Deadlift Stuck at 525 lbs

[Ezskanken]

I am stuck on my deads. I alternate every week between speed/power deads, and heavy sets. My speed/power workout I do reps of 5. I'll do the same weight twice. 1st set conventional, and the 2nd sumo syle. Both focusing on explosion and speed. I stay away from my working sets about 100lbs or so. I don't know what my max is since I don't max on anything, no intrest in doing so. My heavy week is 5 sets of 3 reps. So for example this is what 2 weeks of deads look lik for me:

Week A: Heavy Deads
Warm Up Sets
135 x 3
185 x 3
225 x 3
275 x 3
315 x 3
365 x 3
405 x 3
455 x 3
495 x 3
Working Sets
525 x 3 Reps x 5 sets

That is what I'm supposed to do, but I have failed 2 heavy weeks now to complete my last 2 sets. Even warming up with just a single or a double on my warm ups makes no difference. This takes me roughly 60 minutes.

Week B: Speed & Explosion
135 x 5 x 2 Conventional and Sumo
225 x 5 x 2 Conventional and Sumo
315 x 5 x 2 Conventional and Sumo
405 x 5 x 2 Conventional and Sumo
315 x 5 x 2 Conventional and Sumo
225 x 5 x 2 Conventional and Sumo
135 x 5 x 2 Conventional and Sumo

Then I move into my hamstring routine, which I only pick 2 exercises for 5 sets of 10, and rotate them every week between SLDL, seated, standing, and laying. I'll do single leg and 2 leg exercises. I finish out my speed and power routine with weighted hypers, still focusing on speed and explosion.

After last dead session, which ends my workout week I decided to take a week off from the gym since it's been a solid 10 weeks. Eating whatever I want, whenever I want lol. The squat day during the week of my working sets are light weight pause squats. The squat day before my speed deads is heavy squats. There is 1 day that separates squats and deads. My routine is taking from 3 outlines that I've tried and enjoyed during my time in the gym. Those 3 being DC, SL 5x5, and the Power, Muscle, Burn Approach.

I've come up with 3 reasons. Frist one being that I cut my carbs to 35g of complex carbs a day, with most if not all of that coming in my preworkout meal. Protein and fat hasn't changed for me in a while, and I like where it's at. So the lack of carbs could be it. Second reason is that it's been 10 weeks straight of balls to the wall for me in the gym, and body needs some R&R which I'm enjoying now. Third being I suck and destined to dead only 525 lol. Mind you I don't call myself a PL'er, or a BB'er. I'm just the average gym rat in my eyes. I wear a hoodie always, don't talk to anybody, don't make a lot of noise, and mind my own buisness. I leave my ego at the door, as I workout alone.

Currently and have been cruising at 100mg Test E since the new year, no desire to increase dose as I feel good at 100mg/week. Current weight is 250lbs., 6' @ an honest 13%-15% bf. Last labs from endo came back just over 200, but that's a different story in a different sub forum.

Anyway sorry for the long post, just trying to see what I can do with myself ha ha. Never really focused on improving my deads in the previous years. It was mostly higher weight, higher reps, and less sets. Mid of last year I got a hair up my ass to see what I can do on deads, and have been chasing it ever since. Open to any and all suggestions from those of you who PL or have been doing heavy deads for a long time.

 

[PillarofBalance]

Change one thing at a time so you know what's working.

I would start with those speed days. Speed days should be doubles maybe triples. Sets of 5 is a rep day. A set of 405 x 5 is not going to move fast enough to be called speed. Change the speed day to no more than 315 for 10 doubles.

 

[PillarofBalance]

And eat some carbs for god sake lol

 

[event462]

We have a lot of strong pl brothers here that can help you.
Unfortunately, I don't know enough to help but I'm sure you'll get a response soon

 

[Ezskanken]

Change one thing at a time so you know what's working.

I would start with those speed days. Speed days should be doubles maybe triples. Sets of 5 is a rep day. A set of 405 x 5 is not going to move fast enough to be called speed. Change the speed day to no more than 315 for 10 doubles.

My PL'er buddy also told me that as well. Good to hear it again from someone else though. I reset after each rep. I'll set up, grip and rip, then set it back down. Reset, then do it all over again. I'll give that a shot on my next speed day. Thank you!

 

[Tren4Life]

I'm a big fan of deload weeks. If your stuck it could be that your CNS is just burnt out. Take a week and do 40 - 60 % for 6 sets of 5 and call it a day. 3 warm up sets at 40% and maybe 2 or 3 working sets at 50% is good enough for me. Eat right and recover for the week and then start over the next week.

