JUGGERNAUT DEADLIFT MANUAL 1

J UGGE RNAUT
DE ADL I F T
MANUAL
BE COME UNSTOPPABL E
by TEAM JUGGERNAUT
JUGGERNAUT DEADLIFT MANUAL 2
TABL E OF CONTE NTS
I NTRODUCTI ON 4
TE N STE P DE ADL I F T WARM- UP 6
DE ADL I F T TI PS AND TRI CKS 15
BUI L DI NG THE DE ADL I F T 20
TRAI NI NG THE CAR DE ADL I F T 24
DE ADL I F T F OR OLYMPI C L I F TI NG 28
DE ADL I F TS F OR WOME N S PHYSI QUE 32
THE DE ADL I F T S ROL E I N POWE R DE VE L OPME NT 35
THOUGHTS ON DE ADL I F T TRAI NI NG 39
SUMO DE ADL I F T 42
J UGGE RNAUT DE ADL I F TI NG 45
JUGGERNAUT DEADLIFT MANUAL 3
I NTRODUCTI ON
BY CHAD WESLEY SMI TH
The deadl i ft i s often referred to as the Ki ng of Exerci ses because i t
devel ops so many muscl es i n the body and i s so gruel i ng to
perform. Team Juggernaut i s compri sed of some of the Worl ds
greatest deadl i fters i ncl udi ng 5 l i fters who have deadl i fted 800+ i n
ei ther competi ti on or trai ni ng. Thi s manual was created to hel p you
conquer your deadl i ft trai ni ng. The deadl i ft, more so than any other
competi ti ve l i ft, confounds peopl e who are tryi ng to i mprove i t
because the approaches needed for success vary so greatl y from
person to person. Some peopl e need to pul l heavy every week to
i mprove, whi l e others onl y need to use heavy wei ghts once a month
to make gai ns. In thi s manual you wi l l hear a vari ety of opi ni ons from
a vari ety of athl etes wi th varyi ng experi ence, strengths, weaknesses,
goal s and body types and whi l e everyone wi l l have somethi ng
di fferent to offer you when i t comes to i mprovi ng your pul l , there are
a few thi ngs that must exi st no matter what, consi stency and
commi tment. To be a l egendary deadl i fter you cant have a month of
good trai ni ng and then a few
weeks of sub par work, you cant
JUGGERNAUT DEADLIFT MANUAL 4
World Record Holder Dan Green, the owner of a 821
deadlift, knows the hard work necessary to be a
great deadlifter.
even have months on end of great trai ni ng fol l owed by a month of
substandard work; bei ng a great deadl i fter i s a l abor of years of
sweat, bl oody shi ns and torn apart hands. You must commi t to your
goal s, knowi ng that nothi ng can deny you. The deadl i ft i s j ust you
and the bar, who i s goi ng to wi n?
JUGGERNAUT DEADLIFT MANUAL 5
TE N STE PS DE ADL I F T WARMUP
BY RYAN BROWN
Ryan Brown is the owner and head coach at Darkside Strength/Derby City Crossfit in
Louisville, KY. A former Marine, Ryan is now an expert in mobility and corrective
exercise, as well as performance enhancement. Ryans best deadlift is 530 at 185
pounds. Learn more about Ryan at Darkside.DCcrossfit.com
Here at DCCF and Darksi de Strength, everyone pul l s. If you are
unabl e to achi eve a good posi ti on i n the bottom of a deadl i ft then
we wi l l force you i nto a good posi ti on. You wi l l pul l off pi ns or boxes,
maybe you wi l l do band pul l throughs, KB deadl i fts, or sui tcase
deadl i fts, but some sort of l ower body pul l wi l l be a maj or part of
your program. Poi nt i s, every human shoul d possess the abi l i ty to l i ft
thi ngs off the ground, and i f you cant, then your program shoul d be
wri tten wi th the goal of achi evi ng that abi l i ty.
When warmi ng up for the deadl i ft, I take di fferent consi derati ons
than I do when warmi ng up for other movements. Si nce the deadl i ft
i s so taxi ng, I want to have a decent sweat goi ng at the end of my
warm-up, so that I can take l ess reps as I work up to my worki ng
wei ght for the day. I want to focus l ess on gai ni ng the l ength that I
may need i n ol ympi c l i fti ng, or even i n squatti ng and i nstead pl ace
the focus on putti ng al l my bi ts i n the opti mal posi ti on to produce
force. More sti ffness i s goi ng to be your fri end i n the deadl i ft.
As wi th warmi ng anythi ng up, what you need i s goi ng to be l argel y
speci fi c on your i ndi vi dual strengths, weaknesses, asymmetri es,
JUGGERNAUT DEADLIFT MANUAL 6
j anki ness, etc..., but l ets try and hi t on the maj or ones that I see i n
the gym regul arl y.
CLI CK HERE TO WATCH RYAN S VI DEO REVI EWI NG THE WARM-UP
F E E T
Tri pod foot. Ideal l y, as you pul l your foot i s creati ng a ri gi d tri pod
wi th your 1st metatarsal , 5th metatarsal , and your heel . Wei ght
woul d be evenl y di stri buted across the three poi nts and gi ve you a
sol i d and stabl e base wi th whi ch to dri ve i nto the fl oor. Fai rl y often I
see peopl e i n the gym fai l to achi eve thi s posi ti on. It seems that
when the l i fter pul l s he i s dri vi ng hi s ti bi a i nto the fl oor pronati ng hi s
foot, thus bl eedi ng force out through the i nsi de of the knee, rather
than keepi ng i t neutral . Someti mes that can resul t i n knee pai n,
someti mes not, but regardl ess of pai n i t i s not goi ng to be an
opti mal posi ti on to transl ate force. If you fal l i nto that category, you
may need to l ook i nto better footwear for your deadl i ft. More often
than not, somethi ng funky i s goi ng on wi th your hi ps that needs to
be corrected before you are goi ng to be abl e to get that foot ri ght.
KNE E S
Are your knees cavi ng on your heavy pul l s? There coul d be a coupl e
of probl ems here. More often than not, i t i s a resul t of your hi ps
bei ng anteri orl y ti l ted, thus maki ng the posteri or muscl es too l ong
and creati ng i nstabi l i ty. It coul d be the resul t of weak gl utes or
hamstri ngs, but fi rst, make sure to assess your setup posi ti on
before you regard i t as a weakness. Hi nt: al ways pay attenti on to
your foot posi ti on.
JUGGERNAUT DEADLIFT MANUAL 7
HI PS
If you do not possess suffi ci ent mobi l i ty i n your hi ps to get down i n
a deadl i ft posi ti on, then you dont need to worry about warmi ng up
for your deadl i ft. You need to get yoursel f ri ght, because i f you dont
have hi p mobi l i ty for a deadl i ft then you dont have i t for a squat and
you dont real l y have a reason to l i ve.
