Getting a 600 Pound Deadlift

First time poster, but long time lurker here.

I’ve decided to devote my lifting life around working towards, and hopefully eventually achieving a 600 pound deadlift.

I think lifting 600 off the ground would make me strong. Not the strongest, for sure, but strong. I think a 600 deadlift would be a good indicator of a certain level of pure strength.

Right now, I’m 6’0, 175 pounds, and after not lifting much for a couple of years, I did a 265 pound deadlift, with some left in the tank. (Conventional style, clean-grip with no hook). Two years back, I was 220 pounds, and although I focused more on the squat, I deadlifted 400 pounds, without really training for the deadlift. (I did some deadlifts, but it was always secondary to the squat).

Now I want to bite the bullet and deadlift 600 pounds. I think I’ll be strong with a 600 deadlift.

What do you guys (and girls) think?

My intention was to deadlift two or three times a week, and do a few heavy singles each time.

I usually work up to a few heavy singles each workout - for example, I did 255 for a couple singles, and 265 for a couple singles, last time.

Obviously, the singles aren’t max singles, but they’re getting close, and I’m just getting back into the habit of heavy lifting (my hands need to toughen up again, etc).

I was going to try to add on a few pounds each time, five or ten each time, until I stop adding weight, and then I’ll consolidate before trying to add again.

While that is a good long term goal you have a very long way to go and may want to set some shorter term goals. I was similar to you with a 335 max back in December and currently my max is around 400, I did 3 singles at 378 last week. My goal this year is to deadlift 500 along with a 400 pound squat and 300 Bench. I know it’s going to take a lot longer to go from 500-600 then it is to reach 500.

You’re right. Long way to go, and I need to set, and accomplish, all the intermediate milestones.

How are you working from 400 to 500? If you can do thre singles at 378, you’re definitely at 400 or a bit above for a true max. What’s your plan to get to 500? :slight_smile:

Pretty simple plan, keep lifting. Right now I’m on an upper/lower split and lift lower on Monday and Thursday. Monday I do squat, dead, reverse hyper, and GHR. Thursday I do Olympic lifts, front squat/overhead squat, Good Mornings, GHR.

I try to mix it up a bit and throw in slightly different but similar exercises. My back is my weak point for deads and good mornings have helped a lot.

Good luck bro, I had a similar goal, got within 55lbs then tore my rotator cuff a couple weeks ago. Dont force it! Be patient.

I’m shooting for 600 this year too.

As a man with a 545 at 165 competition deadlift to my name, hoping to pull about 580 in competition in two weeks (just prefacing with that so you don’t think I am a complete retard when giving you advice) I have found THE most important thing when training for the deadlift was setting those short term goals previously discussed, that and fear of failure.

Pick a powerlifting competition coming up, and say, “I want to lift x lbs over what I do right now by x date of the competition”, and start telling your friends and family you are going to lift x weight, and guys at gym, that way if you don’t make it, you look like a tool, and you have motivation to keep you training even when you don’t feel like it, motivation to push it.

That’s at least what worked for me, maybe you don’t need it. Do 4-5 of those little ‘cycles’ and you’ll be at 600 in no time, or at least have a plan, there is nothing worse than just going in to the gym to “work out” hoping to magically hit 600 someday just by being cool or some nonsense.

I think 600lbs is a truly awesome deadlift, and anyone who can achieve that deserves some serious respect. :wink:

I missed 600 last week twice, both times I got about 8 inches off the ground and stalled 7 or 8 seconds before dropping. I’ve done 590, but 600, damn that ten lbs feels like an assload of elephant added to the bar.

I definitely agree - I need to focus on the milestones now. The 600 is for the future. I need to focus on the intermediate steps first.

My first goal will be 300 pounds - which won’t take me long to reach. Right now I’m just getting used to the deadlift again, and have been starting light and slowly increasing weight. 300 should come in a couple of weeks, if not sooner.

Then I’ll aim for 350. I’ll fccus on 50 pound increments as my milestones - for now. Maybe later, when I get up to 400, 500, and so on, I’ll have to focus on the next 15 or 25 pounds at a time.

I’m going to lift soon - hopefully I add another 10 pounds to the deadlift today!

