How to Win Deadlift for Reps Events
- JHEPCxTJH
- Jun 16
- 34 min read
How to Win Deadlift for Reps Events
Don’t Just Survive – Dominate
The Art of Repping Under Pressure
Deadlifting for reps is not just a diluted version of a max effort event. It’s a completely different contest. Strength matters, yes - but so does pacing, fatigue management, technique under pressure, and your ability to stay mentally composed while your lungs are burning and your back is screaming. In many ways, it’s more demanding than a max pull because it asks you not just for output, but control.
In rep-based events, you’re not just lifting a barbell. You’re racing the clock. You’re managing your breath. You’re monitoring your body position. You’re counting reps, adjusting strategy mid-set, and navigating the slippery chaos that comes when your body hits failure before the event ends. You’re in the red zone from rep four, and still expected to keep delivering.
One of the most common mistakes seen across competitions - especially at the novice and intermediate level - is poor pacing. Lifters explode out the gate and hit six or seven reps in ten seconds. Then the lactic acid catches up. Their brace collapses. They forget to breathe. Their rhythm breaks down. Suddenly they’re pausing between each rep, wasting time, panicking about how many they’ve got left. The final minute becomes a grind of singles with diminishing form and increasing risk. And while they’re crawling through reps 8, 9, and 10, someone else - more composed, more strategic - is passing them with consistent, efficient technique.
That’s the real difference. The athlete who wins these events isn’t always the strongest person in the field. It’s the one who understood the specific challenge and trained for it. The one who could balance aggression with control. The one who didn’t fall for the trap of mistaking effort for execution.
There’s a reason deadlift for reps shows up constantly across strongman and strength sport events, especially at beginner and novice level contests. It’s easy to set up, simple to judge, and brutally revealing of an athlete’s preparation. A fixed weight for max reps in 60 or 75 seconds doesn’t just test how much you can lift. It tests how well you’ve trained your body to handle work. It tests if you’ve done the groundwork - the conditioning, the accessory volume, the skill development - to survive past rep six and keep going when it gets ugly.
In many contests, especially at novice and intermediate levels, it’s not unusual to see winning numbers in the 25 to 35 rep range. That means you need a blend of qualities: you need enough strength to make the weight feel manageable, enough conditioning to maintain output across the entire time cap, and enough technical efficiency to reduce wasted energy with every rep. You can’t just rely on grit. Grit helps, but it won’t keep your hips from shooting up. It won’t keep your air in when your brace fails. And it won’t add five more reps when you’ve already burnt out trying to front-load your set.
Smart lifters don’t just train harder. They train sharper. They look at the event parameters, assess where they stand, and build the exact tools they’ll need to win. They understand the difference between deadlifting heavy and deadlifting repeatedly. And most importantly, they train for the event they’re entering - not the one they wish it was.
Winning deadlift for reps events isn’t about being a grinder. It’s about being a technician under fire. The rest of this article will show you exactly how to build that.
Understand the Event Parameters First
Before you plan a single training session, you need to know exactly what you’re preparing for. Not vaguely. Not “deadlift for reps, cool got it.” You need specifics - the kind that shape how you train, how you recover, what implement you use, and how you game your set.
There are dozens of ways a deadlift for reps event can be structured, and they all ask something slightly different of you. If you’re not tailoring your prep to match the exact event setup, you’re already bleeding points before you even chalk up.
Fixed Weight vs Ascending vs Down Sets vs Trump Pulls
The most common format, especially at novice and intermediate comps, is a fixed weight for max reps in a given time frame. This is straightforward but deceptively brutal. The weight is heavy enough to be uncomfortable, but light enough to make high reps possible. It punishes poor pacing, bad breathing, and lifters who think they’re fitter than they are.
Then you’ve got ascending events, where the bar is loaded heavier every rep or every two reps. These test top-end strength under fatigue. Blow your brace early or lose focus, and you might not even get to attempt the heavier lifts.
Down sets are rarer but sneaky. You start heavy and strip plates between reps, or after hitting a target number. It demands power at the start and gas in the tank to finish.
And then there’s the trump card format, where lifters attempt a chosen weight for reps, but heavier options give you bonus points. It’s a game of risk versus reward. Can you out-rep someone at a lighter weight, or do you chase fewer reps at a heavier pull and gamble on placing higher?
You can’t prepare properly unless you know exactly which version you're walking into. Each format changes how you manage energy, what you prioritise in training, and how you structure your attempt strategy.