HI P F L E XORS/ L OWE R ABS
I do not see a l ot of peopl e wanti ng to stretch the hi p fl exors before
a bi g deadl i ft, whi ch i s a good thi ng because they probabl y dont
need i t. What they need (more than l i kel y) i s to be turned on and
strengthened. If you are one of those peopl e who i s l i vi ng i n l umbar
extensi on and anteri or pel vi c ti l t then you are goi ng to want to
address thi s i n your warm-up. Getti ng your hi ps i nto a neutral
posi ti on i s goi ng to be key to getti ng the maxi mum amount of power
from your hamstri ngs and your gl utes, as wel l as bei ng abl e to
mai ntai n a neutral spi ne.
SPI NE
BREATHE!!!!! If you cant get your spi ne i nto a neutral posi ti on then
your sweet l i ttl e baby muscl es that are i n cl ose to the spi ne, that are
supposed to gi ve i t stabi l i ty, are goi ng to be out of posi ti on and
unabl e to do the j ob. You may sti l l achi eve spi nal stabi l i ty but you
are goi ng to do so wi th the wrong muscl es. It i s not onl y i neffi ci ent,
but not so awesome for your back ei ther. If you are more of a fl at t-
spi ne guy wi th a huge anteri or ti l t, then you are goi ng to do better
wi th breathi ng dri l l s desi gned to hel p you use your ai r to push your
JUGGERNAUT DEADLIFT MANUAL 8
T-spi ne out from the i nsi de. If you are more kyphoti c then you wi l l do
a l i ttl e better wi th some breathi ng dri l l s on your back. Just thi nk
about usi ng your breathe to make you l onger and decompress your
spi ne. Done ri ght, thi s wi l l al so hel p you correct your hi p & shoul der
posi ti on and set you up for bi g pul l s.
SHOUL DE RS
Hopeful l y the breathi ng i s goi ng to gi ve you good t-spi ne posi ti on,
whi ch wi l l gi ve you good scapul ar posi ti on and stabi l i ty, whi ch wi l l ,
i n turn, keep your shoul ders i n a good posi ti on. However, i f you are
not al l the way there, or i f you are not l i vi ng i n thi s good posi ti on,
some acti vati on exerci ses can hel p get these often weak,
overstretched muscl es back i n the game.
NE CK
Once agai n, hopeful l y the breathi ng dri l l s have al ready started to get
your neck back over your center of mass where i t bel ongs, but i f
you tend to have a forward head posture wi th weak or i nhi bi ted
deep neck fl exors, thi s i s another area where some chi n tucks and
whatnot wi l l be your fri end. I know that there are di fferent i deas
about deadl i fti ng wi th your head up vs. chi n tucked. I tend to have
my peopl e keep thei r chi n tucked duri ng the deadl i ft i n the attempt
to make on l ong spi ne. Thi s wi l l make i t much easi er to get a bi g ful l
breathe as wel l as prevent your body for compensati ng for the bi g
extensi on i n your neck wi th your T-spi ne, pul l i ng your shoul ders up
and i nhi bi ti ng your mi ddl e and l ower traps (whi ch can be useful i n a
deadl i ft... usi ng them, not i nhi bi ti ng). Inhi bi ti ng your deeper neck
fl exors i s al so goi ng to cause your SCM and scal enes to provi de the
JUGGERNAUT DEADLIFT MANUAL 9
stabi l i ty i n your neck... by tuggi ng down on i t whi l e i t i s i n extensi on,
probabl y creati ng some sheer force. I know that there i s a ton of
controversy wi th where you shoul d l ook whi l e doi ng deadl i fts,
ol ympi c l i fts, or squatti ng, so these are j ust some i deas to thi nk
about. I am wel l aware that wi th heavy deadl i fts your back i s goi ng
to round and your head wi l l probabl y come up, i f not, I am sure that
you woul d j ust do more, but that doesnt mean that we shoul d not
start and stri ve to mai ntai n opti mal posi ti on throughout.
SAMPL E WARM- UP
1. ) MONOSTRUCTURAL MOVE ME NT
Thi s i s the most si mpl e and basi c aspect of the warm-up. The
purpose i s to l i teral l y begi n the warm-up process. Low ampl i tude,
l ow i ntensi ty movements ai med at i ncreasi ng the temperature and
bl ood fl ow to the body.
It can be anythi ng, a row, a j og, j ump rope, etc... but for the deadl i ft
I l i ke a 5-10mi n sl ed drag. Thi s can be j ust wal ki ng, or you can get
more speci fi c i f you have and i dea of your own asymmetri es and
i mbal ances. As al ways wi th sl ed wal ki ng/draggi ng, I want to be
focusi ng now on getti ng my breathi ng ri ght.
2. ) F OAM ROL L I NG
I l i ke to gi ve mysel f a l i ght rol l al l over. If I have the ti me, I wi l l start
off wi th a l acrosse bal l i n my foot and work my wal l al l the way up.
Obvi ousl y, I spend a l i ttl e more ti me worki ng any parti cul ar areas
that need i t. I know there i s a ton of i nfo out on the i nternet sayi ng
that you can foam rol l too much, and that you shoul dnt rol l some
JUGGERNAUT DEADLIFT MANUAL 10
thi ngs, but thi s i s a real l y great ti me for me to dri nk assaul t or
Monster and run my mouth to the other peopl e i n the gym, so I l i ke
maki ng thi s a l engthy porti on of the warm-up. Focus on what you
need i ndi vi dual l y, thi nk of areas that are i nhi bi ted and are goi ng to
l i mi t your abi l i ty to mai ntai n a good posi ti on. Popul ar areas coul d
i ncl ude; feet (arch too hi gh?), peroneal s (pul l i ng foot eversi on?)
adductors (knees pul l i n?), pecs (excessi ve kyphosi s?) or traps/
mi ddl e/l ower/rhomboi ds (t-spi ne stuck i n ext?)
3. ) BRE ATHE
4. ) ACTI VE WARMUP
Large ampl i tude, l ow vel oci ty movements ai med at further i ncreasi ng
temperature and bl ood fl ow, but al so worki ng j oi nts through l arge
ranges of moti on taki ng advantage of the freedom we j ust gai ned
from our SMR. Coul d be wal ki ng l unges, t-pushups, wal ki ng hi p
external rotati on, good morni ngs, upper body pul l i ng vari ati ons
5. ) J OI NT MOBI L I TY/ L E NGTHE NI NG
As we sai d earl i er we arent real l y doi ng much l engtheni ng work
before deadl i fti ng, i f you are too ti ght to achi eve a good deadl i ft
posi ti on then you have more probl ems than warmi ng up your
deadl i ft. Here we do want to take thi s opportuni ty to make sure and
more the maj or j oi nts through thei r ful l range of moti on. I l i ke to
keep i t pretty si mpl e. Hi p ci rcl es, pass throughs wi th pvc or bands,
step overs (front, back, l ateral ) and Os on an i ncl i ne bench are
some of my favori tes
JUGGERNAUT DEADLIFT MANUAL 11
6. ) DYNAMI C
Here we are goi ng to use l arge ampl i tude movements that start to
add some vel oci ty. No need to do anythi ng fancy, l eg swi ngs (front/
back,si de/si de) arm swi ngs, power ski p, butt ki ck, hi gh knees,
cari oca, etc...
