EFS Beginners Program: Week 12 Deadlift Test

Chris D. (Strengthnews) told me today that I should have just stepped up to the 250 in the bench vice 245. Something I kept in mind today all the way home from work, Slayer cranked up in the car, as I tried to decide between deadlifting 405 for the PR or 415 for the PR and a grand total of . . . well. . . . . a grand:)

Conventional Deadlift: 135x1, 175x1, 215x1, 255x1, 295x1, 335x1, 375x1, 415x1.

50 lbs PR over the Virtual Meet held February 9th, and my first 1000 lbs. Now, I have to do it in competition. Call it a "training grand!"

That deadlift was ugly. I know it would have passed: no downward motion, no pause, no hitch, full lockout, and I held it at lockout for a few seconds. This whole session, I tried to drill in my head that for something that heavy, I should engage hip drive from the start so that my butt wouldn't rise too soon. Well, I did that. Still, the weight did not fly out of the bottom, it was slow to the knees, and I still got bent over a bit more than I would have liked. Once past the knees, I lockout it out with what I had left. I think all that work with the SSB, once again, helped since the bottom of an SSB squat is just like the ascent on the deadlift. The rack pulls showed their worth at the top. My weak point is the bottom, so in all likelihood the next time I run through this program I will be doing variations of the sumo DL to hammer it, and lower squats plus more good mornings.

So, what's my assessment of the EFS Beginners Program? It is very effective, and a very well designed program. Everything got better, and I gained more control with heavier weights. I especially like what it did for my bench: I handled more heavy weight than any program I've used (mostly because of the board work) and it showed. For the most part, any adjustments I made to it were mostly due to my shoulder. It is also very demanding, so if one's idea of a beginner's program is something out of a magazine a gut check will be in order. And some shoulder prehab worked in is recommended (even though my shoulder problem was stupidity inflicted), since your shoulders will take a pounding. One could even build mass with this program as is, I'm noticeably thicker,
So, what would I have done different?

1.) I learned that parallel for me in the squat is actually 15 inches, not 14, so I should have been doing 17 inches for the high box squat and 13" for the low. It may have made a difference, since I would have handled heavier weight.

2.) I will probably never do rack lockouts again. It was a jarring movement, and it was tough recreating my bench groove with it. I like the boards better.

3.) When doing the deficit pulls, I will use the exact same deadlift style. While the snatch grip deadlifts always help my deadlift, I could have held more with a conventional grip. I will have to build a box to stand on.

4.) I will find a place for the Blast Straps, probably at the end.

5.) Eat better. I ate like crap, and now have to whittle the belly fat away.

6.) Use the prehab stuff BEFORE disaster strikes.

I will probably do this program again in the winter, so we will see if the changes help. Now I want a 400 sumo (which will also help my conventional DL), and my next targets will be a 275 bench and as close to a 400 squat as I could get.