Time Limits Matter More Than You Think
A 60-second event is not the same as 75 seconds. That extra 15 seconds can feel like a lifetime when you’re bent over gasping for air with ten reps still to go.
Some comps also use the “as fast as possible” format, where you must complete a set number of reps or reach a certain number in the shortest time. That flips the script. Now it’s not just about endurance - it’s about speed, rhythm, and efficiency. Sloppy reps and shaky lockouts cost you not just effort, but seconds.
Knowing your time cap isn’t optional. It dictates your pacing, your training conditioning, your mental plan, and your pause strategy mid-set. Training blindly just “for a lot of reps” without matching the time constraint is like preparing for a boxing match by running a marathon. It’s work - but it’s not the right work.
Know Your Implement: They’re Not All Equal
Not all deadlifts are created equal. If you’ve only trained on a Texas bar and then show up to pull on a stiff axle, your lungs aren’t the only thing that’s going to suffer.
Each deadlift implement brings its own flavour of pain. A standard bar deadlift is the most transferable but can vary by comp - bar diameter, knurling, whip, and flex all change the feel. An axle bar is a grip-killer. You’ll need straps or world-class grip just to stay in the game. A car deadlift puts you in a different position entirely - upright, quads heavy, and with weird leverages that can’t be mimicked easily unless you’ve built it into your training. Silver dollar and block pulls shorten the range of motion but throw off timing and positioning if you’re not used to them. And all of them demand different set-ups, different warm-ups, and different techniques.
You also need to know whether deadlift suits are allowed. At some comps, especially in non-tested federations or open-level shows, suits are legal and common. If they’re allowed and you’re not using one, you’re at a disadvantage. If they’re banned and you’ve prepped with one, you’ve made a huge error. The same goes for straps, figure 8s, briefs, and even footwear. Find out before you prep - not when you’re lacing up on comp day.
Reset vs Touch and Go: The Difference Between a Win and a No Rep
One of the most overlooked elements of these events is the rep standard. Ninety-nine percent of the time, you’ll be required to reset each rep. That means no bouncing, no touch-and-go, and no rapid cycling like it’s CrossFit. You must come to a controlled stop, reset your brace, and then go again. This absolutely changes the demands of the lift - it’s harder on your setup, your grip, your back, and your lungs.
If you train with touch-and-go reps and then compete under strict reset rules, your performance will drop off a cliff. You’ll be slower, less stable, and you’ll fatigue much faster than expected. Worse - you might get no-repped if you don’t come to a complete stop, or if you lose control at lockout. And the worst part? You won’t even be sure why.
Which brings us to a hard truth: you need to know the rules. If you have a coach or handler, this is their job. But if you’re solo, it’s on you.
📝 Questions to Ask the Promoter Before You Train
What bar or implement is being used?
Is it fixed weight, ascending, or a custom format?
What’s the time cap?
Are suits, straps, or figure 8s allowed?
What’s the rep standard? Reset or touch-and-go?
What counts as a full lockout?
Is hitching allowed? (Most of the time, yes - but check)
Is there a down command, or do you control the descent?
Will reps be called out or do you have to track them?
These might seem obvious, but you’d be amazed how many lifters show up on the day with no idea what they’re actually doing. If you're treating this like a professional athlete would - and you should - then this is basic prep.
Training for reps is hard. But training blindly is stupid. The best rep-pullers in strongman aren’t just tough - they’re informed. They know what they’re walking into and build every session to match it. If you want to win, you need to do the same.
Movement Strategy: Technique That Saves Energy
When you're deadlifting for reps, it’s not just about how much force you can produce - it’s about how efficiently you can produce it, again and again, under fatigue. Winning isn’t about who pulls the fastest in the first ten seconds. It’s about who can maintain speed, positioning, and control when things get messy. Every second counts. Every breakdown in form costs you energy. And every wasted movement takes you further away from winning.
Let’s break down what actually matters in movement strategy when you’re deadlifting for reps - because there’s a difference between a strong lift and a smart one.
Bar Path, Hip Position, and Breathing in a High-Rep Scenario
Most lifters don’t think about bar path beyond “up and down.” But in a high-rep setting, even small deviations can add up fast. The bar should travel in the most direct line possible - close to your shins, controlled off the floor, and locked out without overextending. If it drifts forward even slightly, your hips rise early, your back takes the hit, and the next few reps get exponentially harder.
