The Tight Tan Slacks of Dezso Ban: Sumo Deadlift Peaking Routine

Sumo Deadlift Peaking Routine

by Greg Reshel

This routine assumes that you are in solid powerlifting condition. You must be in shape and have a squatting or leg pressing foundation along with chins, high pulls, deadlifts or heavy back bodybuilding. The routine I am outlining for you now is a strenuous peaking routine designed for sumo-style deadlifters.

You will be training for 10 weeks on this peaking routine. It uses "residual effect" training to first overload your muscles, exhaust your stabilizers, and shock your nervous system. Then, this routine will heal your body while reeducating your system to proper sumo technique and timing. The healing segment of this routine will allow your body to overcompensate, and to gain substantially more strength than otherwise possible in a conventional peaking routine. During the last five weeks of the routine, which is the rest and healing phase, you will feel sore and stiff, and will not be strong. You are always weaker when you are healing. Seemingly light weights will be difficult to accomplish in your work sets. You will have the big push at the meet where it counts.

You will need to stay focused on your goal as you avoid the temptation to test the strength you have gained during the pre-exhaust period so that you can have it all at the meet. After all, the competition is the whole reason for the peaking cycle.

The deadlift poundages are in percentages to make it easy to calculate your specific numbers. You will, as mentioned, train for ten weeks on this routine. Five weeks of pre-exhaust, and five weeks of healing rest.

I will repeat my peaking message here. Be aware that individual leverages differ dramatically, and that you may need to adjust the numbers used for your cycle accordingly. THE PERCENTAGES GIVEN ARE A GUIDELINE. THESE NUMBERS AREN'T CARVED IN STONE. There is no Holy Grail for powerlifters, no secret gimmick that unlocks mystical strength. You must learn your potentials and limitations through trial and error. And then keep working on your weaknesses until your numbers go up.

WORK IS THE KEY. Bust your butt for the first five weeks. Concentrate on technique and timing with full gear for the last five weeks. During these last five weeks you must focus on developing a consistent pattern of setup and delivery, and speed so that you are not thinking of technical details at the meet. The final five week peaking cycle is the time to rehearse your performance technique so that you can do it in your sleep. Stress balance and setup. You cannot lift any weight if you are off balance. Take your time. When you move to pull, you must do so EXPLOSIVELY.

In the first five weeks, you build power like the torque of a large earth mover. You must focus on developing that raw grunt. During the last five week "rest" peaking phase you must teach yourself the high intensity speed of a sprinter or a drag racer. You must teach yourself, with full gear, to EXPLODE FASTER EACH WEEK WITH RELATIVELY LIGHT WEIGHTS. The combination of speed and grunt will give you tremendous power in the deadlift, especially with the sumo stance. During the peaking cycle eat and rest well as often as possible so that you will be fresh at the meet and hungry to take on the big weights!

You will train your deadlift two times per week for the entire 10 weeks. It may be easiest to combine the light deadlift day with a heavy squat day, and the heavy deadlift training day with the light squat or leg accessory day.

Training Day #1 - Light Day

Leg Extension, 3 x 15 reps with rhythmic delivery.

Leg Curl, 4 x 12 with increasing weight.

Situp, keep lower legs over a bench with partner sitting on them. If possible, place a dumbbell on your chest to add weight, and do 4 sets of 8 reps.

Rack Pull, set pins so that the bar is at a height just below your kneecaps. Always push with your head and chest out over the bar. The bar should travel underneath your upper abs with your chest out in front of it during the entire pull. Do not pull back away from the bar but rather drive forward and up into the bar at all times! Loads are percentages of maximum contest deadlift. Follow the chart below:

First working sets:

Week 1 - 5 x 5 reps @ 80%

Week 2 - 4 x 4 @ 75%

Week 3 - 6 x 2 @ 85%

Week 4 - 4 x 5 @ 60%

Week 5 - 4 x 2 @ 82%

Week 6 - 5 x 2 @ 74, 78, 82, 86 and 90%

Week 7 - 3 x 3 @ 60%

Week 8 - 4 x 2 @ 75%

Week 9 - 3 x 5 @ 60%

Meet Week - 2 x 6 @ 50%

Second working sets:

Week 1 - 1 x 10 reps @ 70%

Wk. 2 - 1 x 8 @ 80%

3 - 1 x 6 @ 90%

4 - 1 x 10 @ 80%

5 - 1 x 6 @ 100%

6 - 1 x 6 @ 100%

7 - 1 x 10 @ 40%

8 - 1 x 8 @ 50%

Underhand Grip Lat Pulldown, 3 x 10 with moderate weight and no strain.

Training Day #2:

Leg Press, 4 x 20 reps fast and light

Deadlift, first five weeks use a belt only, and pull in a narrow stance conventional or nearly stiff-legged style. The last five weeks use full gear and pull sumo style. Use a stop watch the last five weeks to push your timing faster each week. Follow chart below:

First working sets:

Week 1 - 5 x 5 @ 70%

Week 2 - 6 x 4 @ 75%

Week 3 - 6 x 3 @ 80%

Week 4 - 4 x 5 @ 75%

Week 5 - 4 x 4 @ 82%

Week 6 - 5 x 1 @ 64%

Week 7 - 6 x 1 @ 64%

Week 8 - 7 x 1 @ 64%

Week 9 - 8 x 1 @ 64%

Meet Week - Open @ 92%

Second working sets:

Week 1 - 1 x 10 reps @ 60%

Wk. 2 - 1 x 8 @ 64%

3 - 1 x 6 @ 70%

4 - 1 x 10 @ 60%

5 - 1 x 8 @ 64%

6 - 1 x 6 @ 70%

7 - 1 x 10 @ 60%

8 - 1 x 6 @ 75%, 2nd @ 103%, 3rd @ 110%

Decline Situp, 4 x 6 reps with slow descent and weight added to chest if possible.

Dumbbell Shrug, 5 x 12 with moderate weight.

The Tight Tan Slacks of Dezso Ban

Tuesday, January 22, 2019

Sumo Deadlift Peaking Routine

No comments:

Post a Comment

Blog Archive