7. ) BAR WARM- UP
Here I l i ke to add i n a l i ttl e more vel oci ty wi th some more techni cal
movements whi ch i s goi ng to create a hi gher demand for
i ntermuscul ar coordi nati on, furtheri ng the bodys overal l
preparedness. At my gym, most everyone has some ol ympi c l i fti ng
ski l l s. Whi ch works out perfectl y for a deadl i ft warmup. I l i ke to j ust
hi t 10 deadl i ft, 10 hang power cl ean, 10 hang power snatch, and 10
push j erk. If you are horri bl e at OLY l i fti ng then you mi ght want to
ski p thi s step, or i t can be a chance to practi ce some new ski l l s.
JUGGERNAUT DEADLIFT MANUAL 12
Brad Little is a technician of
the sumo deadlift as
evidenced by his US #1
ranked pull of 730 at 181
bodyweight.
8. ) MUSCL E ACTI VATI ON
Thi s i s another aspect of the warm-up that needs to be speci al i zed.
I i dea i s to use very control l ed movements and posi ti ons i n order to
pl ace emphasi s on muscl es or groups that coul d be i nhi bi ted on
you. It i s very i mportant to remember that thi s i s muscl e acti vati on,
not exhausti on. You shoul dnt be doi ng 3 sets of 10 or anythi ng l i ke
that. Dependi ng on your needs some good opti ons here woul d
i ncl ude; l ateral band wal ks, gl ute bri dges, I,Y,T,W,O shoul der mob
seri es, pul l throughs, band pul l aparts, face pul l s, scap pul l ups, wal l
press abs, supi ne psoas march.
9. ) PLYO
Neari ng the end of the warm-up now we are l ooki ng maxi mi zi ng the
vel oci ty of our movements i n order to create the hi ghest demand for
i ntramuscul ar coordi nati on i n the body. These can be j umps, throws,
or ol ympi c l i fts i f you are profi ci ent. If you are taki ng the Ol y route
you are goi ng to need to l i ft near maxi mal wei ghts, i n order to
achi eve the vel oci ty needed, but you wi l l need to mani pul ate the
i ntensi ty wi th posi ti on (hang/power) so that the l i fts do not take
away from your deadl i ft.
10. ) RE ACTI VE
These can be depth j umps, reacti ve throws, or someti mes wi th my
ki ds (I have several hi gh school ki ds) we wi l l pl ay dodge bal l , freeze
tag, or somethi ng to that effect. They are fun and a great reacti ve
warm-up dri l l . The reacti ve dri l l s are meant to put everythi ng
together and be the most chal l engi ng for both i nter and
JUGGERNAUT DEADLIFT MANUAL 13
i ntramuscul ar coordi nati on. The fi nal phase i n prepari ng your body
for a bi g pul l .
JUGGERNAUT DEADLIFT MANUAL 14
DE ADL I F T TI PS AND TRI CKS
BY TEAM JUGGERNAUT
JUGGERNAUT DEADLIFT MANUAL 15
Dan Green i s the Worl d Record hol der for Total at
220 pounds wi th a 2030 i n j ust a bel t and wraps.
Dans best deadl i ft i s 821, to go al ong wi th hi s
760 squat (bel t and sl eeves) and 480 bench.
Learn more about Dan at BossBarbel l .com
BUI L DI NG STRE NGTH OF F THE F L OOR
Brad Li ttl e: For strength off the fl oor I feel nothi ng bui l ds power l i ke
hi gh rep Ol ympi c squats and chai n suspended Safety Squat Bar
good morni ngs. The squats bui l d the core, quads and l ower back
l i ke no other exerci se I have ever done. The good morni ngs shoul d
be down wi th a SSB suspended i n chai ns putti ng your torso and
l egs at nearl y a 90 angl e i n the bottom posi ti on; a one-rep max
shoul d never be tested.
Dan Green: For strength off the fl oor I prefer to consi stentl y pul l for
reps i n the 1-5 range from the fl oor
and especi al l y reps from a defi ci t of 3-4".
Eri c Li l l i ebri dge: Ive al ways i ncorporated some type of abdomi nal
exerci se i nto my trai ni ng that hi ts both the l ower and upper abs and
I can tel l i t has hel ped me stay ti ghter off the fl oor and has hel ped
overal l wi th my speed.
-Leg rai ses l yi ng on a bench wi th hands tucked back behi nd head or
grabbi ng onto the bench. You can work i t harder by usi ng ankl e
wei ghts. Hi ts the l ower abs very good.
-Decl i ne si t ups hi t your core al l around and you can al so use a
dumbbel l putti ng i t on your chest or a wei ght behi nd your head to
make the exerci se harder and bui l d more strength.
-I l i ke to wear my bel t up hi gher as wel l for the deadl i fts because I
dont feel i t doi ng anythi ng for me when I wear i t l ower. I have i t up
JUGGERNAUT DEADLIFT MANUAL 16
hi gh ri ght about where your four upper abs are. I feel l i ke i t keeps
me more erect off the fl oor and I can real l y dri ve hard i nto the bel t
wi th my core whi ch al l ows for even better fl oor speed and puts me
i n a better posi ti on to pul l .
Chad Wesl ey Smi th: Defeci t Deadl i fts whi l e standi ng on 3 bl ocks
are my go to for bui l di ng strength off the fl oor. You dont want to
use too hi gh of bl ocks because i t wi l l put you i nto too odd of a
starti ng posi ti on. Reverse band deads, as wel l as pul l i ng agai nst
bands/chai ns wi l l al so teach you the i mportance of appl yi ng
maxi mum force ri ght away i n your pul l , because i f you dont you
wont have the momentum to overcome the i ncreasi ng wei ght as
you approach l ockout.
BUI L DI NG STRE NGTH AT L OCKOUT
Brad Li ttl e: My favori te exerci ses to bui l d l ockout power woul d have
to be ol d school barbel l l unges and gl ute bri dges. Lunges, i f done
ri ght, are one of the best exerci ses for l ower body that I have ever
found. Gl ute bri dges may turn some heads but a fact about deadl i ft
l ockout i s most peopl e dont know how to ful l y acti vate thei r gl utes!
My gl utes are not bi g by any means, but I sti l l have a powerful
l ockout. Thi s i s because I know how to acti vate my gl ute and when
to make them work. These can be done on any l ower body day.
Dan Green: To bui l d the hi p strength speci fi cal l y needed to pul l wel l
sumo AND to bui l d l ockout strength I fi nd bl ock pul l s wi th the
wei ghts on 4" bl ocks to be awesome. I typi cal l y ai m for tri pl es here.
JUGGERNAUT DEADLIFT MANUAL 17
Eri c Li l l i ebri dge: I l i ke to i ncorporate heavy back accessory work i nto
my trai ni ng to hel p wi th my l ockouts. I feel l i ke these exerci ses have
defi ni tel y hel ped my l ockout a l ong wi th maki ng i t a faster and
smoother transi ti on once the bar gets over my knees.
-Upri ght rows wi th a barbel l or on a cabl e machi ne, these real l y hi t
your traps hard and you wi l l feel i t at the top porti on of your deadl i ft
when youre pul l i ng/dri vi ng the wei ght back and wi l l feel over ti me
that these wi l l al l ow you to dri ve the wei ght back harder and faster.