Hip position is another huge one. Strongman athletes often start too high - trying to yank the bar with the lower back instead of pushing through the legs. That might work for a heavy single, but it won’t hold up under repeated effort. Your hips should stay low enough to let your legs drive the floor, but high enough to avoid turning it into a squat. Finding that balance comes down to setup consistency. If your hips shoot up before the bar even moves, you're already leaking energy.
And then there’s breathing. So many lifters hold their breath for multiple reps thinking they’re being efficient. What they’re really doing is suffocating. The brace breaks down. Air runs out. Everything collapses. You need a repeatable breath cycle. For some, that’s a quick exhale and reset at the top of each rep. For others, it's every 2–3 reps depending on the event and the pacing strategy. Either way, oxygen is not optional. You will not win if you forget how to breathe.
Lockout Fatigue: Why Fast Reps Fall Apart at the Top
The lockout is where rep sets live or die. Most lifters don’t miss because the bar won’t move - they miss because they can’t finish the lift. Hips won’t extend. Shoulders won’t come back. The rep turns into a battle of inches that chews up time and saps your next few reps.
The reason? You’ve blown out your glutes and back before the real work started. Early reps were too explosive, too disconnected. Your setup was loose. You rushed lockout and relied on momentum. Now, when it’s time to actually squeeze and finish with control, you’ve got nothing left.
Lockout needs to be trained deliberately - in setup and in strength work. Pulls from blocks, rack lockouts, band-resisted pulls, and long isometric squeezes all build the staying power to finish reps properly even when you're cooked.
In a rep event, you need to own the lockout. Every time. If you don’t, you’ll either get no-repped or burn out fast trying to force it.
ROM Tweaks That Save You Seconds and Energy
One of the most overlooked ways to win a deadlift for reps event is by making the range of motion shorter - legally. No cheating. Just smarter setup.
Start with belt height. If you wear it too high or too tight, you’ll restrict your brace and your hinge. That might feel supportive on a heavy single, but in a rep scenario it’ll just restrict movement. Play with your belt setup in training - try one hole looser, or slightly lower. You might find your breathing improves and your hinge is more natural.
Foot position matters too. Turning your feet out slightly and bringing your stance in can help reduce bar path and make the pull more direct. You’re not squatting - you’re trying to shorten the distance from floor to lockout. Your feet should support that, not fight it.
And then there’s the lockout itself. You don’t need to overextend. You just need to stand tall, hips through, and shoulders in line. A “soft” lockout that meets the event standard is faster, less taxing, and easier to repeat. Save the exaggerated lean-back for the camera, not the rep counter.
Straps and Grip: Choose the Right Weapon
For most strongman comps, straps are legal and you’d be mad not to use them - especially if it’s an axle or a car deadlift handle. But not all straps are equal, and not all choices are smart.
Figure 8s are popular for a reason. They’re fast, secure, and once you’re set, you don’t have to worry about the bar slipping. But they can limit your ability to reset between reps. If you need to adjust hand position or brace quickly, they can be a liability. And if the bar has any rotation or bounce, you may lose tension.
Traditional lasso straps are more flexible. They take longer to set up, but they give you more control between reps. You can reset your grip, adjust hand width, and still get great security. They’re especially useful on bars with a bit of whip or when you need to keep your strap tension consistent every time.
Chinese weightlifting straps - short, fast-looping ones - are an underrated option. Quick to use, less restrictive than figure 8s, and often a nice middle ground. Great for athletes who want both security and reset ability mid-set.
Hook grip is typically banned in strongman rep events for safety and fairness, and you’d be out of your mind to attempt a 30-rep set raw grip unless you're training for martyrdom. Don’t romanticise grip work in this context. Train your grip, sure - but use straps on the day.
Bracing for Reps: What Changes and What Doesn’t
A big mistake lifters make is bracing like they’re hitting a 1RM every time. It’s too intense. Too much tension. Too slow to reset. You’ll run out of breath and burn out fast.
In rep events, you still need a strong brace - but it has to be repeatable. That means learning how to brace quickly, consistently, and without overdoing it. Think about getting tight enough to support the pull, not maxing out intra-abdominal pressure like you’re going for a PR.
Train this in your volume work. Build a rhythm of brace, lift, reset, repeat that feels natural. You should be able to hit five or more reps without blowing out your core or needing to take a knee.
