Hated by many and well, hated by most actually….. That pretty much sums up the 18” Axle Deadlift in the eyes of most strongman competitors. Often in the world of strongman events are created with a couple of guidelines in mind. Firstly the visual effect. Strongman events need to look heavy and impressive. You want the crowd or uninformed to be able to relate to the event. An axle bar with big ass truck or tractor wheels attached to it looked heavier and more impressive to the untrained eye when compared to a barbell with some coloured plates on it. This does change the mechanics of the lift fairly significantly and makes training for it specifically a little different. So because this is the sport of Strongman and not whinging man here is how we address this lift.
Big On The Basics
The Axle deadlift event is almost double the height of the regular bar yet the majority of the training in the lead up to this comp will be done from the floor on a regular barbell. The 18” height is mechanically poor for many lifters and places a much greater emphasis on load through the lower back therefore if it is not done correctly or if the athlete has poor leverages for this lift it is a recipe for disaster. By doing the bulk of the deadlift training from the floor allows for training of the extensors through a full range of motion and will help keep the injury risk lower.
We will add in the Axle deadlifts as an accessory exercise after the main work to focus on higher reps and building strength in that position before progressing to heavier weights. This will stay the same for the first 6 weeks of the 10 week plan before we flip the movements around and make the axle deadlift the main movement for the day to finish the peaking cycle. There may be some small variations on this for each individual depending on where they are weakest in the deadlift but usually it’s the same.
Peaking For The Competition
As the competition is for max weight we are following a peaking program for the deadlift which with all factors going well will see a PR lift on the day for the clients. If this to be done for reps it would be much different and other factors would come into play such as what % of their max is the comp weight, time limit, allowed equipment etc. Here is what the first 4 weeks of the deadlift cycle looks like;
Week 1
Deadlift (regular height power bar): 1 x 8-10RM
Axle Deadlift: 4 x 12 @ approx 55-60% 1RM
Accessories: Rows, Chin Ups and of course biceps 😉
Week 2
Deadlift (regular height power bar): 1 x 8-10RM
Axle Deadlift: 4 x 12 @ approx 60-65% 1RM
Accessories: Rows, Chin Ups and more biceps than last week
Week 3
Deadlift (regular height power bar): 1 x 6-8RM
Axle Deadlift: 4 x 10 @ approx 65-70% 1RM
Accessories: Rows, Chin Ups and all the biceps
Week 4
Deadlift (regular height power bar): 1 x 6-8RM
Axle Deadlift: 4 x 10 @ approx 65-70% 1RM
Accessories: Rows, Chin Ups, all the biceps
The above is based on our 10-12 week strongman program that leads into the comp for intermediate level lifters. Fairly straightforward linear progression with appropriately selected assistance exercises to focus on your weaknesses and the right blend of accessory work to help build strength in the competition lift. The secret to building a big deadlift, is doing deadlifts… Groundbreaking info I know 😉
Most of the crew will have front squats prior to the deadlift movements. It will have minimal detrimental effect on the deadlifts for most with deadlifts being extensor dominant. It is also good practice to become accustomed to doing multiple events on the same day as in a competition it is that way. Take the strength challenge for example; 4 events in 3-4 hours including two taxing events on the legs first up. The deadlift is the final event for the day so if you think you will feel 100% on the day you are mistaken. Being accustomed to deadlifting in competition with some fatigue in the legs makes a big difference and I have found over the years that you adapt to it fairly quickly in training.
Want to find out more about the Iron Revolution strongman training groups or programming? Drop us a line via the contact form below or send us an email to info@ironrevolution.com.au
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