-Barbel l bent rows, I l i ke to normal l y do these wi thout straps usi ng a
deadl i ft bar to hel p work on gri p, but i f you real l y want to maxi mi ze
your mi d/l ow secti on of your back strength you mi ght want to use
straps for a coupl e of the l ast heavy sets si nce i t wi l l al l ow you to
use heavi er wei ght wi thout worryi ng about your gri p. These wi l l bui l d
up your back strength l i ke no other. You wi l l feel i t both off the fl oor
and for your l ockout.
Eri c Li l l i ebri dge i s trul y a star i n the Worl d of Powerl i fti ng. At j ust 22
years ol d, Eri c has a massi ve 2204 total i n the 275s cl ass. Eri c has
squatted 854 (bel t and wraps), benched 521 and deadl i fted 821.
Eri c has a tremendous future i n powerl i fti ng and wi l l certai nl y be
remembered as an al l -ti me great.
Chad Wesl ey Smi th: Gl ute bri dges and deadl i ft hyperextensi ons are
great accessory movements to bui l d the gl ute and hi p strength
necessary to l ockout bi g wei ghts. Ive never used rack pul l s, but am
JUGGERNAUT DEADLIFT MANUAL 18
not an advocate of them because they put you i nto an unreal i sti c
starti ng posi ti ti on for that poi nt at the pul l . The most i mportant thi ng
you can do to have a strong l ockout i s to bui l d strength and SPEED
off the fl oor because that wi l l carry you through to a strong l ockout.
JUGGERNAUT DEADLIFT MANUAL 19
BUI L DI NG THE DE ADL I F T
BY BRANDON LI LLY
Brandon Lilly, the author of The Cube Method, is an accomplished geared and raw lifter,
with PR deadlift of 775. Brandon has spent time training at Westside Barbell and Lexen
Extreme, alongside the legendary Chuck Vogelpohl and now trains at his own gym,
Berea Barbell in Berea, KY.
The most i mportant part of a bi g deadl i ft i s bar speed off the fl oor. If
you can generate enough force, you can carry the l i ft through
sti cki ng poi nts.
Wi th thi s i s i n mi nd, I try to al ways
maxi mi ze strength and speed when
worki ng fl oor strength. Thi s i s my bread
and butter when bui l di ng speed off the
fl oor:

I do al most al l my heavy work wi th a mi d
stance. Thi s mi mmi cks my squat stance,
but I have al so been tol d that i t i s a
"pure strength" l i ft. You don't get the l eg
dri ve l i ke you do conventi onal , and you
don't get the l everage advantage of
bei ng sumo, so i t comes down to power
and guts. Do these standi ng on a one
i nch mat and watch you gl utes and
erectors grow.
JUGGERNAUT DEADLIFT MANUAL 20
Brandon Lilly has utilized his Cube Method for a
775 PR deadlift.
Counter to that I do al l my speed work wi th my meet stance,
conventi onal . Thi s al l ows me to maxi mi ze my form, and techni que. I
do my speed work from the fl oor, wi th dbl mi ni bands (200 +/- l bs at
the top), and 315, 345, and 365. I wave the wei ghts. Too many guys
get wrapped up i n ego, get wrapped up i n bui l di ng your speed, and
the ego wi l l come on meet day when you PR.
No deadl i ft trai ni ng i s compl ete wi thout some sort of l ockout work. I
for one, have had to absol utel y destroy my l ockout. It was terri bl e at
ti mes. I remember bei ng abl e to get al most any wei ght I tri ed to mi d
thi gh, but I woul d qui ckl y stal l out j ust i nches from l ockout. So I had
to di ssect mysel f, and real i ze i t wasn't necessari l y better form that
was goi ng to fi x my i ssues, but pul l i ng wi th accel erati on i n mi nd.
Two l i fts that wi l l l eave you dead i n the water i f you aren't fl exi ng
your gl utes and pul l i ng wi th al l you've got are these:
Pi n Pul l s for reps j ust above the knee. I see so many guys tryi ng to
l oad the bar to a mi l l i on pounds thi nki ng thi s wi l l bui l d your l ockout,
and I guess i t mi ght, but l ook at BUIILDING, and l ets bui l d some
muscl e back there. Use 70%-85% for a wi de range of reps, and sets
and the muscl es wi l l respond and I guarantee your l ockout i s better
for i t.
Thi s next movement i s becomi ng wel l known, and hated by my
CUBE trai nees. Bl ock Snatch Gri p Deadl i fts. Use 40-50% of your
deadl i ft max from a 6" bl ock, and do 15-20 reps. I al so encourage
peopl e to use straps on these, but whi l e they don't seem terri bl e at
fi rst, by rep 10 you'l l be hurti ng, and on set 3 you'l l be wi shi ng for
an escape. Try these after your mai n deadl i ft exerci se and see i f you
JUGGERNAUT DEADLIFT MANUAL 21
don't start l ocki ng out wei ghts you never
dreamed of before.
Each l i fter has to fi nd the method that
works for them. Some guys seem to be
abl e to pul l a new PR every week, whi l e others benefi t from pul l i ng
JUGGERNAUT DEADLIFT MANUAL 22
Lilly advocated Snatch Grip Deadlifts
from Blocks to build lockout strength
heavy once per month. What I have found to work best for me, and
my trai nees i s thi s spl i t:

Week 1
Max Dead

Week 2
Deadl i ft for Reps

Week 3
Speed Deadl i fts

Week 4
Begi n Cycl e Over

The best descri pti on of what a deadl i ft i s was from my former
trai ni ng partner Chuck Vogel pohl . He sai d "the deadl i ft i s the l east
techni cal , the l east affected by gear, i ts you and the bar. Are you
gonna l et a bar beat you? I'm not." Very si mpl e and strai ght forward,
as i t shoul d be. Get back to the basi cs, l eave no stone unturned,
and start pul l i ng wi th a mi ssi on. Real i ze that heavy i sn't al ways best,
and trai n the deadl i ft i n secti ons and I thi nk you wi l l be a much
stronger, and happi er pul l er for your hard work.
JUGGERNAUT DEADLIFT MANUAL 23
TRAI NI NG THE CAR DE ADL I F T
BY KALLE BECK
Kalle Beck is a Strongman Fitness (<175 pounds) competitor based out of Carmel Valley,
CA. Kalle has been competing in Strongman for 6 years and has transformed his body
during this time. Kalles PRs of 600 in the deadlift, 505 in the squat and 290 in the log
press make him a force to be reckoned with in any competition.
Deadl i fti ng the back end of the car i s one of the most vi sual l y
appeal i ng events i n strongman. It i s al ways a crowd favori te, at the
same ti me i t i s one of the events that makes competi tors the most
nervous. For obvi ous reasons, not everyone has the equi pment,
there i s no real way to tel l how heavy a car i s unti l you actual l y l i ft i t.
Many factors contri bute to thi s, hei ght of handl es, wi dth of handl es,
thi ckness of frame, how much gas i n the car, etc. Wi th so many
JUGGERNAUT DEADLIFT MANUAL 24
Kalle Beck has pulled 600 at 175
pounds and is one of the top
deadlifters in Strongman Fitness
di ffi cul ti es surroundi ng the car deadl i ft, what i s the best way to trai n
for i t?
