...

Thanks. What is the source of the programming template? I like EMOM protocols and singles by the way.
 
guardian7 said:
Thanks. What is the source of the programming template? I like EMOM protocols and singles by the way.
Click to expand...
It's one of Greg Nuckols templates from his free 28 program spreadsheet. I wasn't sure if I could mention that on the forum, otherwise, I would have referenced the source in the original post. I guess this post can be edited if there is any problem with that. I'm not sure if he still has the spreadsheet for free download, but grab a copy if he does. I also tested one of the bench press templates from the spreadsheet and it worked great. I added 15kg to the lift in 2 x 4-week cycles, from a difficult paused 120kg bench press to a solid 135kg.
 
adam80 said:
It's one of Greg Nuckols templates from his free 28 program spreadsheet. I wasn't sure if I could mention that on the forum, otherwise, I would have referenced the source in the original post. I guess this post can be edited if there is any problem with that. I'm not sure if he still has the spreadsheet for free download, but grab a copy if he does. I also tested one of the bench press templates from the spreadsheet and it worked great. I added 15kg to the lift in 2 x 4-week cycles, from a difficult paused 120kg bench press to a solid 135kg.
Click to expand...

A great source. Thanks. 15KG at that weight is a solid gain.
 
Mark Limbaga said:
85% of your 1rm?
Click to expand...
Which makes me want to ask: what is your 150 kg DL? A true 1RM, a training max, a lift that, at the end of your current program, you could repeat every few minutes for a few reps?

I ask because a true 1RM exists at the peak of a program, after which you necessarily back down, and a true 1RM isn't a lift you'd want to maintain.

-S-
 
adam80 said:
I've run this single day per week deadlift template which worked well.

Week 1
4x5 @ 80%
6x3 @ 60% (EMOM)
* finish with rows (e.g barbell, dumbell, kettlebell) for 3x10 @ RPE 8

Week 2
2x1 @ 90%
3x3 @ 85%
6x3 @ 65% (EMOM)
* finish with rows (e.g barbell, dumbell, kettlebell) for 4x10 @ RPE 8

Week 3
6x3 @ 70% (EMOM)
* finish with rows (e.g barbell, dumbell, kettlebell) for 3x8 @ RPE 8

Week 4
1x1 (test max)
* restart cycle with new max
Click to expand...

Are you trying to build limit strength, power, or endurance?

If the limit strength, why EMOM?
 
Mark Limbaga said:
85% of your 1rm?
Click to expand...
Yep!

Which can be estimated too, btw. I almost never try to find my 1RM for barbell lifts. I honestly don't even care what it is. I'm not a competitive powerlifter. So if I know what my approximate 3 or 5 rep max is, I just base it off that.
 
Arryn Grogan said:
Yep!

Which can be estimated too, btw. I almost never try to find my 1RM for barbell lifts. I honestly don't even care what it is. I'm not a competitive powerlifter. So if I know what my approximate 3 or 5 rep max is, I just base it off that.
Click to expand...

This is actually good.. And I agree, a 1trm or a training max would be the wise choice...
 
Steve Freides said:
Which makes me want to ask: what is your 150 kg DL? A true 1RM, a training max, a lift that, at the end of your current program, you could repeat every few minutes for a few reps?

I ask because a true 1RM exists at the peak of a program, after which you necessarily back down, and a true 1RM isn't a lift you'd wan
t to maintain.

-S-
Click to expand...

Last year, 150kg was a true 1rm tested at the end of a couple of months of training. I intend to test it again when I finish my barbell focus after 8 weeks of PTTP SFL training with two sets of five about 4 days a week most weeks except this week, unfortunately.
 
I wouldn't go above 85% if you're training only once a week, and I wouldn't try to keep your current 1RM. Be content with pulling 65-85% or so most of the time, and work up to your previous 1RM when you have time to train more often.

JMO.

-S-
 
Arryn Grogan said:
3 sets of 3 reps at around 85% only once per week is good for maintaining a lift. If it starts to become very easy over time, add a little bit of weight.
Click to expand...

If training once per week recovery isn't an issue so I'd add to this as a finisher a set with a lower weight, around 75%, and take it close to failure
 
Arryn Grogan said:
Why take it to failure? It's a maintenance plan...
Click to expand...

I wrote "close to failure" because it's a once per week program which means whether the goal is maintenance or not you can afford to exercise close to AMRAP which has benefits for strength and hypertrophy. It's a judgement call but personally I wouldn't just exercise sub-maximally once per week in the expectation of holding onto a max. What I would do is 3x3 @ 85% plus a higher volume set close to failure.
 
Plenty of great and amateur lifters have managed to improve on their deadlift training it once a week. I've been successful myself. If anything, it seems to be the norm, so I wonder why I get the feeling that the option is played down in this thread.

Of course, it also depends on the rest of the program and how much it helps with the deadlift. What are you planning on doing with the kettlebell? Many report the kettlebell ballistics working well for their deadlift.

So I would personally just do something simple. If you haven't, try out a linear progression, start with light weights and long sets, and reduce set length as the weight gets heavier.

I also like the template @adam80 posted but I would be creative with the testing each four weeks, like try out different rep maxes and use them as calculations for a 1RM instead of trying a 1RM every four weeks.
 
Antti said:
Plenty of great and amateur lifters have managed to improve on their deadlift training it once a week. I've been successful myself. If anything, it seems to be the norm, so I wonder why I get the feeling that the option is played down in this thread.

Of course, it also depends on the rest of the program and how much it helps with the deadlift. What are you planning on doing with the kettlebell? Many report the kettlebell ballistics working well for their deadlift.

So I would personally just do something simple. If you haven't, try out a linear progression, start with light weights and long sets, and reduce set length as the weight gets heavier.

I also like the template @adam80 posted but I would be creative with the testing each four weeks, like try out different rep maxes and use them as calculations for a 1RM instead of trying a 1RM every four weeks.
Click to expand...

I am doing the SF PTTP SFL user guide program. 2*5 bench and DL 4 times a week. Hence, the only once a week thinking. I switch to Muay Thai for fitness kB ladders, jumping rope, goblet squats for volume, bodyweight etc. totally different focus from my winter training but I really like my results so far and don't want to spend as much time next year coming back to it. I am almost 50 by the way, which is a factor.
 
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