10d • Stimulus Matters
Stim Matters: The Deadlift Deep Dive
This week and I dedicated the entire episode to deadlift inside of competitive CrossFit context. We covered everything from assessment --> programming for strength vs capacity --> technical issues --> and A TON more.
In the episode I promised I'd provide a copy of my internal notes that I put together before the show, so I wanted to post those here for anyone who wanted them AND as a way to stimulate discussion.
I'm really curious about how other coaches in the space approach "the deadlift problem" for competitors -- how frequently do you attack the movement? What are the principles or pillars you use for programming? Do you view the capacity vs absolute strength debate through a different framework?
Episode link: CLICK HERE TO WATCH
Notes below:
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1. SEPARATE THE PROBLEM: STRENGTH VS CAPACITY
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Treat deadlift strength and deadlift capacity as two different adaptations.
Strength
- Neural output
- Confidence in heavy positions
Capacity
- Repeatability of hinging under fatigue
- Often shows up inside mixed-modal work
Trying to solve both with the same tool is the mistake.
Key takeaway:
If you want to get someone stronger, you need to address the neural aspects of strength.
If you want them to be able to repeat deadlift under fatigue, that's a 2nd order problem of metabolic demand + strength requirement.
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2. DEADLIFT STRENGTH IS PRIMARILY A NEURAL PROBLEM
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Move away from high-volume deadlift strength work!
What not to do:
- High-rep tempo deadlifts (useless for building top-end strength in a healthy well trained athlete)
- Large weekly deadlift volume “to get stronger”
- Treating deadlift like a hypertrophy lift
What to do:
- Heavy singles, doubles, triples
-80%+ of 1RM 5+ sets per week
- Hand-release or full reset reps (no touch-and-go)
- Very low rep counts
- Very high intent
Reasoning:
CrossFit already provides posterior-chain volume via:
- Cleans and snatches in metcons
- Sandbags
- Hinging
- WL / DB Cycling
Strength limitation in CF athletes is often a neural confidence, not a true "tissue" strength issue.
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3. IDENTIFY AND ATTACK THE WEAKEST DEADLIFT POSITION
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Start with the question:
“Where does athlete actually fail?”
Common sticking points:
- Floor or in the initial 2" (back strength)
- Mid-shin (hamstring strength)
- Hitching above the knee (midline strength)
Usefull tools:
1. Overcoming isometrics
- 100% effort
- 3–6 seconds
- 4–10 sets
- Bar pinned at the weakest position (+/- 2")
2. Partial-range pulls / Impacting loading curve
- Block pulls
- Deficit pulls
- Reverse-band deadlifts
These tools allow supramaximal intent with minimal spinal risk.
Key insight:
You’re strengthening the exact position in which the athlete fails.
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4. FREQUENCY: LESS THAN YOU THINK (FOR STRENGTH)
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For pure deadlift strength:
- Often one true heavy hinge session per week
- Sometimes a second lighter or positional exposure
Why:
- CrossFit already overloads hinging in other ways
- Extra deadlift volume competes with recovery
- Neural quality > quantity
Deadlifting can occur weekly, but not always:
- From the floor
- Heavy
- Or for volume
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5. DEADLIFT CAPACITY IS A SEPARATE BUCKET
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View deadlift capacity as hinge repeatability + metabolic fatigue.
Weakness shows up when:
- 1RM is strong but...
- The athlete falls apart in workouts with repeated deadlifts
- The back blows up despite “good strength numbers”
Example:
- Athlete pulls mid-500/350's as daily max
- Cannot handle repeated moderate deadlifts in competition
This is not a strength problem!!
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6. HOW DEADLIFT CAPACITY IS BUILT
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Build capacity inside fatigue, not isolated strength work.
Primary methods:
- Moderate-load deadlifts inside metcons
- Varied hinge patterns (SB's, axles, odd objects)
- Density-based progressions
- Mixed-modal fatigue where hinging isn’t isolated
Why this works:
- Capacity is about tolerance, not max strength
- Improving 1RM lowers relative intensity of competition loads, but is not sport specific
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7. STRENGTH FIRST, THEN CAPACITY (ORDER MATTERS)
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Deadlift capacity is a 2nd order problem -- built on adequate absolute strength + requisite conditioning.
Sequence the work as follows:
1. Drive top-end deadlift strength FIRST
2. Layer in capacity training
Doing capacity work too early:
- Reinforces poor mechanics
- Volume = overload the spine
- Trains performance only to the athlete's current ceiling (doesn't impact the top of the ceiling)
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8. WHY DEADLIFTS STAY IN PROGRAMS YEAR-ROUND
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Keep some form of deadlifting in almost every program.
Reason:
- Athletes who only deadlift in metcons are often the ones whose backs always hurt
- Exposure builds tolerance and confidence
Notes:
- This does not always mean heavy
- This does not always mean from the floor or conventional DL
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SUMMARY: DEADLIFT FRAMEWORK
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1. Strength = neural
- Heavy
- Low-rep
- High intent
2. Capacity = repeatability
- Built under fatigue
- Not isolated (mixed settings)
3. Fix the sticking point
- Isometrics
- Partial pulls / banded variations
4. Volume is not the solution for strength
- Quality exposures win
5. Order matters
- Strength first
- Capacity second
5
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Stim Matters: The Deadlift Deep Dive
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Ruth Performance Lab: Training principles and systems for athletes and coaches to think clearly, perform better, and develop long-term mastery.
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