This routine is the ultimate in variety. You will get the opportunity to push the envelope each week with new or at least different exercises for your deadlift each and every week. The off-season is the time for variety and overall strength and conditioning. Adventurous athletes will love this routine because it offers a smorgasbord of hard work. NO BOREDOM. If you welcome a challenge, the random deadlift routine will give you the opportunity to go for a personal best each week with slim chance of overtraining. The primary claim to fame of the "Random" Deadlift Routine is that it has no pattern. Lacking a definite observable pattern, this routine hits muscles from different directions and combinations each week. Overtraining is unlikely, strength increases are definite.
A normal off-season routine involves a sequence of increasingly difficult weekly routines. A pattern of exercises, primary and accessory are chosen, and the athlete must try to increase the weight in key exercises over the course of the routine. A good routine usually results in a personal best set of 10, 8, 5, 3, 1 or all of the above. In this way, the athlete will see a logical pattern of increasing strength though successful weekly increases in the amount of weight lifted. The "Random" routine takes a variety of accessory exercises to form a series of challenging routines. There are two rules for this routine:
1) Increase the weight lifted in each successive set so that the final set of each exercise is as heavy as you can lift.
2) NEVER MISS A REP!
You will perform the routine once per week for 10 successive weeks. You must provide your best effort in each of the exercises listed for the routine of the week. You must be very aggressive in the final set of each exercise to provide a Personal Best or to challenge an existing personal record. Your strength will increase profoundly over the course of the routine. You will be able to see the strength increase in the routine that you follow immediately after completing the Random routine. One more thing. You will probably be sore each and every week of this routine because you will never be able to adapt to the work. Remember, you must increase weight with each set and never miss a rep. Start light and finish all out!
Week 1:
Stiff Leg Deadlift, 5 sets of 8 reps
Wide Grip Pulldown Behind Neck, 5 x 10 reps
Behind the Back Shrug, 6 x 12 reps
Wide Grip Upright Row, 5 x 10
One Arm Dumbbell Row, 4x 12.
Week 2:
Rack Deadlift From Below the Kneecap, 6 x 9 reps
Shoulder Width Grip Pullup, 5 x 7
Underhand Grip Barbell Row, 5 x 10
Cheat Barbell Curl, 4 x 9
Hyperextension, 4 x 7.
Week 3:
Good Morning, 4 x 7
Overhead Barbell Press, 5 x 11
45-Degree Leg Press, 6 x 14
Bench Dip, 5 x 8
Curl Grip Shrug, 4 x 10.
Week 4:
T-Bar Row, 5 x 9
Dumbbell Pullover, 5 x 8
Seated Bentover Laterals, 5 x 12
Front Plate Raise, 4 x 7
Reverse Hyper, 5 x 10
Week 5:
High Pull, 5 x 6
Forward Incline 2-DB Row, 4 x 10
Bent Arm Barbell Pullover, 5 x 8
Chest Supported Row, 4 x 9
Weighted Decline Situp, 4 x 6.
Week 6:
Cambered "MacDonald Bar" Deadlift, 5 x 8
Close Grip Pullup, 5 x 6
Barbell Front Raise, 4 x 5-7
Head Supported 2-DB Row, 5 x 8
Hack Squat, 4 x 10.
Week 7:
Rack Deadlift From Above the Knee, 6 x 6
Wide Grip Pulldown to Chin, 5 x 7
Double Dumbbell Curl, 5 x 8
Shrug, 4 x 9
Weighted Situp with Feet Held on Top of Bench, 5 x 10.
Week 8:
Behind the Back Deadlift, 5 x 8
Reverse Grip Overhead Press, 5 x 7
V-Grip Seated Low Cable Row, 5 x 11
Half Squat Good Morning 4 x 7
Seated Bent Knee Leg Raise, 3 x 15.
Week 9:
Bentover Row, 4 x 8
Standing Lateral Raise, 4 x 10
Underhand Grip Pulldown to Chest, 4 x 9
Dumbbell Deadlift, 4 x 9
Stiff Arm Barbell Pullover, 4 x 7.
Week 10:
Deadlift with Bar on 100-lb. Plates, 5 x 7
Decline Bent Arm Pullover, 5 x 8
Forward Incline Dumbbell Upright Row, 5 x 7
Seated Parallel Grip High Pulley Row to Chest, 4 x 9
Seated Press Behind Neck, 5 x 7.
Remember, start each exercise LIGHT and finish it ALL OUT.
Always use strict form for your own safety. Some of these exercises might look like they belong in a bench press routine, but the shoulder presses and lateral raises all challenge upper back and mid-back stabilization, as well as abdominal oblique stabilization. The biceps curls also challenge back and abdominal stabilization.
Try not to arch your back to cheat the lifts as this will lead to destructive back pain rather than positive muscle soreness from fatigue and exertion.
I realize this is an lengthy list of accessory exercises and you man not know all of them. This routine is also a good opportunity to familiarize yourself with any of these accessory exercises that are new to you.
Good luck and Good Training!
