Training the Deadlift With Singles

This is a basic template for training the deadlift with singles.

Rest periods can vary from what is shown here. If the weight is moving well and you are ready to go again – have at it. If you’re not physically or mentally ready for the next pull – allow yourself a bit more time.

Perfect practice only.

Also, some people can pull all the way up to a near-max quickly and smoothly, while others start grinding with much lighter weight. Feel free to adjust the percentages accordingly.

This is a classic Louie Simmons/ Westside Barbell template. I don’t remember exactly where I first found it; it was ages ago… maybe in the depths of the deepsquatter site someplace. There are several other variations floating around out there, but many lifters and coaches use this simple and flexible model as their base.

Benefits of Training the Deadlift With Singles

• You can train deadlifts without fighting through fatigue and potentially sloppy reps.

• You get multiple opportunities to practice your setup. When repping deadlifts, you only get that chance on your first rep.

• It won’t bury you in a hole if you want to run an intensive squat cycle alongside it.

• It puts the deadlift pattern on autopilot by drilling in technique. With less thinking involved, you can attack your pull with 100% aggression.

• It can help instill confidence by drilling in the feeling of successful single attempts.

• For self-coached lifters who don’t have anyone cueing them during their sets, it provides a great framework for making corrections in real-time.

The Mental Approach

This can be a good opportunity to train your mindset along with your technique. I like this format when working with singles:

1. Visualize the successful lift from start to finish. This can be as detailed as you’d like.
2. Perform the lift. Make it feel just as it did in the visualization.
3. Assess the lift. Was it as you had envisioned? What should be done differently? Find ONE THING that you can improve on or further instill, and bring it into the next attempt.
4. Repeat steps 1-3.

With this structure, I would say that deadlift singles can work for anyone who needs more confidence, wants to get quicker, or has a minor issue that they are trying to drill in a correction for.

Speed Off the Floor

Lighter deadlift singles are sometimes linked to ‘speed pulls’, and they certainly are conducive to getting a speedier deadlift. You should aim to pull as quickly as your brain and body will allow. Over time, you’ll develop the ability to fire everything faster and harder, and you should be able to pull more aggressively.

That said, forcing speed would probably not be a great way to learn technique if you are unfamiliar, or if you are seriously struggling with form. Speed and uncertainty are usually not a great mix.

Speed is best incorporated when technique is pretty solid, or if you have smaller adjustments that need to be drilled in.

How This Can Fit With Other Training

It is up to you as to what sort of other work you would like to have going on alongside this.

One popular option is to use this as a light deadlift on a heavy squat day.

Some people (including myself) will use this as their sole deadlift training when doing an intensive squat cycle leading into a competition. It allows for relevant technique practice without dipping too much into the recovery bank (which is already being robbed blind by squats).

Maryland Powerlifting advocates for deadlift singles training and uses this exact template.

Pavel came up with a deadlift program based on this template. He speeds up the frequency so you are doing three sessions per week instead of one. You finish the cycle in just two weeks. Then, add ten pounds and start again.

Some people don’t bother with a full cycle and just throw in a singles day whenever they feel that one is warranted. Or, just do a shorter, three-week cycle. I think that is fine. Sometimes, just a dab will do the trick. The chart can still serve as a guideline as to how many singles might be appropriate at a certain intensity level.

Lots of possibilities to play with here.

Personal Touches

If you have a specific issue that needs to be addressed, this is a flexible format to use as a base.

Here is an example of a cycle that I’ve used multiple times with success. It incorporates the use of light bands and deficits:

Customizations like this are personal. The above example can work well for someone who is well-leveraged for deadlifts but could use some confidence and positioning help off the floor. Someone with a different set of circumstances might have better luck with another arrangement.

(Just wanted to note that if you do use something like the above setup and your bands are strong, and/or you have a large difference between your deficit deadlift and floor pull, you may need to adjust the percentages. For example, start with 50%, then 55%, and when the bands come off on week 3, jump to 65-70%.)

Conclusion

This is one of those things that seem to be hit or miss for people. Generally, it seems that people who are built to deadlift tend to love this, and those who are not built to deadlift are not quite as enthusiastic.

I think that this method should work for both conventional and sumo deadlifts, though I do believe that sumo is better suited for reps than conventional. Also, regarding speed – sumo tends to do better when eased off the floor rather than ripped. Acceleration through the latter part of the lift might be a better focus there.

If you want to start training the deadlift with singles and are gathering ideas on how to do that, another simple option is to keep your current plan, and take a dead every 15-30 seconds when you would otherwise rep. (So, 1×5 becomes 5×1.) Step away from the bar, refocus, and get your bearings after every rep.

Personally, I have never done more than one rep at a time on a conventional deadlift without resetting. It just never felt right to me.

I have had tremendous luck with singles, and think it is a smart option for deadlift training.