Early intermediate deadlift rep scheme?

[cph]

In my experience deadlift variations tend to grow a bit stagnant, as when you try to force a weight increase, that tends to be at either the expense of ROM or strict form. Therefore I think switching out variations at times can help to both induce a novel stimulus and prevent staleness. SLDLs or SGDL would be the natural thing to switch out RDLs for, and they can also be loaded up a bit more than RDLs, so that should help if you can recover from them.

I actually think part of my problem was that I was way undershooting weight on my RDLs. I was doing 7s with a weight I could do 12-13 reps with. (I decided to AMRAP one day as an experiment.) So recently I bumped the weight up to something more challenging.

[BareSteel]

I've had some success by deadlifting for a heavy set only every other Friday. On alternate Fridays, I pull one moderate set of 8. It's enough to feel like work, especially after heavy squats and bench, but not a rep max. Your percentage offset will vary - start modestly. You could riff on this theme too and offset for a set of 5 or something else. I just like the variety of a slightly higher rep range and by extension a lighter weight of course.

I got the idea from the more advanced plan of alternating rack pulls and haltings. Maybe it'll leave you fresher for your hard DL set. For reference, I'm on a HLM plan.

Remember you can also choose a hard set that's not a five - say a triple.

[OZ-USF-UFGator]

I actually think part of my problem was that I was way undershooting weight on my RDLs. I was doing 7s with a weight I could do 12-13 reps with. (I decided to AMRAP one day as an experiment.) So recently I bumped the weight up to something more challenging.

AMARPs are FUN with Deads. Ive been doing AMARP's every 4th pulling day as a "volume day". Once I can hit 13 +, I add weight the next go around. The last round was 337 for 16 reps and I was SHOT.

[marcf]

I think you're in LSD or something similar.

I think you're weak and angry that you're too scared to get on TRT.

[perman]

I actually think part of my problem was that I was way undershooting weight on my RDLs. I was doing 7s with a weight I could do 12-13 reps with. (I decided to AMRAP one day as an experiment.) So recently I bumped the weight up to something more challenging.

It should be noted that for an HLM scheme, Andy Baker considers SLDL a medium exercise and RDLs a light exercise. If you're doing deadlift assistance Monday and deadlifting Friday, SLDLs might be better. I personally think it's a better deadlift assistance exercise, but opinions vary on that one....

[Mia Inman]

My training has been inconsistent because of summer travel, and I have (deliberately) been losing weight. It's been a frustrating 6 weeks or so of training.

I deadlift once a week, theoretically, plus RDLs once a week. In reality it's been more like once every 1.5-2 weeks.

Could be that the weight loss + travel + inconsistent schedule is part of your issue.

Re schemes, Sully told me a rep scheme he had used to great success:

All at the same weight:
Week 1: 3 singles
Week 2: A triple
Week 3: A set of 5

Add weight to the bar and repeat the 3 week cycle.

Might be worth a try.

[Bryan Dobson]

I'm running HLM with pulls as DL/clean/RDL

Been running 1x5 on heavy days. Just stalled at 400 (only got 4 reps 3 workouts in a row)

Where do I go from here?

Sets across? Rotating rep ranges?

You have reached a point where a single intense set will no longer provide the stimulus to add weight on a weekly basis.

You will see many recommendations and prescriptions on how to fix this. The simple answer is you are going to have to do more work.
Variations are nice but all they do is make it hard to do less weight (they lower the stress but not the perceived intensity) .

You need more deadlift sets a week, but to do that you will have to use less weight.

Edit to add. My recommendation is simple, sets across, 3x5 once a week
alternating a heavy and light . I would start with 350 on heavy day and 325 on the lighter day. Add weight to heavy day until you are doing 3x5 at your old 5 rep max but don't attempt a rep you will fail. After a couple of months or if you reach sets across at 395 you can try to hit a new 5 rep max on your heavy day. You will be surprised.

[cph]

Bryan, are you saying a heavy and light day each week (deadlifting twice a week), or alternating weeks (deadlifting once a week)?

Also ... do you mean 3 sets of 5 reps or vice versa?

[cph]

What are your squat numbers?

Current 5RM is 365. (I have been doing 1x5 plus 2x5 @90% on heavy day.) Which I just got back to today, and it was harder than when I originally hit it. I'm guessing the weight loss, inconsistency, and lack of sleep/stress is taking its toll.

I'm not sure exactly where to go from here except I know I can't keep grinding near-max sets every week. Every big lift is at or near a stall.

[Bryan Dobson]

Bryan, are you saying a heavy and light day each week (deadlifting twice a week), or alternating weeks (deadlifting once a week)?

Also ... do you mean 3 sets of 5 reps or vice versa?

For you right now you should deadlift once a week alternate heavy and light each week 3sets of 5reps. Start with the light day the next week do the heavy day. Add half the weight to your light day that you do to your heavy day for a couple of months then test. The sets across will be a novel stimulus.