• Keep up to date with Ausbb via Twitter and Facebook. Please add us!
  • Join the Ausbb - Australian BodyBuilding forum

    If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact contact us.

    The Ausbb - Australian BodyBuilding forum is dedicated to no nonsense muscle and strength building. If you need advice that works, you have come to the right place. This forum focuses on building strength and muscle using the basics. You will also find that the Ausbb- Australian Bodybuilding Forum stresses encouragement and respect. Trolls and name calling are not allowed here. No matter what your personal goals are, you will be given effective advice that produces results.

    Please consider registering. It takes 30 seconds, and will allow you to get the most out of the forum.

Deadlift comp prep

T

tasgymbrah

New member
Hey,

I've got a deadlift comp coming up next saturday and just wanted to hear any suggestions you would have for my final week of training before the comp. Should I max out tomorrow on my deadlift or save myself for next saturday, and how should I structure my training?​
 
No lifting a week out.... its rest time. You need to start preparing at least 6 weeks out.

Tomorrow I would do your opener for a double then go home and rest.
 
Agree with dan, Hit your opener, for at least a double or triple.

Lots of water and calories for the next week, lots of sleep.
 
I'm doing the same comp mate, yesterday I hit my opener for 2 singles.
I benched today pretty light & will bench on Tuesday pretty light again. Total rest Wed, Thurs, Fri.
 
Danimal said:
No lifting a week out.... its rest time. You need to start preparing at least 6 weeks out.

Tomorrow I would do your opener for a double then go home and rest.
Click to expand...

I disagree with this, from the perspective of a less skilled/experienced lifter.

I think it's important to keep training the lifts up to maybe a couple of days out, but keeping the volume and % down to avoid accumulated fatigue. And reduce or drop assistance work.

The reason for this is to keep technique locked in, build confidence and avoid de-conditioning.

For example for my first and only comp so far, I maxed out on everything 7-10 days out. The week leading up I dropped all accessories and just did the main lifts for for fast triples, working up to ~85% x 3 as the top set. Every set was done with maximum focus on speed and technique.

At the comp I beat my tested 1RMs on 2 out of 3 lifts, and was probably unlucky not to get all 3 ( I lost my balance on the attempted squat PB). So I feel that definitely worked for a relatively unskilled/weak lifter like myself.

Also if you are not doing a full 3-lift comp, but just one lift, I question whether a full de-load/comp prep is required on all lifts - maybe pressing can go on as normal or only 'semi-deloaded'?

Yes I've heard elite lifters needs a full week or even a few weeks of de-loading/rest, but IMO it's different for less kills/developed lifters.
 
Last edited:
85% a few days out? For triples? I disagree 100%, from the perspective of a powerlifting coach.

Even as a novice, openers for a few singles 5 days out is the most you'd want to do.
 
My lower back takes a long time to recover so I like to keep the intensity real low the last month and my last two weeks before I skills test usually look like:

Monday: squat training
Wednesday: deadlift 3x3x75%
Friday: squat training

Monday: squat 4x2x75%
Wednesday: deadlift: 2x3x70%
Saturday: meet

This works very well for me, I need to train high frequency to keep my technique good I lose my technique pretty fast so I keep it for light low volume speed work. The best I have ever peaked though was on squats were I stopped the high volume, took a week off then hit a heavy single every day with Saturday being the 7th or 8th day in a row. Not sure how using this method to peak 3 lifts at the same time would work but it worked well for squats on their own. I guess you could do speed work on bench and deadlift and just recover in that week off
 
Sticky said:
85% a few days out? For triples? I disagree 100%, from the perspective of a powerlifting coach.

Even as a novice, openers for a few singles 5 days out is the most you'd want to do.
Click to expand...

oops, I meant working up from triples and then finishing on 85% for a single. Something like this:

bar x 5
3 x 40%, 45%, 50%, 55%, 60%, 65%, 70%
2 x 75%, 80%
1 x 85%

IMO for a novice or intermediate lifter, technique, confidence and possibly even outright strength will decline quite rapidly, and that's why its better to try to train with some frequency and still handle heavyish weights at a reduced volume leading up. Whereas an elite level lifter is perhaps is better off with complete rest or very little training as things will not go out the window so easily.

Just offering my 2C based in personal experience as a less skilled/experienced lifter - the method above worked much better for me than a 2 week lay-off where I came back significantly weaker and feeling like I'd lost 'the groove' on lifts.

I'm sure it depends on the individual. @78-79kg 5"11" I'm quite small, and for a novice probably a relatively technical, efficient and explosive lifter to produce the numbers I do - no grinding ability and very heavily reliant on technique and bar speed - I generally make a lift that looks fast and easy, or get completely stapled by it by being out of positing or being slow out of the hole.
 
Last edited:
You're not going to gain Amy strength by doing an extra 2 sessions in the week before a comp nor will you lose any if you dont. I trained 2 days before my first comp, learnt from that mistake, took 5 days off and hit a 5kg pb that I set 1 week before lol.

Most people who train could do with 5 days off, especially as he claims to Deadlift 260@95?
 
I pulled 255 today, first single 250, then 252.5, all psyched up to the max (well as psyched as I could get with fucking MTV top 40 shit in the background!). I failed on 257.5 This was on a standard olympic bar, not a deadlift bar.

What would you suggest I open on? What do you reckon I could be capable of on the day?

Thanks for your opinions
 
Opener should be something you can double/triple.
Why are you increasing weight by 2.5kg? Waste of energy. Minimums of 5 or 10kg increases.
 
Mate not smart lifting a week out from a comp, you shouldn't be missing a lift a week out.
I'd open on 225 - 230 if I were you.
 
Agreed 100%.

And how can we know what you can pull with out a vid? Or training history?

If you missed 257.5...... That should be a pretty good indicator...
 
Cool, so I'm on the right track?

Should I open on 255kg?

Still haven't used a texas bar which they'll be using at the comp though, will the smaller diameter bar throw me out grip wise? Have you got anything to point out while using these bars?
 
My last deadlift before comp is 10 days out. Squat is 7 days out.
The only thing after that is mobility and superlight lifts to suss out any potential mobility problems or muscle niggles that need massage/foam rolling.
 
tasgymbrah said:
Cool, so I'm on the right track?

Should I open on 255kg?

Still haven't used a texas bar which they'll be using at the comp though, will the smaller diameter bar throw me out grip wise? Have you got anything to point out while using these bars?
Click to expand...

All these guys/girls have said open with a weight you can do for 2-3 reps. That with a little basic gym math is 225kg. Not close to your all time best.


Get COMFORTABLE
Get CONFIDENT
Get COCKY


1st attempt 225kg
2nd attempt 240-245kg
3rd attempt go for a PR

If you haven't used a DL bar before get into the warmup room and have a play to get used to it. Grip wise it shouldn't be a problem.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top