[quote]Self-destruction wrote:
I definitely agree - I need to focus on the milestones now. The 600 is for the future. I need to focus on the intermediate steps first.
[/quote]

I always set mini-milestones for goals, using round numbers or a combination of plates and quarters…

300,315,350,365,400,405,450,455,495,500,545,550,585,600.

Long term goals are great, but you’ve got to hit all the short term ones in between. Good luck on your quest.

A triple bodyweight dead is always respectable. Hare that is indeed impressive. Again as said before, dont get too far ahead of yourself and respect the lower weights. It took me 4 attempts at 600 before I finally pulled it in competition. Sometimes, its not the numbers so dont let them get to your head too much.

The longer you train deadlift, the smarter you have to train when your gains dont jump as much. As long as you train the deadlift and train muscles that help it you are going in the right direction.

I just started lifting again last month I want to deadlift and squat 600 with in six months or then i won’t meet my goal.

Shouldn’t be too hard squated like 3 times so far and going to do 315x12 this week. Deadlifted first time in 4 years and did 405. It would be cool to do 600 squat and deadlift at no higher then 170lbs. Doing at 150 would be FUCKING AWESOME, but then i would have to work hard and i don’t feel like doing that. I feel like i will be superior enough if i do it at 170.

I thinking by the end of April i should be able to squat and pull 500 from there i have 3 months to hit 600… I will post vids at the end of the six month mark.

Raw ofcourse…

Im looking to hit 600 again too. I did 605 about 4 years ago but honestly didnt start deadlifting again until last year. Since I am not at all built to DL, I think it will be a nice goal, since I’m entering Push/Pull meets now.

[quote]Jhuczko wrote:
I just started lifting again last month I want to deadlift and squat 600 with in six months or then i won’t meet my goal.

Shouldn’t be too hard squated like 3 times so far and going to do 315x12 this week. Deadlifted first time in 4 years and did 405. It would be cool to do 600 squat and deadlift at no higher then 170lbs. Doing at 150 would be FUCKING AWESOME, but then i would have to work hard and i don’t feel like doing that. I feel like i will be superior enough if i do it at 170.

I thinking by the end of April i should be able to squat and pull 500 from there i have 3 months to hit 600… I will post vids at the end of the six month mark.

Raw ofcourse…[/quote]

I’ll believe it when I see it.

600 this year for me also; doing my reps around 460 so it doesn’t look likely at all but I plan to put on a lot of weight over summer so we’ll see. Its definitely a very respectable mark in my opinion.

[quote]joburnet wrote:
Jhuczko wrote:
I just started lifting again last month I want to deadlift and squat 600 with in six months or then i won’t meet my goal.

Shouldn’t be too hard squated like 3 times so far and going to do 315x12 this week. Deadlifted first time in 4 years and did 405. It would be cool to do 600 squat and deadlift at no higher then 170lbs. Doing at 150 would be FUCKING AWESOME, but then i would have to work hard and i don’t feel like doing that. I feel like i will be superior enough if i do it at 170.

I thinking by the end of April i should be able to squat and pull 500 from there i have 3 months to hit 600… I will post vids at the end of the six month mark.

Raw ofcourse…

I’ll believe it when I see it. [/quote]

Same here, I think he’s way overestimating how fast it will come. I don’t care how undertrained you are, puttign up almsot 200 pounds in six months is rough.

It will have taken me close to a year or more to get from 500 to six hundred when I was very undertrained.

[quote]Self-destruction wrote:
My intention was to deadlift two or three times a week, and do a few heavy singles each time.

I usually work up to a few heavy singles each workout - for example, I did 255 for a couple singles, and 265 for a couple singles, last time.

Obviously, the singles aren’t max singles, but they’re getting close, and I’m just getting back into the habit of heavy lifting (my hands need to toughen up again, etc).

I was going to try to add on a few pounds each time, five or ten each time, until I stop adding weight, and then I’ll consolidate before trying to add again.[/quote]

IMHO 2-3 times a week is too much. 2-3 times every two weeks would be better.

I pull every other week. Some do 2 on 1 off but 2-3 times a week is a little much.