My 6 Week Russian Deadlift Program

Eddie ‘the Green Ghost’ Kowacz

December 23, 2002 03:28 PM

Comrades, I have used the following routine to increase my deadlift from 525 to 555 in 6 weeks. The original name of this program was 'the Russian Squat Program', and I just replaced the squat with the deadlift. I have been training with weights for over 15 years but only seriously for about 10 years. I do not consider myself a powerlifter but a martial artist who merely trains with KBs, BBs, and DBs. Training with iron is what I do, but being a martial artist is who I am. I believe that this program can work for all comrades, no matter what their current level of strength may be. Why? -Because it worked for me and it can work for you. However, the more experienced you are in the deadlift the less the return. But I am sure that everyone can expect at least a 5% gain after 6 weeks on this program.

This is a 3x a week program based on using 80% of your current 1 rep max as the starting point.

DAY - 1	DAY -2	DAY - 3
Week 1
80% - 6 sets of 2 reps	80% - 6 sets of 3 reps	80% - 6 sets of 2 reps
Week 2
80% - 6 sets of 4 reps	80% - 6 sets of 2 reps	80% - 6 sets of 5 reps
Week 3
80% - 6 sets of 2 reps	80% - 6 sets of 6 reps	80% - 6 sets of 2 reps
Week 4
85% - 5 sets of 5 reps	80% - 6 sets of 2 reps	90% - 4 sets of 4 reps
Week 5
80% - 6 sets of 2 reps	95 - 3 sets of 3 reps	80% - 6 sets of 2 reps
Week 6
100% - 2 sets of 2 reps	80% - 6 sets of 3 reps	105% - Max Out Day

Follow this routine on either Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays or Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. I used it every other day without a day off but would not recommend it to anyone.

I feel that this routine was designed to be used with or without assistance exercises but I did use them and they were as follows.

-Standing Ab Curl with a Jumpstretch Band
I would do 1 set before each set of deadlifts using a 3-4 min. break.

-Band Good Mornings
This was my primary warmup exercise: 2-3 sets / 5-8 reps.

-KB Swings, one arm at a time
This was my morning after routine, not on same day as DL. 5x5 with a1.5 KB

-Reverse Hyperextension
Another day after drill. I would do KBs one day and reverse hypers the next. Body weight only and I would do them on my power rack. If you don't own one just stick with KBs.

These assistance exercises are not written in stone; feel free to use the ones that work for you. The cycle is written in stone however, so please don't try to make any changes. Good luck with this 'Simpli-Fi' -in the words of Andy69 -deadlift program. And if you have any questions -ask.

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Eddie Kowacz is a former Marine and a 6th degree (rokudan) black belt in kardo jitsu ru. In 1993 he was inducted into the World Martial Arts Hall Of Fame as the Instructor of the Year and was featured in Karate International Magazine 's Who's Who in the Martial Arts Elite.

A veteran of law enforcement, Kowacz has served as a corrections officer, a defensive tactics instructor, a PR-24 instructor on the emergency response team, as well as a police sniper on the County Hostage / Recovery Team (S.W.A.T.)

Now retired, Eddie is the husband of very supporting wife Kathy and the father of twins Stephanie and Eddie. As well as a comrade to all those who ask for help, for without Pavel and my fellow comrades this would not have been possible. Thank you all again.

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