Deadlifts - the most misunderstood exercise?

[desmond]

Ok 5x5 sets is a lot. U must have excellent lower back recovery.

BTW, I'm assuming from your bio that Neil Peart is your drumming idol - matching his chops yet lol

No straps, just gloves to avoid caluses because I also drum in a rock band so I can't have torn up hands for that. Grip 'n rip. I also started doing 5 sets and 5 reps (after 3 warm up sets) with all the same weight, not increasing with lighter to heavier like the conventional 5X5 program is set up. All heavy sets. I do this once a week is all.

I just bumped the weight up more and more each week because I responded so well. I also realized how much of a factor intensity plays in them. Most guys don't pull like they are doing it to save their life.

Not only did I get stretch marks on my biceps, I also got deep, long, thick stretch marks on my groin on both sides. My legs are covered in stretch marks now.

If I do deadlifts, I grow really fast. The only reasons I take a break every so often is because of a sustaining back injury I have and to avoid stretch marks. I just do leg presses instead on those weeks off to increase leg power. I feel the leg press allows you to really learn how to generate maximum power from your legs because you can put so much weight on them. There's nothing else involved but legs. You can't put 1000+ pounds on your legs with a squat or a deadlift.




My body is good for pulling. Not so much for benching. I can out pull guys that can out bench me by 75 pounds and I can max about 325. I can't bench for crap. My body type is not set up for putting up big bench numbers.

I have a damn strong back and legs though, so when I started deadlifts, that big weight was responded to very well by my body.

 

[b fold the truth]

Deadlifts are for the mentally insane.

And I mean that with the utmost respect.

 

[dabuffguy]

Ok 5x5 sets is a lot. U must have excellent lower back recovery.

BTW, I'm assuming from your bio that Neil Peart is your drumming idol - matching his chops yet lol

Yeah buddy, Neil Peart is the Bomb. I was watching his "Anatomy of a Drum Solo" DVD last night even.

I can play most RUSH songs. My drum set is even huge like his, lol.

 

[b fold the truth]

I feel the leg press allows you to really learn how to generate maximum power from your legs because you can put so much weight on them. There's nothing else involved but legs. You can't put 1000+ pounds on your legs with a squat or a deadlift.

1000 pounds on the leg press...isn't 1,000 pounds. Maybe more like squatting 3-5 plates a side...at the very most.

 

[dabuffguy]

1000 pounds on the leg press...isn't 1,000 pounds. Maybe more like squatting 3-5 plates a side...at the very most.

True. But I can tell you right now I can't even squat 3 plates because of a back injury.

 

[Jocques Straap]

i've seen someone push 12 (total) plates on the leg press for high reps, then attempt a 135 lbs squat, only to be crushed. True story.

 

[Jocques Straap]

Also seen someone who does sets of 225 smith squat. Try to squat 135 free, only to be crushed.

 

[dabuffguy]

i've seen someone push 12 (total) plates on the leg press for high reps, then attempt a 135 lbs squat, only to be crushed. True story.

It definitely is a different movement for sure. Problem is, the pressure placed down my spine while squatting causes severe pain in my back to th epoint I can't walk.

I will be able to develop my legs as far as I need them to go with deadlifts and leg press.

Don't get me wrong though, until I got injured, squats were my love for leg days. If I could still do them, I most definitely would.

 

[djeclipse]

It definitely is a different movement for sure. Problem is, the pressure placed down my spine while squatting causes severe pain in my back to th epoint I can't walk.

I will be able to develop my legs as far as I need them to go with deadlifts and leg press.

Don't get me wrong though, until I go tinjured, squats were my love for leg days. If I could still do them, I most definitely would.

I think the point is that leg press weight and true squat weight don't correlate at all.

Most of the time someone that can do a shit load of weight on the leg press machine can't squat any decent weight to save his life. But someone that can squat a shit load of weight is able to leg press a shit load of weight as well.

I understand that your back situation sucks but unfortunately there is no substitution for the squat.

 

[dabuffguy]

I think the point is that leg press weight and true squat weight don't correlate at all.

Most of the time someone that can do a shit load of weight on the leg press machine can't squat any decent weight to save his life. But someone that can squat a shit load of weight is able to leg press a shit load of weight as well.

I understand that your back situation sucks but unfortunately there is no substitution for the squat.

They definitely don't correlate. I can leg press well over 1000 pounds, but can squat 1RM about 33% of my leg press weight for reps of 10+.


The thing with squats is that it involves so much more of your body, and especially the core involvement is very beneficial for functional strength improvement. It is a much better excercise than the leg press for stimulating growth hormone production and overall growth in your body.

Definitely no substition there.


I am just glad I can still do DL's or I would be very sad.