Press, Bench Press, and Deadlift in Pyramid Model

[spiderman]

Rip,

In the pyramid model section of Practical Programming, you write the pattern shown for squats can be used for all the lifts. If the trainee values the four main lifts (squat, deadlift, press, and bench press) equally it seems doing week 4 would be quite an intimidating task if these four exercises are all done 5x5 each day for PRs.

The novice program and Texas method alternate presses and bench presses each workout. That works well in the plan as those exercises neatly repeat their cycle each two weeks. Such daily alternation doesn't seem to work as well in the pyramid model as each exercises doesn't hit each part of the progression shown for squats. Would you alternate them somehow or just man up and do them both every day?

For the deadlift, would you recommend doing deadlifts everyday on the pyramid model with maybe only one set per workout or week with a similar percentage progression shown for the squat?

Thanks and Happy Thanksgiving!

[Mark Rippetoe]

The Pyramid model is designed for an advanced competitive lifter, for whom this question is irrelevant.

[spiderman]

So are you saying the competitive powerlifter would just bench press and not press at all?

Also would he deadlift 5x5 or even three days a week?

[Mark Rippetoe]

I recommend that powerlifters press as an assistance exercise. I have never recommended sets-across deadlifts for anybody, as you would know if your 285 posts had been accompanied by even a cursory glance at this Q&A.

[spiderman]

Ok so squats and bench press would be programmed the same way. Pressing is assistance somewhere in the week but it isn't stated where. I'm left to guess that deadlifts would be one set of five as you usually recommend. I will also guess that deadlifting is only one day a week as it seems you usually recommend. I'd have to take a guess on which day. That is a lot of guessing and difference from the squat program when the statement in the book is "This simple example of the basics of longer programming can obviously be applied to all the lifts, not just the squat." If there ever is a third edition, I'd like to suggest that a more heavily developed example like in the Two Steps Forward, One Step Back section would be a great addition for clarity.

[Mark Rippetoe]

I have repeatedly stated that I don't like heavy sets of 5 deadlifts for advanced powerlifters. I have often, repeatedly, and frequently stated that I think halting deadlifts and rack pulls work much better for advanced lifters than deadlifts, because they can be recovered from and therefore trained with trained much more successfully. But this is merely an academic curiosity for a rock climber. As I said in another post recently, when you get to be an advanced competitor in weightlifting or powerlifting you'll be in a position to understand this better.

[vicjg]

Do halting DL's & rack pulls work the same way for a sumo deadlifters, in technique & results?

[Mark Rippetoe]

I don't have any experience with the sumo deadlift.