These Muscle Building Deadlift Workouts are the perfect way to build full body power and strength.
Muscle Building Deadlift Workouts for CrossFit Athletes
There are many versions of the deadlift out there. Deadlift variations include:
- Normal Deadlift
- Romanian Deadlift
- Sumo Deadlift
- Deadstop Deadlift
- Dumbbell Deadlift
- Kettlebell Deadlift
- Single Leg Deadlifts
- Deficit Deadlift
- Banded Deadlift
- Deadlift from rack
For many athletes the deadlift is the exercise in which they can lift the most weight.
Technique Tip: Never round your back as this can lead to serious injury.
Here is an excellent video tutorial from Ben Bergeron to help you perfect your technique
Here are 5 common mistakes to avoid
Muscle Building Deadlift Workouts
1. Cpl Donald M. Marler
A benchmark Hero Chipper in honour of an American soldier. It is similar to the benchmark workout Filthy Fifty.
Chipper means you just through the list as fast as possible. You must finish the amount of reps for each exercise before moving to the next one.
For time:
- 66 Deadlifts 110 lb
- 66 Box jumps
- 66 Kettlebell swings 1.5 pood
- 66 Knees to elbows
- 66 Sit ups
- 66 Pull ups
- 66 Thrusters 55lb
- 66 Wallballs shots 20 lb
- 66 Burpees
- 66 Double unders
2. Muscle Building Deadlift Workouts – Cpl Nathan B. Carse
Another Hero but quintuplet, meaning a five element workout. You must go through each of the five movements 21 times the first round, 18 times the next round, and so forth.
For time 21-18-15-12-9-6-3 reps of:
- Squat clean 95 lb
- Double under
- Deadlift 185 lb
- Box jump
- Begin each round with 50 m bear crawl
3. Muscle Building Deadlift Workouts – Diane
We have Heroes and Girls. Diane is one of the fun ones. It is laid out like the Nathan B. Carse, but only a couplet, meaning 2 elements. 21-15-9 is a popular set up in CrossFit.
For time 21-15-9 reps of:
- Deadlift 225 lbs
- Handstandpush up
4. EMOM Deadlift Workout
The best thing about EMOMs is that you often get some rest between sets so it is easier to increase the weight and/or focus on technique (they can also be programmed to be brutal however).
In this EMOM you must do all 6 reps within the minute.
Every minute on the minute for 15 minutes.
- 2 Deadlift (155/115lb)
- 2 Hang power clean
- 2 Push press
5. Muscle Building Deadlift Workouts – Mix and Match
Try to finish each round with a good pace, because you get a whole minute to catch your breath after the thrusters.
6 rounds for time:
- 6 Deadlift (135#/95#)
- 6 Bent row
- 6 Hang power clean
- 6 Thruster
- Rest 1 minute
6. Muscle Building Deadlift Workouts – 2 Mintue EMOM Complex
This time you have two minutes to finish the round and catch your breath for the next one.
Complex means you are not allowed to let go of the bar or rest it on the floor until you have done all 20 reps.
Every 2 Minutes On the Minute complex of:
- 7 Deadlifts
- 3 Clean
- 7 Front squat
- 3 Push press/jerk
7. Muscle Building Deadlift Workouts – Deadlift Burpee WOD
Keep going or it will make you suffer, because once the deadlift starts to get heavy and you feel like you need rest, you will have to face 20 burpees, which will not leave you well rested for the next round of deadlifts.
For time:
- 30 Deadlifts 100/80kg
- 20 Burpees over bar everytime you rest
Muscle Building Deadlift Workouts – TIPS FOR CROSSFIT ATHLETES
Erwin van Beek has always been involved in sports: starting with Judo at the age of 4, wining more than 15 national medals. He graduated from ALO (sports academy), was drafted for the Royal Military Police Force and later worked for Dutch Police Academy where he was responsible for the training and education of special military and police units. He found Crossfit in 2008, completed trainer certificates and opened his own box Reebok CrossFit 020 Amsterdam in 2010. Erwin is two-time CrossFit Games 40-44 Master athlete, finishing 4th in 2013.
More: Interview with Erwin van Beek
We asked Erwin for his general tips on how to improve your Deadlift.
Erwin: I don’t want to complicate things but I read all kinds of online articles about improving your deadlift. There is a lot of good information available BUT:
I am believe in specifying stuff for the individual so I would also say this to people who ask me general questions like “do you have a strength program, how can I improve my deadlift” – my answer would always be: “Let me see you deadlift, let me see your training program and let me see your diet”.
Most of the time I begin with looking at the deadlift itself of course, and in most cases I get an idea when I see it: this is my starting point to make a program and coach people to improve.
If you force me to go “general” I would have a few points on how to improve deadlift:
1. Misconception about building strength: it won’t come fast.
Advice: make it your life project!
2. Quality of training: don’t do deadlifts before MetCons
I see a lot of programming that looks like 3×8 or 3×5 (or likewise) sets of deadlifts in 15-20 min before your MetCon. In my opinion that won’t work for building real strength.
I would advise to make a macro planning of minimum a year to build real improvements in strength and NOT attach it directly to typical MetCon workouts.
3. Muscle Building Deadlift Workouts – Volume within strength training
That doesn’t mean you won’t be working on “lung function” ‘ in that period. I really believe in volume within the strength training with some time pressure, so training is focused both on strength and stamina, and at the same time going for 1-3-5 rep maxes within that training.
When you do heavy sets you can also attach “simple” very short lung function stimulus to the program (if you want to connect it to Crossfit even more) for example: a set of 5 back squats and then for time 50 double-unders and 30 sit-ups. Rest as needed and go for 5 or 7 rounds.
The focus should always be on the lift and not on the MetCon, so when you Deadlift make it the only training you do that day, and after it you should be DONE!
Erwin at his box Reebok CrossFit 020
4. Leave it alone for a while
Often when people reach their plateau on their deadlift for example, they tend to train more on it even more. I would say “leave it alone for a while” and train other lifts that will support improvement.
That could be other types of deadlifts. But still sometimes the body is a blackbox: it‘s all connected so even working on your pull up strength would help your deadlift in the end.
5. Muscle Building Deadlift Workouts – Find a good coach
I could put this as number one. Find a quality coach. A coach is not someone who just gives you a program or the person who encourages you, but there are many, many things a coach should be able to do.
6. The general technique steps for deadlift are:
1. Feet under the hips weight on the heels.
2. Barbell in hook grip (reversed grip if you are really only deadlifting).
3. Activate the body: make sure your hips are not too low (less active hams, etc) and not too high (less active quads etc). Set your lower back: pull all you got towards your spine (hollow back, chest “up” and neutral face) and retract the shoulders. Remember it is a total body lift.
4. Hold your breath while you are lifting and “explode” from start. Open all angles at the same time and keep the barbell glued to your body (pull the barbell back) during the lift.
5. If you want to go touch and go for multiple reps exhale and inhale on top of the lift (full extension), push your butt back (close the hip) and DON’T lose tension at the bottom!
Important: it always needs to be a personal set up, so looking at the individual and making a plan is most important!
Muscle Building Deadlift Workouts
If you enjoyed these Muscle Building Deadlift Workouts, try these Jumping Jacks, Sit Ups or Strict Press WODs.