There are l ots of mi sconcepti ons wi th the car deadl i ft. I wi l l l i st the
fi ve most common mi stakes I see
L E ANI NG BACK
DO NOT DO THIS! You need to get your hi ps underneath you. By
l eani ng back you are doi ng the opposi te. If you push your hi ps
forward and have your feet set ri ght (more on thi s l ater) you
automati cal l y get i nto that backwards l ean at the top but thi s i s not
hot to i mi tate the l i ft.
THI NKI NG THAT A GOOD DE ADL I F T MAKE S A GOOD CAR DE ADL I F TE R
Thi s wi l l hel p of course but stop thi nki ng of i t as a deadl i ft. It i s more
of a squat real l y. Strong quads are key!
WARMI NG UP BY L I F TI NG THE ACTUAL CAR
Thi s i s fi ne i f you are confi dent and are fami l i ar wi th car deadl i fts but
i t i s a very taxi ng l i ft most of the ti me so save your energy.
SE TTI NG UP YOUR F E E T WRONG
Ei ther too far back or too narrow. Dont set i t up l i ke you woul d your
deadl i ft. Set i t up l i ke you woul d your squat. Of course a l ot i s
personal preference but I l i ke my feet as wi de as possi bl e toes out
at about a 45 degree angl e wi th toes j ust ahead of the handl es.
JUGGERNAUT DEADLIFT MANUAL 25
TRAI NI NG ON A TRAP BAR
Just because the handl es are on the si de doesnt make i t the same
l i ft. Ive seen pl enty of competi tors put up crazy trap bar numbers
onl y to zero the car. I thi nk thi s i s the most overrated assi stance l i ft
for the car deadl i ft.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zu3TNZaa4qI
Ive had my best success doi ng actual deadl i fts onl y every 3-4
weeks and keepi ng reps i n 90% of my max I sti l l throw i n sti ff l eg
deadl i fts every week to keep my l ow back strong. I focus on ghetto
car deadl i fts (how to set thi s up l ater on) or an actual car deadl i ft. I
cannot stress enough! I dont care i f you have to dri ve 4 hours i f you
can hi t an actual car deadl i ft frame j ust once i t wi l l make a worl d of
di fference. Gradual l y bui l d the wei ght up and decrease the reps as
you get cl oser. My favori te assi stance exerci ses are
1) HEAVY front squats. It bui l ds up that quad strength you need to
break i t off the fl oor al ong wi th the abdomi nal and mi d back
strength.
2) 1 arm dumbbel l rows to bui l d up gri p, forearm, and upper back
strength.
3) Box Squats to bui l d up hi p strength and i mprove the l ockout.
GHE TTO CAR DE ADL I F T SE TUP
Take two barbel l s, pl ace them al ongsi de each other wi th one end up
to a sturdy structure such as a wal l or base of a power rack. If you
have a pai r of grappl ers use them! Pl ace a heavy db/sandbag/
JUGGERNAUT DEADLIFT MANUAL 26
kettl ebel l over the end of the barbel l to secure i t i n pl ace. Pl ace
pl ates on the other ends of the barbel l s. El evate the pl ates wi th
bl ocks to make i t about 12-14 hi gh pl ace hands at the back of the
col l ar behi nd the pl ates on the knurl i ng and pul l !
JUGGERNAUT DEADLIFT MANUAL 27
These Ghetto Car Deadlift set ups do a great job
of simulating the car deadlift and help prepare
you for the unpredictable competition
environment.
DE ADL I F TS F OR OLYMPI C L I F TI NG
BY COURTNEY GOULD
Courtney Gould is a multi talented strength athlete based
out of Portland, OR. Courtney has competed in powerlifting
and strongwoman and now has her focus on Olympic lifting.
Courtney has a PR deadlift of 325 at a bodyweight of 132.
Deadl i fti ng i s a huge porti on of Ol ympi c l i fti ng
succes. Many peopl e dont real i ze that the
fi rst and second pul l of the Snatch and the
Cl ean i s essenti al l y a deadl i ft. Its a total body
exerci se that uses the quads, gl utes,
hamstri ngs, trapezi us, and rhomboi ds.
Fi rst off, one wi l l need to understand that a
Cl ean/Snatch deadl i ft i s sl i ghtl y di fferent than
a powerl i fters conventi onal pul l . A power
l i fter usual l y begi ns wi th thei r hi ps hi gher and
thei r back i s at a sl i ghtl y di fferent angl e than
an Ol ympi c l i fti ng deadl i ft. The Ol ympi c
wei ghtl i fter wi l l have thei r hi ps cl oser to
paral l el wi th the knees and thi s al so reduces
the sheari ng stress on the knees.
For the starti ng posi ti on of the cl ean and
snatch deadl i ft, the cri teri on i s the same: you
wi l l begi n wi th the barbel l pl aced over the
bal l s of the feel and the arms ori entated
JUGGERNAUT DEADLIFT MANUAL 28
Courtney Gould demonstrates
the difference between a Clean
Deadlift and the traditional
powerlifting style deadlift.
verti cal l y. The knees wi l l be fl ared as much as the arms al l ow
(obvi ousl y they are abl e to fl are out wi der wi th the snatch gri p). The
back shoul d be i n compl ete extensi on and hi ps l owered as much as
possi bl e whi l e mai ntai ni ng the posi ti oni ng of the bar over the foot
and verti cal arms.
When you begi n the pul l from the fl oor, the goal i s to keep your
wei ght on the heel whi l e mai ntai ni ng a constant angl e wi th the back
unti l the bar reaches approxi matel y mi d-thi gh posi ti on and the hi ps
begi n thei r l ast extensi on. Duri ng thi s ti me, the hi ps shoul d remai n
di rectl y above to sl i ghtl y i n front of the bar unti l you reach mi d-thi gh
posi ti on.
In the cl ean and snatch deadl i ft the bar shoul d be accel erati ng as
the bar travel s hi gher and the knees move backwards duri ng thei r
extensi on. Thi s shoul d bri ng you to the hi p posi ti on; you then fol l ow
the same muscl e movements i n reverse order to take the bar back
to the ground.
Incorporati ng the cl ean or snatch deadl i ft i s a ski l l transfer exerci se
that i s used for a wei ghtl i fter to strengthen thei r fi rst pul l or to
i ncrease the feel i ng of pul l i ng a heavy l oad off the ground. Here i s a
sampl e of what I woul d use to program thi s exerci se i nto your
wei ghtl i fti ng to hel p i ncrease your strength, posi ti oni ng, and overal l
l i fts.
Programmi ng of Cl ean and Snatch Deadl i fts are i nteresti ng
compared to other exerci ses. The rel ati onshi p of what an athl ete
JUGGERNAUT DEADLIFT MANUAL 29
can do and what i s desi rabl e are not the same numbers. An athl ete
i s al most al ways abl e to pul l more than what woul d be prescri bed i n
programmi ng, but because the deadl i ft porti on of the l i ft i s a speed
dependent exerci se i t doesnt pl ay the same rol e strength l i fts l i ke
the conventi onal deadl i ft have.