And be honest - if you’re still yanking from the floor without building tension, your brace is worthless. You’re muscling the bar with your spine and calling it grit.
Fix Your Hamstrings - or Pay the Price
One of the most common breakdowns in strongman deadlifting is the total abandonment of the hamstrings. Lifters drop their hips, throw their knees forward, and yank the bar up with their lower back like it owes them money.
It might work for two or three reps. Maybe even six. But it will not hold up at rep fifteen. The back will fatigue. The lockout will crumble. And your chances of placing just went out the window.
The hamstrings are your deadlift engine. They stabilise your pelvis, drive hip extension, and keep your pull from turning into a slow collapse. If you’re not training them - and using them - you’re losing out on power and longevity in every set.
Good mornings, RDLs, glute-ham raises, inverse curls, and banded hinge work all need to be part of your plan. But more than that, you need to feel your hamstrings working when you pull. If all you feel is your low back, you’re doing it wrong.
Smart technique doesn’t just make your reps cleaner - it makes them faster, more repeatable, and less likely to fall apart when it counts. This isn’t just about lifting well. It’s about lifting better than everyone else when they start breaking down. That’s what wins.
Pacing, Pausing, and Mental Warfare
You can’t just train your body for deadlift for reps - you have to train your brain. Repping under time pressure isn’t just a test of strength. It’s a battle of strategy, composure, and psychological control. If your only plan is “go fast and hope,” you’ve already lost to the person who knows exactly when to pause, how to breathe, and what to ignore.
This is a sport. Treat it like one.
Plan the First Rep. Plan the Middle. Plan the Final Push.
Every great set of reps has three phases:
The opener - your first rep is the tone-setter. Too aggressive and you might tip forward, yank the bar, or miss the lockout. Too slow and you lose tempo. Aim for a clean, efficient opener. One that builds confidence and feels like something you could do ten more times.
The middle reps - this is where most lifters fall apart. They either redline too early or stall completely after 4–5 reps. These reps should be smooth, paced, and methodical. Focus on bar path, breath, and bracing. Think one clean rep at a time.
The final push - the last 15–20 seconds is where comps are won. This is where you need to flick the switch. Stop overthinking. Lock in your form and fight. If you've saved enough in the tank, this is when you pull ahead.
You don’t need to sprint the whole set. You need to control the middle so you can attack the end.
Mental Cues: Count Aloud? Eyes Closed? Ignore the Crowd?
This is personal - but you need a plan.
Counting reps aloud helps you stay present and track progress, especially when fatigued. But if it throws off your breathing or tempo, use hand signals or internal markers instead.
Some lifters close their eyes mid-set to block out distractions and stay internal. Others keep a fixed gaze on the floor to avoid watching the crowd or judges. Either way, don't let your focus scatter. Stay inside the lift.
Ignore the crowd unless you’re the type who thrives off chaos. Most people gas out trying to impress their mates in the first ten seconds. Let them. Keep your eyes on your rep count, your breath, and your finish line.
When to Pause - And the Three-Breath Rule
There’s a golden rule in strongman rep events: don’t pause for longer than three deep breaths unless something is truly wrong.
One breath = transition Two breaths = recovery Three breaths = decision time
If you’re still standing there after breath three, it’s time to go. Any longer, and you’re not recovering - you’re stalling. That’s when panic creeps in, heart rate spikes, and the rest of your set goes to hell.
Train this. Practice short resets in training. Know what three breaths feels like when your heart rate is through the roof. It’s faster than you think.
“Just Go Fast” Is Not a Plan
“Just go fast” is how novices train for rep events. It sounds brave - but it’s actually lazy. Anyone can sprint through a few reps. Champions know how to build a pace they can maintain when it counts.
You need rhythm. You need intent. And you need to decide in advance when and how you’ll reset, breathe, and push.
Train your plan. Run mock events. Learn how to lift fast without rushing, and how to recover without collapsing. That’s what separates the 5th-place finishers from the podium.
Assess the Gap: Are You Strong Enough for Reps Yet?
Before you waste six weeks doing barbell cycling drills or EMOMs, ask yourself one hard question:
Could you hit one rep at this weight, with this setup, today?
Be honest. If the answer is no, then your priority is not reps. It’s raw strength. You can’t pace through a lift you can’t budge. And no amount of GPP is going to compensate for a missing deadlift.
Reverse-Engineer the Event: What Do You Actually Need?