One other thing you could do is just stop deadlifting all together and start doing some Ssb box squats instead. Ive been doing it for about 5 months no heavy pulls at all. I started pulling again a few weeks ago and I'm smashing prs each week. Matter of fact the next time I pull I'm gonna add 15 pounds to my single PR and triple it.

 

[Ezskanken]

I'm a big fan of deload weeks. If your stuck it could be that your CNS is just burnt out. Take a week and do 40 - 60 % for 6 sets of 5 and call it a day. 3 warm up sets at 40% and maybe 2 or 3 working sets at 50% is good enough for me. Eat right and recover for the week and then start over the next week.

One other thing you could do is just stop deadlifting all together and start doing some Ssb box squats instead. Ive been doing it for about 5 months no heavy pulls at all. I started pulling again a few weeks ago and I'm smashing prs each week. Matter of fact the next time I pull I'm gonna add 15 pounds to my single PR and triple it.

Yeah my CNS was telling me it was time for a break. Struggling to get up in the morning, less excited about the gym as usual, ect. I used to do active recovery weeks. Just 3 sets of 20 on everything at very very light weight. More of a fast pump workout. In and out of the gym in 45 minutes. But I prefer just doing nothing for a week now lol! 15lbs is a nice jump brother. I swear those 2.5lb plates are the heaviest summabitches in the gym lol.

 

[Tren4Life]

Yeah my CNS was telling me it was time for a break. Struggling to get up in the morning, less excited about the gym as usual, ect. I used to do active recovery weeks. Just 3 sets of 20 on everything at very very light weight. More of a fast pump workout. In and out of the gym in 45 minutes. But I prefer just doing nothing for a week now lol! 15lbs is a nice jump brother. I swear those 2.5lb plates are the heaviest summabitches in the gym lol.

Hahaha. Doing nothing , now your talking my game. I forgot to mention I'm a lazy fuk too.

 

[snake]

My first question has nothing to do with your DL but everything to do with your DL. Where's your squat in this equation? My money is on this being the problem.

Second; "And eat some carbs for god sNake lol" (You see what I did there, huh, huh?") You have to fuel the fire my man.

Third; I'm not too sure about the "Conventional and Sumo" thing. Let your body server one style and I personally feel you'll be better off.

Forth; Don't panic because the weight is moving slow, it happens. But at a 250 b.w., 525x3 is not your top end. In all it does show you have put your time in. Enough time to break through this plateau.

 

[Ezskanken]

My first question has nothing to do with your DL but everything to do with your DL. Where's your squat in this equation? My money is on this being the problem.

Second; "And eat some carbs for god sNake lol" (You see what I did there, huh, huh?") You have to fuel the fire my man.

Third; I'm not too sure about the "Conventional and Sumo" thing. Let your body server one style and I personally feel you'll be better off.

Forth; Don't panic because the weight is moving slow, it happens. But at a 250 b.w., 525x3 is not your top end. In all it does show you have put your time in. Enough time to break through this plateau.

By squat you mean what? My last set of squats was 415 x 5 Reps x 5 Sets. Many of the PL'ers I talk to and watch on YouTube encourage both movements to help in overall gains in different phases of the movement. Like I said earlier, I only started getting serious about deads around the middle of last year. Pretty excited to see what I can do. Ha ha yeah I know I need to load up on the carbs more, just trying to knock off a few pounds. Guys would always ask me how much I weighed, and I would tell them I have no clue. They would always guess, which was entertaining untill I read the numbers on the scale at the doc's office lol!

 

[snake]

By squat you mean what? My last set of squats was 415 x 5 Reps x 5 Sets.

Where is your squat in your workout? You DL on one day and when is your next squat? Maybe it would be best to put up your routine.

 

[Ezskanken]

Where is your squat in your workout? You DL on one day and when is your next squat? Maybe it would be best to put up your routine.

I start my workout week on Saturday. Pause squats w/ light weight ,about 100lbs away from my working sets are done on the week of heavy deads. The next week will be my working set weight in squats, and light weight speed deads. So squats on Monday, deads on Wednesday.

Everything is started off with power sets 5x5, then muscle sets at 5x10, then burn drop sets at reps of 20>15>10. 5x5 sets alternate every other week. So for example with chest and tris from my last 2 workouts on March 7th and March 14th:

Week A:
BB Bench (Power): 315 x 5 x 5
DB Incline (Muscle): 85 x 10 x 5
Machine Press (Burn): 2 Drop Sets w/ 90lbs. for 20 reps > 70lbs. for 15 reps > 50lbs. for 10 reps
CGB (Power): 245 x 5 x 5
Laying DB Extension (Muscle): 35 x 10 x 5
Reverse Pulldown (Burn): 37.5lbs for 20 reps > 30lbs. for 15 reps > 25lbs. for 10 reps
15 minutes of cardio on eliptacal at 10% incline and 8 resistance. Pace is shooting for a casual mile.