The basi c i dea of programmi ng the cl ean and snatch deadl i ft i nto
your trai ni ng i s to overl oad the pul l i ng movement whi l e at the same
ti me, not sacri fi ci ng speed and techni que. Li fts wi l l be performed i n
associ ati on wi th the cl assi c l i fts max percentages. A good scheme
for a begi nner of reps and percentages to i ncorporate the snatch
and cl ean deadl i ft i s to perform 2-5 sets of 4-5 reps wi th 90-100%
and 1-3 sets of 2-3 reps at 100-110% of your PR i n the associ ated
cl assi c l i ft.
If you are an athl ete, l i ke me, who has a powerl i fti ng background
and dove head fi rst i nto the worl d of Ol ympi c wei ghtl i fti ng, you may
sti l l have a yearni ng to compl ete the powerl i fti ng styl e deadl i ft. I
have al ways been a conventi onal -styl e deadl i fter. I attempted to try
these agai n recentl y my form was compl etel y ri di cul ous. It was a
cross between a cl ean deadl i ft and a trai nwreck. It was menti oned
to me that i f I was to conti nue to deadl i ft from ti me to ti me that I
shoul d swi tch to Sumo-styl e deadl i fti ng as to not compromi se the
techni que of the pul l s that I have been worki ng so hard to l earn. I
swi tched over to sumo recentl y, and wi thout deadl i fti ng i n about 6
months, I was abl e to pul l 93% of my conventi onal deadl i ft.
JUGGERNAUT DEADLIFT MANUAL 30
I hi ghl y recommend the use of the snatch and cl ean deadl i ft
i ncorporated i nto your trai ni ng. Thi s wi l l hel p you to understand and
feel the movements and tempo of the fi rst porti on of your l i fts.
JUGGERNAUT DEADLIFT MANUAL 31
DE ADL I F TI NG F OR WOME N S PHYSI QUE
BY JEN COMAS KECK
Jen Comas Keck, one of the founders of Gi rl s Gone Strong, i s an
accompl i shed fi gure/bi ki ni competi tor, as wel l as nutri ti on coach.
Jen has a best deadl i ft of 315 pounds. Learn more about Jen at
JenComasKeck.com and Gi rl sGoneStrong.com
Lets get real - men have al ways known i t, but i ts j ust been here
recentl y that women have real i zed i t, accepted i t, and now desi re
wel l -devel oped, round gl utes, aka Dat Azz.
What can I do to make my butt rounder?
How do I bui l d a booty?
What can I do for my gl utes?
Enter the deadl i ft.
When pai red wi th a sol i d squat program, deadl i fts can work
wonders for your ass and your enti re posteri or chai n.
If you dont care about i mprovi ng the way your buns l ook (and I wi l l
try to l et that sl i de), Ive sti l l got pl enty of other reasons for you to
work thi s i ncredi bl e movement i nto your trai ni ng program.
Deadl i fts offer the si ngl e bi ggest bang for your buck when i t comes
to devel opi ng overal l strength. It i ncorporates and devel ops both
upper and l ower body i n one movement.
JUGGERNAUT DEADLIFT MANUAL 32
Deadl i fti ng i s a
functi onal movement.
We bend down and
pi ck thi ngs up al l of
the ti me. Get i n some
heavy tuggi n and the next ti me you
have to rearrange your furni ture? Its
al l you, baby!
The more devel oped your back and
l ower body are, the smal l er your
wai st appears. Its a wi n/wi n!
Nothi ng can enhance confi dence
qui te l i ke pul l i ng a heavy deadl i ft.
There i s somethi ng so empoweri ng
about bei ng abl e to l i ft a l oaded
barbel l off the fl oor.
Ladi es, i f youve never tri ed to deadl i ft, i t can admi ttedl y be a bi t
i nti mi dati ng. Personal l y I di dnt have anybody to teach me. I l ugged
the bar out from the power rack, and set i t up i n the mi ddl e of the
gym fl oor at a huge commerci al faci l i ty i n Vegas. I shoved my
earbuds i n, put my bl i nders on, and started tuggi n.
You can uti l i ze sol i d strength trai ni ng resources such as
JTSstrength.com to l earn everythi ng you need to know, and then get
to i t! Weve al l got to start somewhere!
JUGGERNAUT DEADLIFT MANUAL 33
Jen Comas Keck is a great
example of the postive effects
heavy deadlifting will have on a
woman's physique.
I frequentl y hear from men aski ng how they can get thei r gi rl i nto
squatti ng and deadl i fti ng because they know how much shel l l ove i t
and they are aware of the i nnumerabl e benefi ts. Here i s my
suggesti on: show her how. Teach her, hel p her, make i t fun, and
then cheer her on! Gi ve her a l ot of encouragement and posi ti ve
feedback, and then stand back and watch the magi c happen.
Conventi onal , sumo, sti ff l egged, or si ngl e l eg, you cant go wrong
wi th addi ng the deadl i ft or some vari ati on i nto your program.
Start l i ght, get your form down, and then start pul l i ng some heavy
wei ght.
JUGGERNAUT DEADLIFT MANUAL 34
THE DE ADL I F T S
ROL E I N POWE R
DE VE L OPME NT
BY MATT VI NCENT
Matt Vincent in the 2012 World
Highland Games Champion. Matt
has a diverse athletic background
having competed in track & field
at LSU during college before
going on to success in raw and
geared powerlifting, strongman
and highland games. Matt is the
author of Training Lab, the ONLY
strength training manual written
for the Highland Games. Learn
more about Matt at
MattVincent.net
I have competed i n
numerous di fferent thi ngs
from Hi gh School sports
l i ke Footbal l and Track,
Col l egi ate Track and Fi el d
(Shotput, Di scus, and
Hammer), Strongman,
Powerl i fti ng both Raw and Geared, and
most recentl y focusi ng on Hi ghl and Games.
Though there are many di fferent vari ati ons
of ways to trai n for these, there are certai n
thi ngs that are constant for any athl ete. You
JUGGERNAUT DEADLIFT MANUAL 35
World Highland Games Champion
Matt Vincent utilizes the deadlift to
build explosive total body strength.
wi l l need a strong back, hi ps, l egs, shoul ders, arms and core. Al so
no sport i s goi ng to requi re you to be usi ng one muscl e at a ti me, so
there i s no reason to trai n l i ke that for athl etes.
I have al ways focused on the bi g mul ti j oi nt l i fts, Squat, Bench,
Overhead Press, Cl ean, Snatch, and l ast but certai nl y not l east the
Deadl i ft. Getti ng stronger at these l i fts wi l l make you a more
powerful athl ete and power i s what we want. Power, the speed i n
whi ch an athl ete can move wei ght, i s the most i mportant thi ng for
athl eti c success.

The deadl i ft i s a huge part of
bui l di ng thi s power. Most l i fts
al l ow the athl ete to expl oi t the
stretch refl ex to hel p move the
wei ght, but thi s i snt the case i n
the deadl i ft. There i s no easy way
to deadl i ft bi g wei ghts. Proper
programmi ng usi ng the deadl i ft
can hel p make tons of gai n i n
regards to power. Thi nk about
thi s l i ke a dragster setti ng up on
the l i ne. You want to appl y 100%
JUGGERNAUT DEADLIFT MANUAL 36
The deadlift will build the
strong hips, glutes and low
back for athletic success.
effort i nto the wei ght no matter what the wei ght or resi stance form
moment one. Thi s i s l i ke fi ri ng off the l i ne for footbal l or expl odi ng
when throwi ng the shotput. The accel erati on of the wei ght i s where
you generate power. Thi s i s somethi ng that has to be consci ousl y
trai ned.