Once you know whether you can hit a single, the next question is how many could you hit now, realistically, on this event? Based on that, we categorise your gap into three clear targets:
🏋️ Maximal Strength
If your best is 1–3 reps at comp weight, you’re not ready for a rep event.
You need to spend the next 4–6 weeks pushing heavy pulls, rack work, supramaximal holds, and low-rep top sets.
Accessories should target hamstrings, glutes, and spinal rigidity. Skip the barbell cycling. Earn the right to rep.
🔁 Repetition Strength
If you can hit 5–7 reps but fall apart with fatigue, your goal is to extend that threshold.
Hit sets of 6–10 at comp weight or slight drops, with controlled rest periods.
Train with time constraints and judge-standard lockouts. Build resilience in the middle of the set. That’s where wins are made.
🫁 Conditioning and Pacing
If you already have the strength to bang out 10+ reps but lose to fitter athletes, the plan changes.
Focus on lactic capacity, barbell density, and speed-under-fatigue.
Use DE waves with minimal rest, sleds, kettlebell swings, and conditioning medleys to bring your lungs up to speed.
Practise actual rep sets with your competition setup - axle, deficit, car frame, etc.
Timeline Logic: When Should You Do This Assessment?
This assessment should happen 6–12 weeks out from comp. That gives you enough time to:
Add raw strength if needed
Shift to high-rep prep
Dial in pacing and event rhythm
Leave it too late, and you’re stuck doing what feels good instead of what you actually need.
🔍 “How Many Reps Should You Be Aiming For?”
Don’t guess. Go look.
Check previous years’ results for your weight class
Ask the promoter what’s expected
Watch footage from other local shows with the same implement
If 12+ reps is what wins, and you’re at 4, you don’t need more cardio - you need more horsepower. Don’t confuse effort with preparation. Know the target and train accordingly.
This is where smart strongman training separates itself from generic prep. You don’t just “get fit” and hope. You break the event down, identify the gap, and build the exact qualities required to win it.
That’s the difference between showing up and showing up ready.
Programming the Build-Up: Conjugate Style
If you want to dominate a deadlift for reps event, you can’t just chase reps randomly. You need a plan that actually develops the systems that matter - strength, speed, positioning, fatigue tolerance, and event-specific execution.
That’s where the Conjugate Method shines. Not just because it’s varied - but because it’s targeted. A well-designed Conjugate block trains exactly what you need most, based on how far off you are from a podium-worthy performance.
Below is how we structure the prep:
Max Effort Work: Build the Ceiling First
If your 1-rep max is too low, you’re not in the game. The fastest way to raise your rep potential is to raise your absolute ceiling.
Max Effort pulls train top-end strength, mental grit, and positional awareness under limit loads - all of which matter massively when rep 7 feels like it’s trying to break your spine.
Start your week with heavy deadlift variants:
Deficit deadlifts to build off the floor power and positioning
Stiff-leg deadlifts for hamstring dominance and spinal discipline
Axle deadlifts to crush grip and teach control
Car frame deadlifts or frame sim pulls for awkward starting strength
These aren’t just exercises. They’re diagnostic tools. Rotate them weekly to keep stimulus high and expose weak links.
Pain tolerance. Maximal tension. Confidence at top-end loads. These don’t come from high-rep AMRAPs. They come from heavy pulls that make you question your life choices - and then doing them again next week.
Dynamic Effort Deadlift Waves: Bar Speed, Control, and Fatigue Integrity
Once you’re strong, you have to stay fast.
Speed deadlift waves, done for low reps and short rest, build:
Consistent bar path under fatigue
Bracing and tension at submax weights
Lifting rhythm - the skill of getting set and going again fast
We run waves in three-week blocks:
Straight weight (60–70%) to set baseline
Bands (50–60% bar + 20–25% band) to overload lockout
Chains or bar speed targets (60–65%) to improve timing
Do 6–10 sets of 2–3 reps with 30–45 seconds rest. Move with intent, but hold form. This is how you make every rep in your competition set feel the same - whether it’s rep 1 or rep 15.
Repetition Method: Build Specific Endurance and Technical Consistency
Repping is its own skill. You need to practise:
Resetting between reps
Breathing under time constraints
Managing cumulative fatigue
Locking out when you’re already exhausted
This is where Repetition Method pulls come in - higher rep sets (6–15) with a focus on technical execution under fatigue. It’s not cardio. It’s repeated skill under load.
