Deadlift Assistance Exercises

[ForwardMotionStruggle]

So in the shoutbox I've been asking a lot of questions on deadlifts recently.
Basically I shouldn't do them every other day like I want to.

So it looks like in a routine I'm thinking of, Wednesdays will be my deadlift days.
However, what other exercises on Mon/Fri can I do that'll help with my deadlift?

I've been told hyperextensions and good mornings will help, but is it safe to do with deadlifts in the middle day?
Hypothetically, if I do hypers Monday and Good Mornings Friday and DL on Wednesday, why is it so much worse to DL all three days?

Or is it just as bad to do those exercises that day as well?

Any advice is appreciated. Thanks,
FMS.

[Squatter]

I would suggest posting up your full routine to see where you could fit in some asistance lifts. Rack Pulls are probably the most obvious choice.

[BendtheBar]

You can add good mornings, but you need to make sure you learn the difference between a powerlifting good morning and a bodybuilding good morning, Also, good mornings should be performed accordingly to your deadlift stance - so if you deadlift conventional you should probably perform good mornings with a wide stance.

Other great deadlift assistance exercises are box squats, front squats, zerchers, heavy ab work, and RDLs. You also have deficit deadlifts, speed deads, and to a lesser degree dumbbell rows. You also have many other variations of these lifts, including band and chain work. Rack deads have little carryover for many, and for some they work wonders. If you do want to try them, it might be wise to deadlift on week one, and rack dead on week 2 - alternating.

In the context of a powerlifting workout, ala Wendlers or Westside, you might have 2 days a week to use assistance exercises but you have to be wise about their usage. Some Westside lifters don't perform direct heavy deadlifts from the floor. I have a friend that only pulls heavy on contest day. The rest of the year he focuses on box squats, good mornings, speed pulls, etc.

For straight muscle building or powerbuilding, if you are making progression currently I wouldn't add much assistance work. As long as progression is currently happening, the only real assistance exercises you need is time. Even the above powerlifting workouts are generally maximized by experienced lifters with known weaknesses.

It is hard to assess weaknesses until you have put in several years grinding it out on straight progression. During this time it's best to keep it simple. I would stick with deads, squats and RDLs. You could add front squats or good mornings, but only add good mornings if your back is very strong, you pull 315+, and you understand how to do a powerlifting good morning. You could also flip-flop between squats and box squats.

My 2 cents, mileage may vary.

[BendtheBar]

I will also add that in the past I was aggressive at times with too many assistance exercises and my lower back paid the price.

[ForwardMotionStruggle]

Thanks for that advice Steve.

As for Squatter, my basic workouts will include these:
Warm up with 1x20 Front Squats
Squats - Back/Front/Box
DB Bench Press
Deadlift
DB Bent Row
DB Military Press/BB OHP

Varying from 5x5, 5x3, 4x6, and 3x5.

As for the days, I have yet to figure that out.
It'll be lifted in a progressive style.

[Bodybygamma]

I would personally do deadlift assitance on deadlift day and alternate going heavy & light each week. Light deadlift day(70% or below) for example you do heavy good mornings and then vice versa. This way week to week your not so burnt out.

[storm1507]

If you don't have a few years of DLing pretty seriously your best assistant lift will be just more DL's. Vary from heavy days and lighter (not too light though) days. Challenge yourself....this is a lift most people can do much more than their mind says they can.

Bend the Bars advise about time is right on. Don't get in too big of a hurry, just work hard and progress.

[dmaipa]

another thing you can't forget, is for as much as you train your lower back, IMO you need to train just as heavy for your abdominals to balance it all. If your routine is leaning more towards the PLing style you need to add in some weighted ab exercises.

Yes, training with compound movements train the core but i think that direct ab work is needed in order to balance the amount of work you put on your lower back. If you incorporate hypers or goodmorning, i think direct ab exercises with weight is needed in order to balance the front and back for the core.

If you look at west-side style programs, they all include direct ab work such as decline bench crunches with weight/cable crunches/roman chair leg raises w. db. For the amount of work you give your lower back you should give the same amount of work directly to your abdominal muscles and vice versa.

i know it sounded repetitive, but thats ok.