The key to bui l di ng power through the use of the deadl i ft i s to
al ways attempt to move the bar as fast as possi bl e, whether you are
usi ng l i ght or rel ati vel y heavy wei ghts. From my experi ence the best
way for me to trai n and bui l d power i s by usi ng sub maxi mal l oads.
Sub maxi mal trai ni ng i s usi ng reps at l i ghter wei ght to bui l d your
over al l max. If you are throwi ng shotput or stones and coul d be an
athl ete who squats 405l bs sl owl y or squats 225l bs real l y fast. The
225l bs movi ng fast i s goi ng to transl ate i nto your sport better than
sl ow heavi er wei ghts. Over ti me trai ni ng for max speed on every
l i ft, you wi l l get faster at that wei ght or be abl e to move 275 and
315 fast. Thi s i ncrease i n power i s goi ng to al so make your max
i ncrease wi thout havi ng to l oad 100% wei ghts and gri nd them out.
Deadl i fti ng i s consi dered the ki ng of the l i fts and one of the mai n
reasons there i s no way to cheat i t. Wi th squats there are tons of
sui ts, feet wi dths, bar pl acement, and worst of al l , the hi gh squat.
Deadl i fti ng i s si mpl y steppi ng up grabbi ng the bar and pul l i ng unti l
you stand up. No hi dden angl es nothi ng j ust bend over l i ke l oadi ng
yoursel f i nto a spri ng and put al l of the energy i nto the bar comi ng
off the ground. Many of the guys on thi s team deadl i ft over 800l bs
and there i s si mpl y no way to do that unl ess you are both extremel y
powerful and strong. I hear tons of thi ngs where peopl e want to
JUGGERNAUT DEADLIFT MANUAL 37
make excuses for why they are not l i fti ng as much as the next guy,
but honestl y stop bi tchi ng, get on the pl atform, and start pul l i ng and
pul l i ng hard.
JUGGERNAUT DEADLIFT MANUAL 38
THOUGHTS ON DE ADL I F T TRAI NI NG
Dan Green: My general approach to pul l i ng i s to work up to a target
set of reps pul l i ng from the fl oor and then work up to a top set of
reps wi th the 4" bl ocks. Thi s real l y bui l ds the sumo pul l i ng strength.
But I al so l i ke to fi ni sh wi th a set of conventi onal reps to bui l d the
hamstri ngs and back. I usual l y do a set of 3-6 reps from a 4" defi ci t
to fi ni sh my deadl i ft sessi ons. Al so, for a change of pace I wi l l
occasi onal l y pul l for a max agai nst bands to real l y feel expl osi ve and
to chal l enge my gri p.

As for gri p strength, I fi nd that j ust performi ng thi s rel ati vel y hi gh
and frequent vol ume of deadl i fts works wel l , provi ded I don't al l ow
mysel f to be greedy and attempt reps that I'm not certai n I'l l
compl ete--fai l ed reps rei nforce bad techni que and strai n the body's
abi l i ty to recover far more.
I've general l y fol l owed thi s system every week wi thout needi ng to
take breaks or del oad.
Brad Li ttl e: In general I feel most peopl e need to si mpl y do more
deadl i fti ng than speci fi c vari ati ons. Si mpl y deadl i fti ng strai ght wei ght
off the ground wi th varyi ng wei ghts and reps bui l t my deadl i ft. I do
speed pul l s and wave band tensi on through some cycl es, but
nothi ng beats l oadi ng wei ght up and j ust pul l i ng i t. I do feel that
pul l i ng heavy i snt needed every week. If I am peaki ng for a meet I
wi l l someti mes onl y deadl i ft every other week. Thi s i s duri ng cycl es
JUGGERNAUT DEADLIFT MANUAL 39
that I trai n at a hi gher percentage.
Speed pul l s are a great way to work
techni que and work best when done
after heavy squats or duri ng del oads weeks i n my opi ni on.
Eri c Li l l i ebri dge: My deadl i ft trai ni ng i s very basi c and si mpl e. I l i ke
to thi nk of i t more as l i ke a pyrami d type set up. Instead of addi ng
wei ght/droppi ng reps each week, I j ust keep addi ng wei ght each
workout and sti ck to pul l i ng heavy si ngl es. Pul l i ng for reps before
has al ways burnt out my l ower back and I never fel t recovered
enough for when i t came ti me for me to do heavy squats. I al ternate
my squats and pul l s every other week, so Im squatti ng and
deadl i fti ng twi ce a month. Thi s al l ows me to trai n both of those l i fts
hard and gi ves me pl enty of recovery ti me before Im goi ng through
that movement/l i ft agai n.
Al l of my heavy trai ni ng i s based around meets. I fi nd a meet that I
want to do and I back track 7 weeks out from the meet. The week
JUGGERNAUT DEADLIFT MANUAL 40
Eric Lilliebridge is a star in the
powerlifting world at only 22 years
old, his 821 deadlift is a big
reason why.
before the meet doesnt count because i ts a resti ng week, so
basi cal l y i ts 6 ful l weeks of trai ni ng. I pi ck a goal wei ght by the
meet, usual l y 10-20l bs more than my previ ous PR and I start
pl uggi ng i n numbers each trai ni ng week that I wi l l need to hi t to
approach thi s new max PR come meet day. I work up to 3 heavy
si ngl es each deadl i ft workout and add wei ght to each of those
si ngl es every week, mai nl y on the fi nal si ngl e pul l .
To gi ve an exampl e of what thi s woul d l ook l i ke, l ets say your goal
wei ght for the meet was to deadl i ft 700l bs. From there you start
back tracki ng and these are the numbers I woul d choose i f thi s were
me trai ni ng for thi s wei ght. The l ast heavy pul l before the meet I
woul d work up to around 675l bs, a heavy wei ght cl ose to your goal
wei ght but shoul d sti l l be fast and smooth. 2 weeks before that work
up to 650l bs for a si ngl e, and 2 weeks before that (the fi rst deadl i ft
trai ni ng day) start wi th 625l bs for a si ngl e.
The warm ups sets are al l dependi ng on you and what ki nd of j umps
you l i ke to make. But the most i mportant one i s the fi nal si ngl e
because that i s whats goi ng to peak you perfectl y to attempt your
goal wei ght at the meet. So i t woul d l ook l i ke thi s, workout #1 work
up to 625l bs, workout #2 work up to 650l bs, workout #3 work up to
675l bs, then meet day 700l bs. Over that peri od of ti me you
gradual l y i ncrease the wei ght for each workout. In-between these
deadl i ft workouts woul d be your heavy squat days, so between
deadl i ft workout #1 and #2 i s a ful l 2 weeks before youre pul l i ng
agai n.
JUGGERNAUT DEADLIFT MANUAL 41
SUMO DE ADL I F T TI PS
BY BRAD LI TTLE
Brad Little of Berea Barbell is the best US multiply 181 deadlifter with a pull of 730
pounds. Brad is a true technician of the deadlift and has his eyes set on an 800+ pound
pull in the near future.