Some examples we’ve used in our own deadlift programs:
Double Down on Your Deadlift PB: includes wave progression for high-rep strength, banded pulls, and time cap rep sets.
Deadlift PB Without Deadlifting: focuses on building all the necessary components through specialty bars, good mornings, and movement regressions. Perfect if you're dealing with injury or want a different stimulus before repping out on a barbell again.
These programs both approach the same goal - deadlift dominance - from different angles. Together, they build the full package.
Event-Specific Implement Days: Don’t Just Hope It Transfers
If you know your event isn’t a straight barbell deadlift, you need to get specific. One day per week should expose you to the competition implement or a credible substitute.
If it’s:
Car deadlift frame - simulate the range and setup with trap bar + mats, duck stance frame pulls, or backward-angled lever lifts.
Block pulls or silver dollar deadlifts - raise your barbell or axle inside the rack. Match the starting height and get used to the weirdness.
Axle deadlift for reps - train double overhand until it fails, then transition to straps. Practise grip shifts, chalk management, and strap speed.
Deficit barbell reps - use to build off-the-floor positioning, timing, and reset efficiency.
Lifting 15 reps in comp doesn’t just mean being strong. It means knowing how to move with that exact setup under pressure.
🔧“What to Do If the Event Is Car Deadlift and You Don’t Have One”
No car frame? No problem. Here’s how to fake it:
Trap bar elevated on blocks – Load it heavy and elevate the handles to match the starting height of the car frame. Wide stance, arms outside knees.
Axle bar in the rack – Set safety pins at car frame height and use straps. This builds the same mid-range grind and lockout pressure.
Backward-angled lever deadlift machine – Available in some gyms. Mimics the angled lever arm and centre-of-gravity pull.
Duck-stance frame pulls – If you have a regular strongman frame, widen the stance and raise it on mats. Match the grip width and movement arc.
You don’t need a car frame to train the event. You need to match:
Starting position
Load pattern
Lockout angle
Setup rhythm
Rehearse your hand placement, foot position, and tempo as if it’s comp day. The more you train the weirdness, the less weird it’ll feel under pressure.
Conjugate gives you all the tools - you just need to choose them based on what the event demands and where you're falling short.
Smart programming isn’t about variety for its own sake. It’s about preparing for the exact battle you're going to fight.
And if that battle is a rep-fest at 250kg on a car frame in the sun… you’d better be ready, have at least one session where you prep directly for this eventuality - sunglasses and all.
Accessory Work That Carries Over
When it comes to winning deadlift for reps events, raw strength alone won’t carry you through. Repetition fatigue isn’t just about failing to stand up with the bar - it’s about everything else breaking down first. Your grip slips, your back rounds, your hamstrings give out, your lungs revolt, and suddenly you’re halfway through your set with nothing left to give.
Accessories are what fix that.
In Conjugate training, assistance work isn’t just extra volume. It’s where the specific weaknesses get attacked and where the invisible engines behind high-rep performance get built. If you’re not winning your deadlift medleys, odds are your accessory plan isn’t doing its job.
Hamstring Resilience: The First Line of Defence
High-rep deadlifting will find the weakest link in your posterior chain. Most often, it’s the hamstrings. If they give out, everything collapses - bar speed, posture, lockout, bracing. Worse, they rarely fail with drama. They just fade into non-functional status halfway through a set.
You need hamstrings that contract violently, hold tension mid-rep, and reset quickly.
Best-in-class builders:
Glute-Ham Raises (GHRs) – Controlled eccentric, explosive concentric. Aim for 3–5 sets of 6–10.
Nordic curls or assisted inverse curls – A gold standard for injury-proofing and end-range strength.
Banded RDLs – Teach hip hinge timing and tension against increasing resistance.
Don’t just go through the motions. Train them with intent - full range, full contraction, and with competition in mind. If you want rep 12 to look like rep 2, your hamstrings need to be built to endure.
Lockout Machines: Load the Final Inches
The lockout is where most lifters lose reps in comp. The bar gets above the knee, but the glutes don’t fire, the spine folds, or the lifter just runs out of willpower and air.
To build lockout resilience:
Reverse hypers – Louie Simmons’ staple. Train them heavy and light. They build glute drive and pump spinal blood flow for recovery.
Back extensions (45° and horizontal) – Great for glutes, hamstrings, and spinal erectors. Weighted or banded for progression.
