How To Increase Deadlift Intensity
Posted by Dave Napper on Mar 19, 2018
Estimated reading time: 2mins
My current training program has deadlifts twice per week, one stock standard conventional deadlift session and the other is with added chain weight.
Why use chains?
The point of the chains is to strengthen my sticking point which is around my knees. As I initiate the lift, I pull 245kg off the floor but then the chains raise makes the lift heavier and forces me to get stronger throughout the lift.
At lockout, there would be approximately 40kg of added weight as not all the chains are off the floor.
The aim is to complete a 245kg deadlift triple with 50kg of chains.
My chained deadlift session goes as follows:
Chained deadlifts
Add 50kg of chains to all sets.
| Intensity | Sets and Reps | Weight |
| Warm Up | 1 x 1 | 70kg |
| Warm Up | 1 x 1 | 120kg |
| Warm Up | 1 x 1 | 170kg |
| Warm Up | 1 x 1 | 220kg |
| Working Sets | 3 x 3 | 245kg |
| Working Sets | 3 x 5 | 225kg |
Low barbell squats
| Intensity | Sets and Reps | Weight |
| Warm Up | 1 x 1 | 70kg |
| Warm Up | 1 x 1 | 120kg |
| Warm Up | 1 x 1 | 170kg |
| Warm Up | 1 x 1 | 220kg |
| Working Sets | 3 x 3 | 240kg |
Single arm dumbbell rows
| Intensity | Sets and Reps | Weight |
| Warm Up | 1 x 10 | 40kg |
| Warm Up | 1 x 10 | 50kg |
| Working Sets | 3 x 10 | 60kg |
Lat pulldowns
| Intensity | Sets and Reps | Weight |
| Warm Up | 1 x 10 | 70kg |
| Warm Up | 1 x 10 | 80kg |
| Working Sets | 4 x 10 | 90kg |
