Deads on Back day, Squats on Leg day?

[Abaddon]

I've recently started dead lifting, and have posted that they feel (at this stage, at least) like an overkill in my Legs routine, on top of 4 sets of front squats etc.

So I want to move them to my Back routine, which is the logical place for them. But I am not sure if I should do them in addition the rest of the workout in it's entirety, or swap them in for one of them, or reduce sets of other exercises to accommodate them.

My Back major, Shoulder minor routine looks like this at the moment:


My personal preference would be to reduce/remove the lat pulls, as I don't find them all that great...

Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[IronManlet]

What kind of training do you do? Are you aiming to use the Deadlift more for strength increases?

[Abaddon]

Originally Posted by IronManlet

What kind of training do you do? Are you aiming to use the Deadlift more for strength increases?

That's a good question. I really have no special direction or discipline with how I train. I am still using the 4 day shoulder focus routine I started in late december 2010, (published thanks to MAB).

I am building muscle through hypertrophy, is all I can say really. Just doing what I know works. For me, at least.

And I've never done deadlifts before! So I am assuming they'd need to go at the start of the routine, since deads are by far the heaviest compound movement in the session.

I have no further info (apart from proper lifting form and depth, in my log).

[IronManlet]

Deadlifts are by far the biggest movement for that day; I'd personally put them first, regardless of what kind of scheme you end up doing with them. They're the most important exercise, recruiting ~80% of your total musculature.

Be forewarned: they will fatigue you. You might find yourself not as strong on your other exercises afterward, so I'd recommend cutting back on some sets; at least initially.

[Abaddon]

Originally Posted by IronManlet

Deadlifts are by far the biggest movement for that day; I'd personally put them first, regardless of what kind of scheme you end up doing with them. They're the most important exercise, recruiting ~80% of your total musculature.

Be forewarned: they will fatigue you. You might find yourself not as strong on your other exercises afterward, so I'd recommend cutting back on some sets; at least initially.

Thanks for the advice IM.
Here's what I've done: dropping the sets to 3 for DLs and lat pulls, and removing the 4th set of face pulls at the end of the routine keeps it in the right set volume (for me). I will take your advice on the power of the DLs and reduce how much I DB row.

This is just a draft, though. I'm still open to suggestions.

[BendtheBar]

I like the idea of keeping deads, one arm rows and a pulldown as staples. I might suggest alternating sleep rows and one arm rows every other workout, or if deadlifts are too taking, alternating deads and a second lift every other week.

[big_swede]

Deadlifts are the one sure thing I do at back-day, other work is variating but I always deadlift or pull from pinns. To quote Svend Karlsen "My cornerstone exercise for the back would be the deadlift. If you cant deadlift, you cant be world strongest man" =)

[Abaddon]

Originally Posted by BendtheBar

I like the idea of keeping deads, one arm rows and a pulldown as staples. I might suggest alternating sleep rows and one arm rows every other workout, or if deadlifts are too taking, alternating deads and a second lift every other week.

Originally Posted by big_swede

Deadlifts are the one sure thing I do at back-day, other work is variating but I always deadlift or pull from pinns. To quote Svend Karlsen "My cornerstone exercise for the back would be the deadlift. If you cant deadlift, you cant be world strongest man" =)

Thanks guys!
Steve, I will see how fatigued I feel after performing it as I've templated above, and do as you have suggested.

The good news is I am no longer doing Sleeper rows; I got the pulley outside now for proper seated row!

One last thing: Are the lat pulldowns in the right place? Or should I do them after 1 arm DB rows perhaps? I'm still not sure of the placement, as DB rows take a lot more out of me than pulldowns, which tells me they should go after...