Original starter · 6 weeks

Deadlift Specialization

Six weeks of heavy, deficit and paused pulls with back and hamstring work that builds a bigger deadlift, then a max test.

Open editable program Start blank

6weeks

4days a week

24sessions

363working sets

Every week is written out below. Opening the builder lets you adapt the exercises, loads and progression, then share a link to your own version.

How the block progresses

Measured from the prescriptions below, week 1 against week 6.

Measure	Week 1	Week 6	Change
Working sets	66	35	−47%
Total reps	515	243	−53%
Reps per set	7.8	6.9	−11%
Average RPE	7.1	6.1	−14%

Week 1

DAY 1 - MON - Heavy Deadlift

Exercise	Sets × reps	Effort / load	Rest
Deadlift	5 × 4	75%	4:00
Bench Press	4 × 6	72.5%	3:00
Barbell Row	4 × 8	RPE 7	2:00
Hanging Leg Raise	3 × 10	RPE 7	1:00

DAY 2 - TUE - Squat and Hamstrings

Exercise	Sets × reps	Effort / load	Rest
Back Squat	4 × 5	72.5%	3:00
Romanian Deadlift	3 × 8	RPE 7	2:00
Seated Leg Curl	3 × 12	RPE 7.5	1:15
Lat Pulldown	4 × 10	RPE 7	1:30
Pallof Press · Repetitions per side	3 × 10	RPE 7	1:00

DAY 4 - THU - Deficit Pulls and Bench

Exercise	Sets × reps	Effort / load	Rest
Deficit Deadlift	4 × 5	RPE 7	3:00
Paused Bench Press	4 × 5	RPE 7	2:30
Pendlay Row	4 × 6	RPE 7	2:00
Back Extension	3 × 12	RPE 7	1:15
Hammer Curl	3 × 12	RPE 7.5	1:00

DAY 5 - SAT - Paused Pulls and Squat

Exercise	Sets × reps	Effort / load	Rest
Paused Deadlift · Pause below the knee	3 × 4	RPE 7	3:00
Front Squat	3 × 6	RPE 7	2:30
Overhead Press	3 × 8	RPE 7	2:00
Pull-Up	3 × 8	RPE 7	1:30
Face Pull	3 × 15	RPE 7	1:00

Week 2

DAY 1 - MON - Heavy Deadlift

Exercise	Sets × reps	Effort / load	Rest
Deadlift	5 × 4	77.5%	4:00
Bench Press	4 × 5	75%	3:00
Barbell Row	4 × 8	RPE 7.5	2:00
Hanging Leg Raise	3 × 12	RPE 7	1:00

DAY 2 - TUE - Squat and Hamstrings

Exercise	Sets × reps	Effort / load	Rest
Back Squat	4 × 5	75%	3:00
Romanian Deadlift	4 × 8	RPE 7.5	2:00
Seated Leg Curl	3 × 12	RPE 8	1:15
Lat Pulldown	4 × 10	RPE 7.5	1:30
Pallof Press · Repetitions per side	3 × 12	RPE 7	1:00

DAY 4 - THU - Deficit Pulls and Bench

Exercise	Sets × reps	Effort / load	Rest
Deficit Deadlift	4 × 5	RPE 7.5	3:00
Paused Bench Press	4 × 5	RPE 7.5	2:30
Pendlay Row	4 × 6	RPE 7.5	2:00
Back Extension	3 × 12	RPE 7.5	1:15
Hammer Curl	3 × 12	RPE 8	1:00

DAY 5 - SAT - Paused Pulls and Squat

Exercise	Sets × reps	Effort / load	Rest
Paused Deadlift · Pause below the knee	3 × 4	RPE 7.5	3:00
Front Squat	3 × 6	RPE 7.5	2:30
Overhead Press	3 × 8	RPE 7.5	2:00
Pull-Up	3 × 8	RPE 7.5	1:30
Face Pull	3 × 15	RPE 7.5	1:00

Week 3

DAY 1 - MON - Heavy Deadlift

Exercise	Sets × reps	Effort / load	Rest
Deadlift	5 × 3	82.5%	4:00
Bench Press	4 × 5	77.5%	3:00
Barbell Row	4 × 6	RPE 7.5	2:00
Hanging Leg Raise	3 × 12	RPE 7.5	1:00

DAY 2 - TUE - Squat and Hamstrings

Exercise	Sets × reps	Effort / load	Rest
Back Squat	4 × 4	77.5%	3:00
Romanian Deadlift	4 × 6	RPE 7.5	2:00
Seated Leg Curl	4 × 10	RPE 8	1:15
Lat Pulldown	4 × 8	RPE 8	1:30
Pallof Press · Repetitions per side	3 × 12	RPE 7	1:00

DAY 4 - THU - Deficit Pulls and Bench

Exercise	Sets × reps	Effort / load	Rest
Deficit Deadlift	4 × 4	RPE 7.5	3:00
Paused Bench Press	4 × 4	RPE 7.5	2:30
Pendlay Row	4 × 5	RPE 8	2:00
Back Extension	3 × 15	RPE 7.5	1:15
Hammer Curl	3 × 10	RPE 8	1:00

DAY 5 - SAT - Paused Pulls and Squat

Exercise	Sets × reps	Effort / load	Rest
Paused Deadlift · Pause below the knee	4 × 3	RPE 7.5	3:00
Block Pull	3 × 3	RPE 7.5	3:00
Front Squat	3 × 5	RPE 7.5	2:30
Overhead Press	3 × 6	RPE 7.5	2:00
Pull-Up	4 × 6	RPE 8	1:30
Face Pull	3 × 12	RPE 8	1:00

