@SherdenSeaman, could we get a little background on you to help us understand your lifting issues? Height, weight, age, gender, lifting experience, other athletic experience, other athletic pursuits now (e.g., martial arts, a sport, a physical job, etc.), injury history and current injury-related exercise restrictions, any health issues, and anything else you may think relevant.
Thanks - lets get all that before we start talking about poundage for your deadlifts.
-S-
Sure.
I'm a 28 year old male. I'm 6'0 ft tall, 193 pnds. My body fat percentage is around 20%. To an observing eye, I may look athletic and on the ''buff range'', like a rugby player, with big quads and thick torso... but my appeareance is deceiving. I'm not very strong, nor fast, nor agile. Once you notice my arched knock knees, you'll get an idea.
I spent my childhood and early teens as an overweight kid who neglected sports. From then on, I started to train physically so a semi regular basis until today. Still, I've never been proficient in any sport, although a few people have said I have very good grip strength and may have some latent talent for boxing.
Started weight training at age 18 and spent years without knowing what the hell I was doing, just putting plates on the barbells and playing with dumbells until I seeked advice, researched and planned my diets. I improved drastically from then on, and that started only 2 years ago. So far, my lifting numbers are pathetic, barely ranging on novice on my upper body lifts and as low as untrained on my lower body, according to Symmetric Strength at least.
On the injury department: I was born prematurely, so my abdominal region never developped well and the opening for the umbilical cord remained semi-open.
This, my bad sleeping schedule, ocasionally heavy physical jobs and ego lifting eventually led me to develop a chronic abdominal diasthasis so painful I could not lift a dumbell for a month. From then on, I spent like a year without being able to perform a single compound or bodyweight workout due to the pain. Thanks to physiotherapy and other treatments, I'm slowly healing and am able to do compound lifts, with a waistband though. As long as I don't arc my back backwards, I'll be fine.
So far I also injured my right achilles tendon, my left lat and my right shoulder, but none of those injuries were ase serious as to leave strong sequels, that's my impression at least. Still, my pelvic tilt and external rotation, along with my knock knees force me to open my legs a lot when I squat, otherwise it feels as if I'm breaking apart.
I also suffered from chronic sinusitis and a pierced eardrum for years until I got surgery in my late teens.
Right now, I work at my home office as a freelancer. My only physical activities are 5 lifting sessions a week and a couple walks in the park, I haven't played a single sports game or punched a heavy bag in years. Due to the nature of my job, my sleeping schedule is a mess and I haven't got 8 hours of good sleep in years. I'm still surprised I haven't got more injuries.
Hope it was not too long.