Rack pulls from below the knee – Use them sparingly and heavy. Perfect for top-end tension and mid-range grind.
Heavy kettlebell swings or banded swings – Train hip extension timing and crisp lockout mechanics at speed.
Lockout is about more than glutes - it’s a system of coordinated pressure. Train the components in isolation and then bring them together under load.
Lats and Upper Back: The Silent Stabilisers
The more tired you get, the more the bar wants to drift - and the more you rely on your lats to reel it back in. A strong upper back keeps you in position, helps finish reps cleanly, and resists rounding under speed.
Underrated upper-back builders:
Seal rows – Pure scapular retraction with no cheating. Helps hold the bar close mid-rep.
Snatch grip deadlifts or pulls from blocks – Trains upper back like nothing else. Use sparingly, high volume or heavy.
Shrugs (barbell, dumbbell, trap bar) – Add a shrug at the top of RDLs or rows. Focus on end-range hold.
Heavy rows (chest-supported, dumbbell, T-bar) – Pull with intent. Control the eccentric. Lock the scapulae.
The lifters who make rep 15 look like rep 1 aren’t just strong. They’re rigid, braced, and consistent from every angle.
Grip and Forearm Integrity: Don’t Let Go Early
Strongman is a grip sport. If you’re relying on luck or hoping the straps don’t slip, you’ve already lost.
Train your grip year-round with intent:
Axle bar holds – Deadlift an axle, hold for max time. Double overhand until you fail. Then with straps.
Rolling thunder or thick handle holds – Pinch strength and wrist stability in one.
Barbell timed holds – 200kg for time? Strapless holds at 140? Add progressively each week.
Plate pinches and hangs – Build support strength and thumb pressure.
Even with straps, fatigue eats forearms alive. Don’t just hope they survive - train them like you train everything else.
Breathing and Core Under Fatigue: The Forgotten Factor
By the time you’re halfway through a deadlift medley, your core is panicking, your diaphragm’s on fire, and your coordination’s hanging by a thread. You need a midsection that anchors your breathing, not collapses under it.
Best choices:
Tempo carries (front rack, Zercher, suitcase) – Breathe and walk. Train control under oxygen debt.
Sandbag bearhug carries – Force constant bracing under positional shift.
Heavy front-loaded holds – Use a sandbag, stone, or dumbbell. 30+ second sets under tension.
Pallof press holds or banded bracing drills – Control rotation and stabilise from the centre.
Bracing isn’t just for rep 1. You have to do it over and over again - and under fatigue, not just from fresh.
Accessories make the difference between a lifter who falls apart halfway through a comp set, and one who tightens up, dials in, and kicks harder with every rep. If you’re coasting through accessories without a purpose, you're not training like a competitor.
Your muscles don’t know what “main lift” and “accessory” mean. They know tension, fatigue, time under load, and effort. Train accordingly - and let your competition wonder how the hell you just hit 17 reps when they were done at eight.
Conditioning for Reps: GPP Meets Skill
When the weight on the bar isn’t maximal, it’s not just about strength anymore. In a deadlift for reps event, conditioning becomes the silent killer. You might be strong enough to rip 5 or 6 fast reps - but by rep 8, your lungs are failing, your hinge is collapsing, and your reps slow to a crawl. This isn’t just a matter of fitness. It’s about relevant conditioning.
True competition preparedness means more than gas tank work. It means rehearsing the physiological demands of the event itself - under breathing strain, under muscular fatigue, and under time pressure.
Sled Drags + Light Pulls: The Power of Simple Combos
The sled is one of the most effective, underused tools in rep event prep. It teaches conditioning without eccentric damage, strengthens the posterior chain, and lets you move for time and distance with precision.
One of the best combinations:
Sled drag (20–30m, fast pace) immediately into
Technique deadlifts (40–60% of event weight, 8–10 reps)
Why it works: the sled forces the posterior chain to light up, your lungs start working hard, and then you move straight into position for clean, intentional reps under fatigue. Perfect for learning recovery pacing between reps and maintaining position when tired.
Try 4–6 rounds with short rest between, gradually increasing the sled weight or bar load each week. This format mimics the middle 20–40 seconds of a real comp set.
RDLs into Kettlebell Swings: Dynamic Hip Hinge Endurance
Not every conditioning session has to involve full deadlifts. In fact, you’ll often get more value from hinge variations that maintain form and build hip endurance without requiring full setup and brace between every rep.
