In theory, the deadlift is the most simple powerlifting movement of the big three. Bend over and pick up the bar until you're standing up straight. Easy to explain, right?
How to train the deadlift, however, is a big point of controversy. One school of thought claims that you should treat it the same way that you treat the squat or the bench press, and thus train it within a percentage or perceived-exertion system. The other school of thoughts believes that the deadlift should be performed infrequently in training and can be built and learned through other specialized movements.
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So what's the answer? Should you deadlift in training? Not deadlift in training? Wait until the meet? Test it with other movements?
In this edition of Table Talk, Dave answers a question about deadlifting and explains how he used to train his deadlift at Westside from 1992-2005. During his explanation, Dave gives examples of how to better understand training theory and warns of the biggest danger in writing your program: taking advice out of context.