Week 4

DAY 1 - MON - Heavy Deadlift

Exercise	Sets × reps	Effort / load	Rest
Deadlift	4 × 3	85%	4:00
Bench Press	3 × 4	80%	3:00
Barbell Row	4 × 6	RPE 8	2:00
Hanging Leg Raise	3 × 12	RPE 7.5	1:00

DAY 2 - TUE - Squat and Hamstrings

Exercise	Sets × reps	Effort / load	Rest
Back Squat	3 × 4	80%	3:00
Romanian Deadlift	4 × 6	RPE 8	2:00
Seated Leg Curl	4 × 10	RPE 8.5	1:15
Lat Pulldown	3 × 8	RPE 8	1:30
Pallof Press · Repetitions per side	3 × 12	RPE 7	1:00

DAY 4 - THU - Deficit Pulls and Bench

Exercise	Sets × reps	Effort / load	Rest
Deficit Deadlift	3 × 4	RPE 8	3:00
Paused Bench Press	4 × 4	RPE 8	2:30
Pendlay Row	3 × 5	RPE 8	2:00
Back Extension	3 × 15	RPE 8	1:15
Hammer Curl	3 × 10	RPE 8.5	1:00

DAY 5 - SAT - Paused Pulls and Squat

Exercise	Sets × reps	Effort / load	Rest
Paused Deadlift · Pause below the knee	4 × 3	RPE 8	3:00
Block Pull	3 × 3	RPE 8	3:00
Front Squat	3 × 5	RPE 8	2:30
Overhead Press	3 × 6	RPE 8	2:00
Pull-Up	4 × 6	RPE 8	1:30
Face Pull	3 × 12	RPE 8	1:00

Week 5

DAY 1 - MON - Heavy Deadlift

Exercise	Sets × reps	Effort / load	Rest
Deadlift	3 × 2	90%	4:00
Deadlift · Backoff	2 × 3	80%	3:00
Bench Press	3 × 4	80%	3:00
Barbell Row	3 × 6	RPE 7.5	2:00
Hanging Leg Raise	3 × 10	RPE 7	1:00

DAY 2 - TUE - Squat and Hamstrings

Exercise	Sets × reps	Effort / load	Rest
Back Squat	3 × 3	80%	3:00
Romanian Deadlift	3 × 6	RPE 7.5	2:00
Seated Leg Curl	3 × 10	RPE 8	1:15
Lat Pulldown	3 × 8	RPE 7.5	1:30
Pallof Press · Repetitions per side	3 × 10	RPE 7	1:00

DAY 4 - THU - Deficit Pulls and Bench

Exercise	Sets × reps	Effort / load	Rest
Deficit Deadlift	2 × 3	RPE 7.5	3:00
Paused Bench Press	3 × 3	RPE 7.5	2:30
Pendlay Row	3 × 5	RPE 7.5	2:00
Back Extension	2 × 12	RPE 7.5	1:15
Hammer Curl	2 × 10	RPE 8	1:00

DAY 5 - SAT - Paused Pulls and Squat

Exercise	Sets × reps	Effort / load	Rest
Paused Deadlift · Pause below the knee	3 × 2	RPE 7.5	3:00
Block Pull	2 × 2	RPE 8	3:00
Front Squat	2 × 4	RPE 7.5	2:30
Overhead Press	2 × 6	RPE 7.5	2:00
Pull-Up	3 × 6	RPE 7.5	1:30
Face Pull	2 × 12	RPE 7.5	1:00

Week 6

DAY 1 - MON - Heavy Deadlift

Exercise	Sets × reps	Effort / load	Rest
Deadlift	1 × 1	102%	4:00
Bench Press	2 × 3	70%	3:00
Barbell Row	2 × 8	RPE 6	2:00
Hanging Leg Raise	3 × 8	RPE 6	1:00

DAY 2 - TUE - Squat and Hamstrings

Exercise	Sets × reps	Effort / load	Rest
Back Squat	2 × 3	70%	3:00
Romanian Deadlift	2 × 6	RPE 6	2:00
Seated Leg Curl	2 × 12	RPE 6	1:15
Lat Pulldown	2 × 10	RPE 6	1:30
Pallof Press · Repetitions per side	3 × 10	RPE 7	1:00

DAY 4 - THU - Deficit Pulls and Bench

Exercise	Sets × reps	Effort / load	Rest
Paused Bench Press	2 × 3	RPE 6	2:30
Pendlay Row	2 × 6	RPE 6	2:00
Back Extension	2 × 10	RPE 6	1:15

DAY 5 - SAT - Paused Pulls and Squat

Exercise	Sets × reps	Effort / load	Rest
Paused Deadlift · Pause below the knee	2 × 2	RPE 6	3:00
Front Squat	2 × 4	RPE 6	2:30
Overhead Press	2 × 6	RPE 6	2:00
Pull-Up	2 × 6	RPE 6	1:30
Face Pull	2 × 15	RPE 6	1:00

What the research says

"Thus, from a practical standpoint, greater training frequencies can be used for additional RT volume, which is then likely to result in greater muscular strength gains."

Grgic J, Schoenfeld BJ, Davies TB, Lazinica B, Krieger JW, Pedisic Z. Effect of Resistance Training Frequency on Gains in Muscular Strength. Sports Med, 2018. PubMed

From the guide How Often to Squat, Bench and Deadlift Each Week