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Thread: Unable to pull due to NYC gym, now what should I do?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2022
    Posts
    21

    Default Unable to pull due to NYC gym, now what should I do?

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    Hi first time poster here. I have been in NYC attempting to run the program for the past 18 months but interrupted by several lockdowns and shutdowns of my gym and finally by having my membership effectively taken away due to vax requirements. I was running the program to the best of my ability and make some progress. The big issue is that I have not been able to deadlift at all because my gym prohibited any loud noises with the weights. Mind you there is a massive deadlift platform in the gym. But I was told that the noise of weights hitting the floor like that was not allowed as it intimidated members or something, and as I had already paid my membership dues I had to make the best of it.

    Now I have moved to TX and have access to a proper gym where this is not an issue. My question is should I change my programming at all to compensate for how far behind my deadlift is relative to my other lifts or should I just run the program as is? I pulled for the first time the other day and I was quite focused on the form and the steps from the videos, so I didnt go too hard -- ramped to 185 1x5 which went up very easy. I feel that I could be to mid 200s quickly, but perhaps shorter if I focused extra on deadlifts like doing 3 sets perhaps or just deadlifting instead of squatting for a bit? What is appropriate here? I worry about the imbalance between my deadlift and my other lifts, particularly squats. I historically have a weakish lower back and it fatigues easily and I suspect it may be because my back strength is lagging due to lack of pulling.

    My other numbers are 5'7", 40 yrs old: Squat 305 3x5, Bench 220 3x5, Press 160 3x5. In my infinite wisdom while I was at that gym, I tried substituting a few exercise for the inability to deadlift; good morning (240 3x10) and the snatch grip high pull (200 3x10) and rows. Not sure if these matter at all, but I tried to at least hit the muscles involved. It goes without saying I have never done the clean either.

    Thank you.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Location
    New Zealand
    Posts
    253

    Default

    If you can snatch grip high pull 200 for 3x10 you should be starting with a much higher deadlift than 185. IMO, normal beginner program i.e. deadlift 3 times per week until that is too taxing.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    Indianapolis, IN
    Posts
    2,266

    Default

    Probably not. Run a linear progression on the deadlift until you can't, and run it out as normal. What I would hope for is that you'll end LP with a deadlift higher than your squat. As the deadlift gets heavier, you may find that you need to put your heavy deadlifts on your light squat day to not tire your hips and back out too much by squatting heavy and then pulling heavy.
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  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2022
    Posts
    21

    Default

    Andrew - will do. Thanks so much guys. Mark - probably you are right, I hit 195 1x5 yesterday and it feels really easy, will be making jumps for a while here.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2020
    Location
    Round Rock, TX
    Posts
    75

    Default

    I started my DL very light as I was afraid of hurting my back (back pain being one of the reasons I found Starting Strength)... Anyway after a month into NLP my DL was way behind my squat and by that time confidence from my back not "blowing out" and more reading of the blue book got me to do what was supposed to happen at the first few workouts, which was to keep adding weight to the bar to find a "starting weight".

    On this one day, I kept adding 10 lbs and doing another set of 5 until it finally felt heavy. I went up by 40 or so lbs that workout. I think I went up by 20 the next one. After that it was a few 10 lb jumps then 5lbs for the rest of my NLP.

    Thing is, I somehow thought those early workouts were heavy. But the one day I just went for it and kept adding weight... I learned that my body didn't know what heavy/hard was yet and it was lying to me. A year later, I laugh at myself. What I thought was hard really wasn't. Form got cleaned up due to coaching. Heavy was there, but it wasn't really hard until I hit 395x5.
    With decent form adding 5lbs each DL workout wasn't a problem.

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