When I do DLs I usually reset the bar on every rep and take about 3 secs to lift it off the ground. I do 5 sets of 5 reps @70% (135 lbs) of my RM (185 lbs). Yes I know, I picked this program here at T-Nation: The Simple Deadlift Program
Anyways, what do you guys think? Is it better to do touch and go deadlifts or reset on every rep?
There is no universal “better” way to do anything, it all depends on goals and the specific reason you are implementing the exercise.
I pull all my deads touch and go because it helps me build a stronger deadlift whenever I do that. I attribute this to being able to have more time under tension with a heavier weight than I would have managed with a dead stop set. However, many other trainees have had great success pulling dead stops every time as well.
I’m not sure if this is logical or not, but when I started doing touch-n-go (for sets no more than 5), it seemed to involved a whole lot more musculature in my back that didn’t seem to be stimulated when doing dead stop reps. Just by the nature of the lift, it seemed to find some of my weaknesses and address them directly.
the issue with touch and go comes from sloppy lowering. A lot of lifters seem to lose focus on the lowering part and put their back into a dangerous position.
If your technique is solid then it’s all good, but I would recommend starting from a dead stop every time for a beginner such as yourself.
What do you mean by “take 3 secs to to lift it off the ground”?
[quote]dt79 wrote:
What do you mean by “take 3 secs to to lift it off the ground”?[/quote]
I think he was providing a time-frame for how long each reset takes him.