Deadlift Variations and Active Recovery

[DBA]

For novice lifters who begin having trouble recovering from pulling every workout, the book suggests alternating the DL and PC in workout A and adding either back extensions or glute-ham raises to workout B. From what I understand, the purpose of doing those would be for active recovery. Would doing something like an RDL for 3x10 accomplish a similar purpose as it would be a lower intensity load using many of the same muscles, or is there something in the nature of exercises like the RDL or Goodmorning that would harm recovery?

[Mark Rippetoe]

Have you ever done 3 x 10 RDLs? How sore did you get, and how much did your deadlift go up?

[DBA]

Have you ever done 3 x 10 RDLs? How sore did you get, and how much did your deadlift go up?

Never. I'm wondering because deadlift recovery is becoming more of a problem for me (at 325 lb for 1x5) so that I might benefit from reducing the frequency as the book outlines, but my gym doesn't have a Roman chair or glute-ham bench.

For reference: I've yet to miss a deadlift set since switching to straps (this was at 285), but I can tell it's coming. 25YO, 5'9", ~200 lb, eating roughly 3500-4000 calories per day.

[Maybach]

"Active recovery" is a myth. Exercises programmed as "active recovery" are usually just a minor bump of training stimulus to prevent detraining during long intervals between heavy sessions. If you skip squats on your light squat day, you will not show up on Friday "less recovered" than if you had. You might be "rusty" but you won't be more tired and sore than if you had skipped the squat.

The deadlift, in general, is less susceptible to this effects: it's a less practice dependent movement. Real heavy deadlifters sometimes go months without a limit pull, and the movement rarely suffers. It's hard to fall "out of the groove" on deadlifts. You need to be pulling, and to keep your volume up to the correct degree but there's no reason to be sprinkling in "light" pulling work just for the fun of it.

Finally, sets of ten are light weight, but they are not (inherently) light work. The "heavy, light, medium" terms do not refer to weights, they refer to workload. 3x10 RDLs will not be as heavy as 5s, but when they are heavy enough (and in fact, they NEED to be heavy if they are going to be worth doing) they can fuck you up just as badly as 5s. Maybe not in the same WAY, but they can absolutely be "too much work."

The utility of higher rep ranges is that they add MORE stimulus at lighter weight, not that they're "easier." If you are trying to add in a "light day" to bring your 5s up, you would add lighter weight 5s. 10s would either need to be much lighter (which provides no strength stimulus) or heavy enough that they aren't light.

All of this is in the Grey Book.

[mathgainer]

Why would they not make your deadlift go up if they work the glutes and hamstrings?

Also isn't the soreness just from the first few times?

[Lost and Found]

Maybe just add a light pulling day rather than add new exercises? I'm biased. I enjoy deadlifts.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Why would they not make your deadlift go up if they work the glutes and hamstrings?

Also isn't the soreness just from the first few times?

This has been a low-quality day here on the forums.

[Maybach]

Why would they not make your deadlift go up if they work the glutes and hamstrings?

Also isn't the soreness just from the first few times?

Why doesn't walking make your deadlift go up, if it works the glutes and hamstrings?

[mathgainer]

Why doesn't walking make your deadlift go up, if it works the glutes and hamstrings?

Because there is no progressive overload.

[heinz83]

How heavy is your squat? This question is for DBA.