Week B:
BB Incline (Power): 270 x 5 x 5
DB Bench (Muscle): 90 x 10 x 5
Machine Fly (Burn): 50lbs. at 20 reps > 40lbs. at 15 reps > 30lbs. at 10 reps
Dips (Power): Body Weight + 90lbs x 5 x 5
Camber Pushdown (Muscle): The cable set I was using didn't have stickers on it, so I logged it by plates. 9th plate x 10 x 5
Rope Pulldowns (Burn): 30lbs. for 20 reps > 25lbs. for 15 reps > 20lbs for 10 reps
15 minutes of cardio on eliptacal at 10% incline at resistance 8. Shooting for a casual mile.

Burn sets almost always stay the same weight. My main concern in seeing change is in my power 5x5 sets, and I always go till failure on my last set. I ask for a spot then. My muscle 5x10 sets I usually do 2 times before moving up in weight, so 2 week A's. I'm in the gym anywhere from 1.5-1.75 hours.


Saturday: Chest & Tris
Sunday: Back Width and Back Thickness
Monday: Quads & Calves
Tuesday: Shoulders and Bi's
Wednesday: Deads & Hams

Maybe move quads to Sunday, and back to Monday? I think I like that already lol!

I know it looks crazy, but it satisfies all of my urges in the gym, and leaves me drained every time. I will fall back on DC Training in the winter, I just love what DC does for me. DC Training wether I'm doing a 2 day, or 3 day split is amazing. But through the years in the gym I've pieced this together suit my needs, and my goals.

 

[Big Worm]

Id cut to singles after 315 and see where you get. Get some heavy singles under your belt. Keep missing and you are gonna go backwards.

 

[Ezskanken]

Id cut to singles after 315 and see where you get. Get some heavy singles under your belt. Keep missing and you are gonna go backwards.

Thank you. I was thinking of doing singles, but didn't want to get caught up in maxing. Guess I need to get my head on straight to go where I want to be. Well do this once I'm back in the gym come Saturday.

 

[snake]

I looked at that routine and you would be the best on to answer this but it looks like you're hammering the hell out of your back. I mean even it looks like your directly or indirectly hitting your back. Just my thoughts but try to break it up some. Monday quads and Wednesday DL would cripple most guys.

 

[Ezskanken]

Appreciate everyone's time. I'm gonna more quads up to Sunday, and work on single rep deads for my next blast. Last blast was 10 weeks before I needed a week off. So I'll shoot for 8-10 weeks on this next one. Thanks again!

 

[snake]

Keep us posted!

 

[Ezskanken]

Keep us posted!

Will do brother. The urge to up the dose is already there, but I must resist lol! Tell you what though, I sure do enjoy my 3-4 bowls of cereal everyday since it's my week off ha ha! I will see how far I get with this tweak installed. Not gonna jump right back into 525 though that's for sure. Gonna ease my way in safely.

 

[JackC4]

525 is dam good brother.....I'm starting to hit triples at 405

It's funny when guys see me in the gym deading with the 8 plates
On they say " man I could never lift that ". I always say the same
Thing to them, " you know how long it took me to build up to this "

Always compare yourself to yourself. 525 is great. These men offer
Solid advice on powerlifting, Steeler is a strong MoFo.

 

[Ezskanken]

525 is dam good brother.....I'm starting to hit triples at 405

It's funny when guys see me in the gym deading with the 8 plates
On they say " man I could never lift that ". I always say the same
Thing to them, " you know how long it took me to build up to this "

Always compare yourself to yourself. 525 is great. These men offer
Solid advice on powerlifting, Steeler is a strong MoFo.

Yes sir, never compare myself to anybody in the gym. It's always me vs. me. That's what I love about working out by myself, I have to finely balance knowing my limits, and pushing myself. One to much the other way, I'm buried, or badly injured. Ego is always left at the door, I never lift with my ego. I'd rather get all of my reps if I can help it. Reps are more important to me then the weight. The weight will come, I understand that whole heartedly. Consistantcy, perfect attendance in the gym, and eating what I need to eat to be succesful. Just gonna hang on to those extra pounds if it means I imporve in my lifts lol!