[quote]Prodigul wrote:
During warmups I just pull 5 in a row, but during my work set each rep takes a lot out of me[/quote]
I’d suggest doing your warm-ups and your work sets with the same technique and form. What you’re doing would almost be like doing push presses as a warm-up before work sets of military pressing.
You need up to 10 breaths between deadlift reps? Sounds like a conditioning/cardio issue more than anything.
What kind of weight are you using for the set of 5?
[quote]I read somewhere that this doesn’t really count as doing a set, it is more like doing 5 singles. Does it matter at all?
…
Am I just overthinking things?[/quote]
Define your goals and make sure your methods get you there. If they do, maintain. If they don’t, tweak it. If pausing/standing/resetting between reps helps you maintain a higher quality of rep, do it. If you see weekly strength increases with touch’n’go reps that just tap the floor and you’re not rounding your back mid-set, carry on. Guys have done both successfully, but a full reset between reps is more common.
If I can share a relevant story from just last week:
Dude in a rack next to me: “You shouldn’t pause on the ground between reps like that.”
Me, after a warm-up set of deadlifts: “Resetting each rep helps keep my back straight to avoid injury.”
Dude: “Maybe, but stopping makes it easier. You should barely touch the ground to keep tension on the muscle.”
Me: “Um, okay.” (Dude proceeds to do several standing convulsion-quarter-rep shrugs with 400+ pounds.)
I’m currently deadlifting for sets of 4-6 and when the bar is on the floor between reps I’ll quickly regrip, then straighten my legs while holding the bar (kinda looks like yoga’s downward dog pose with my hands much closer to my feet), before taking a breath, squatting down, setting my back, and starting the next rep’s pull. Doesn’t take more than a few seconds/one or two breaths before the big breath before the pull.