Heavy Light Split Deadlifts getting stuck on light day

[pavstar619]

Hey everyone, I've been doing the heavy light split template and Ran it Out for 2 cycles (12-15 weeks each) now after switching from HLM (workouts were too long) and its going great so far. Only problem is I can't seem to progress on my light day deadlifts. My lower back feels too fatigued after heavy squats and I keep getting stuck around the same weight (too much fatigue).

Whereas my heavy day deadlift seems to be progressing fine for some reason. I've had to reset the weight during the cycles and was hoping if I can progress in another way.

1. Maybe reduce the sets and reps? (I switched from 2x5 to 2x3 this cycle and that kinda worked alittle bit)
2. Use a variation? (when should I used a variation?)
3. Use a larger offset % from heavy day at the beginning (I currently use 90% weight for 2x5 of 1x5 heavy day)?
4. Do more sets and reps with less weight?

Thanks.

[poser]

Having accumulated a bit of experience with HLM and HL variations as “in season” programming (which means that I’m more beat up on a day to day basis), I’ve found light days to be productive as being lighter than what you are describing and that you don’t necessarily need to increase the “light” weight weekly or proportionally to the heavy day. You can stay at the same weight and increase every so often to avoid that weight becoming more taxing than it needs to be. I suggest trying your light day Deadlifts at something closer to a 20% offload of heavy day. So long as your heavy day is making progress, the exact weight of your light day shouldn’t matter so much.

[Treg]

Hey everyone, I've been doing the heavy light split template and Ran it Out for 2 cycles (12-15 weeks each) now after switching from HLM (workouts were too long) and its going great so far. Only problem is I can't seem to progress on my light day deadlifts. My lower back feels too fatigued after heavy squats and I keep getting stuck around the same weight (too much fatigue).

Whereas my heavy day deadlift seems to be progressing fine for some reason. I've had to reset the weight during the cycles and was hoping if I can progress in another way.

1. Maybe reduce the sets and reps? (I switched from 2x5 to 2x3 this cycle and that kinda worked alittle bit)
2. Use a variation? (when should I used a variation?)
3. Use a larger offset % from heavy day at the beginning (I currently use 90% weight for 2x5 of 1x5 heavy day)?
4. Do more sets and reps with less weight?

Thanks.

I think 90% for light day DLs is generally considered too heavy. Wolf recommends 80-85%; I've recently found that two sets of five at 75% is heavy enough to do the trick, at least for now. But I'm 56 years old, and your DLs are probably a lot heavier than mine.

[Andy Baker (KSC)]

Hey everyone, I've been doing the heavy light split template and Ran it Out for 2 cycles (12-15 weeks each) now after switching from HLM (workouts were too long) and its going great so far. Only problem is I can't seem to progress on my light day deadlifts. My lower back feels too fatigued after heavy squats and I keep getting stuck around the same weight (too much fatigue).

Whereas my heavy day deadlift seems to be progressing fine for some reason. I've had to reset the weight during the cycles and was hoping if I can progress in another way.

1. Maybe reduce the sets and reps? (I switched from 2x5 to 2x3 this cycle and that kinda worked alittle bit)
2. Use a variation? (when should I used a variation?)
3. Use a larger offset % from heavy day at the beginning (I currently use 90% weight for 2x5 of 1x5 heavy day)?
4. Do more sets and reps with less weight?

Thanks.

If you are doing something on a light day, or even just for volume for that matter, you should not be missing reps and you should not be dropping reps, etc in order to accommodate more weight on the bar. This is an intensity day / heavy day tactic when LOAD is the primary factor. But if the plan for a lighter training session is 2-3 x 5 then you need to adjust weight on the bar to get 10-15 good clean reps. Percentages are only there as a frame of reference, never as an absolute, as these things tend to vary person to person and even lift to lift. It might be normal for a guy to do light deadlifts at a 20%-25% reduction in load from his heavy work, drop squats by 10%, and drop presses by just 5%.

[pavstar619]

So I'm still on the right track so far. Thanks everyone.