-One of the best sumo ti ps I can gi ve i t to keep the bar as cl ose to
you as possi bl e. Letti ng the bar dri ft away from you si mpl y makes a
pul l harder. The cl oser the bar i s to your center of gravi ty the more
control you wi l l have over i t and thi s i s often l ooked over wi th sumo
deadl i fti ng.
-Keep your knee di rectl y over your ankl e at the bottom posi ti on of
JUGGERNAUT DEADLIFT MANUAL 42
The sumo deadlift is a very
technical movement and Brad Little
is a master of it.
your pul l . If your knees arent over your ankl es you arent creati ng
the most power possi bl e wi th your enti re l ower body.
-Many peopl e know about usi ng baby powder on thei r l egs to make
the bar gl i de easi er, but I have found the armpi ts create a ton of
fri cti on. I use baby powder on the i nsi des of my arms and arm pi ts
before my l ast 2 attempts at every meet.
-Learn to push your hi ps through as soon as the bar passes over
your knees, thi s wi l l make your range of moti on much shorter and
the enti re deadl i ft much more effi ci ent.
Spread your knees as hard as possi bl e whi l e breaki ng the bar off the
fl oor.
Maxi mi zi ng the effecti veness of your deadl i ft sui t i s a must when
competi ng i n gear. Check out some more ti ps from Brad about how
to do that
-I have found that weari ng a sui t that i s sl i ghtl y l ooser i n the hi ps but
cranki ng the straps real l y hel ps off the ground.
-When getti ng your straps set al ways arch hard. You want your arch
to be l ocked i n to mi ni mi ze l umbar roundi ng duri ng the pul l .
-Starti ng posi ti on i s everythi ng wi th a geared deadl i ft. You shoul d
practi ce form more than anythi ng el se and real l y focus on starti ng
the same every ti me. If you struggl e at the bottom start wi th your
hi ps sl i ghtl y hi gher and the straps cranked wi th a bi t of a neutral
JUGGERNAUT DEADLIFT MANUAL 43
posi ti oned back. If l ockout i s your weak poi nt you shoul d l earn to
start wi th your hi ps l ower and your back as cl ose to the l ocked out
posi ti on as possi bl e. Thi s wi l l make pushi ng your hi ps through much
easi er.
JUGGERNAUT DEADLIFT MANUAL 44
J UGGE RNAUT DE ADL I F TI NG
BY CHAD WESLEY SMI TH
Chad Wesley Smith, the founder of Juggernaut Training Systems, has a diverse
competitive background. Smith was a 2x National Champion shot putter in college with a
PR of 6310.25 (19.46m), before becoming the American Record holder in the squat
with 905 pounds (belt and wraps) in the 308 class, as well as a 785 deadlift in
powerlifting competition and 835 deadlift in strongman training (with straps). Smith has
now turned his attention towards Strongman, as well as continuing to help athletes reach
their maximum potential through his role as head physical preparation coach at
Juggernaut Training Systems. Learn more at JTSstrength.com
My approach to deadl i ft trai ni ng i s si mpl e and wi th that bei ng sai d,
you must understand that there i s a tremendous di fference between
somethi ng bei ng si mpl e and somethi ng bei ng easy, because nothi ng
about bui l di ng massi ve pul l i ng power i s easy. I bui l d my deadl i ft wi th
a combi nati on of i ntensi ty, vol ume bui l t through mul ti pl e l ow rep
sets, attacki ng weak poi nts wi th i ntel l i gentl y chosen suppl ementary
work and bui l di ng a massi ve posteri or through accessory work.
The best way to i mprove at
anythi ng, i s to do the thi ng
you are tryi ng to i mprove at.
If you want to throw a
footbal l better, you dont
JUGGERNAUT DEADLIFT MANUAL 45
Chad Wesley Smith knows there is
no replacement for hard work when
it comes to building a huge deadlift.
throw a basebal l , i f you want to spri nt faster, you dont ri de a bi ke, i f
you want to deadl i ft more wei ght, you dont do good morni ngs, you
DEADLIFT. The deadl i ft for strongmen and powerl i fters i s practi ce
for thei r sport and too often they tend to l ose si ght of that fact.
Whi l e every athl ete wi l l do dri l l s to enhance porti ons of thei r sporti ng
ski l l (tackl i ng dri l l s, l ayup dri l l s, etc) there i s no repl acement for
scri mmagi ng and thats what trai ni ng the deadl i ft i s for powerl i fters
and strongmen. Of course there i s a pl ace for dri l l s (parti al range
pul l s, extended range pul l s, pul l s agai nst bands, etc) but you have
to scri mmage, i e. Ful l range deadl i fts from the fl oor, i f you real l y
want to i mprove.
HE RE I S AN OVE RVI E W OF A TYPI CAL DE ADL I F T SE SSI ON F OR ME
1-Dynami c Warmup
2-Deadl i ft from Fl oor-Up to a 1-3rm
3-Compensatory Accel erati on Trai ni ng Deadl i fts-3 to 10 sets of 2 to
4 reps wi th control l ed rest peri ods
4-Suppl ementary Deadl i ft Vari ati on-Ei ther speci fi c work for the
bottom, mi dpoi nt or top hal f of the deadl i ft
5-Assi stance Work-Bodybui l di ng styl e work for the l ats, traps,
hamstri ngs and l ow back.
6-Abdomi nal Work-Wei ghted work for the abdomi nal s and obl i ques.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZtHu1cXQQw
When you are trai ni ng your top sets of the deadl i ft, i t i s i mportant to
stay rel ati vel y cal m and focus on your techni que, save getti ng
pumped up for competi ti on, where the i ncreased adrenal i ne wi l l
JUGGERNAUT DEADLIFT MANUAL 46
make you that much
stronger. Trai ni ng at
too hi gh of an arousal
l evel wi l l make your
trai ni ng much more
taxi ng to your CNS
and di mi ni sh the
carryover you get
from trai ni ng to
meets.
Al ways focus on movi ng the bar as expl osi vel y as possi bl e, from
your warmup sets to your fi nal accessory movement, you shoul d be
tryi ng to rocket the wei ght up. Bui l di ng speed i s the pri mary way to
i mprove your deadl i ft, i f you are abl e to become expl osi ve off the
fl oor, your i ncreased momentum wi l l undoubtedl y i ncrease your
l ockout strength.
The deadl i ft i s probabl y the greatest test of mental forti tude i n al l of
l i fti ng. Before approachi ng the bar, fi l l your head wi th i mages of you
successful l y compl eti ng the l i ft, remove al l doubt from the equati on.
To quote my fri end and great coach, Josh Bryant, you must
Commi t to the Pul l ! Know that once your hands are on that bar,
you wont l et go unti l you have l ocked i t out. Bi g deadl i fts hurt, there
i s no way around the excruci ati ng pai n they i nduce, but the pai n you
wi l l feel from mi ssi ng a new PR i s far worse than the pai n you wi l l
feel trai ni ng hard for i t.
JUGGERNAUT DEADLIFT MANUAL 47
JUGGERNAUT DEADLIFT MANUAL 48