Pairing RDLs and kettlebell swings:
Barbell or dumbbell RDLs – 10–12 reps at moderate weight
Hard-style kettlebell swings – 15–20 reps immediately after
The RDL teaches sustained posterior tension. The swing teaches explosiveness, breathing rhythm, and hinge accuracy. When you pair them, you get the exact skillset needed to keep form tight even as fatigue builds. You learn to use your hamstrings and hips - not your lower back - to move with speed and intent.
This is especially valuable for lifters who tend to over-extend or yank with the spine in competition.
Breathing Ladders with Farmer’s or Yoke: GPP with Specific Stress
A breathing ladder is a conditioning structure where you pair reps or distance with controlled breathing intervals. This builds the ability to brace, move, and recover - all while under oxygen debt. In strongman, where nearly every event is about coordination under fatigue, this is a direct line to comp carryover.
Try:
Farmer’s walks (15m, turn, 15m)
Pause, take 3–5 controlled breaths
Repeat for 4–6 rounds with escalating pace
Or:
Yoke carries (short-distance heavy)
Add 1–2 breaths per set and reduce rest between rounds
The goal isn’t to finish gasping - it’s to train composure under pressure. These drills also improve grip endurance, core stabilisation, and mental discipline. In a high-rep deadlift set, knowing when and how to breathe is often what separates 8 reps from 14.
Using Metcon-Style Sessions Intelligently
It’s easy to get carried away with strongman metcons - but slapping together burpees and tire flips isn't the point. You’re not doing CrossFit. You're building specific event readiness.
When you use metcon-style setups, they need to be:
Short (6–12 minutes)
Built around posterior chain and grip
Used sparingly - not every week
Sample session:
3 rounds for time: • 8 axle deadlifts at 60% comp weight • 6 sandbag-to-shoulder • 15m farmer’s walk • Rest 90–120 seconds between rounds
This sort of session builds not just work capacity, but also technical accuracy under duress. It forces decision-making, teaches event pacing, and increases familiarity with moving from pull to hold to carry - just like in comp day medleys.
Conditioning for reps doesn’t mean running yourself into the ground. It means targeted exposure to the kinds of fatigue you’ll experience at rep 11, not rep 1. Build your engine with purpose. Practice breathing like a lifter, not a sprinter. And structure your GPP so it reinforces event skill - not just general exhaustion.
Because when the crowd’s screaming, the clock’s ticking, and your legs are shaking - it’s the work you did under silent fatigue that’ll carry you to the win.
Comp Day Execution
All the preparation in the world means nothing if you botch the performance. Deadlift for reps is one of those strongman events where execution under pressure is everything. One bad decision - too fast, too slow, rushed setup, panic breathing - and the whole set unravels. Meet day isn’t just about brute strength. It’s about precision, timing, and calm in the chaos.
This section is your guide to making every rep count when it matters most.
How to Warm Up (and How Not To)
The goal of warming up for a deadlift reps event is to be primed - not gassed, not lazy, and not confused.
Here’s what not to do:
Hit a near-max single in the warm-up room to “test the water”
Do sets of 8–10 reps trying to mimic the comp load
Sit around for 45 minutes cooling off before your turn
What you should do:
Stick to singles and doubles with crisp technique
Gradually build up to ~70–80% of the event weight
Leave at least 5–10 minutes before your set to mentally reset
Stay warm with light dynamic movement - banded GMs, reverse hypers, glute bridges
Don’t get sucked into the drama of other lifters’ warm-ups. Stick to your plan. If your event weight is 240kg, you probably don’t need to pull more than 190–200kg backstage - you’re not trying to prove anything, you’re trying to win.
Timing Your Ammonia, Belt, Straps, and Cues
When you’re running on adrenaline, time moves differently. Lifters either rush everything or forget half of their cues. Have a routine.
Ammonia: Use it 10–15 seconds before you lift - not a full minute early and not mid-rep. You want it sharp enough to wake you up, not so early it wears off.
Belt: Put it on early in your setup, but not so tight you lose position. Most people tighten too much and then can’t breathe for rep 2. Learn how many notches you need when under pressure - and test it in training.
Straps: If allowed, get them tight on the bar before the whistle (assuming rules permit). Figure 8s should be looped and cinched - don’t be the lifter fumbling with them while the clock ticks.
Cues: Have one technical cue to repeat in your head - not six. Think: “Hips back, snap” or “Brace and push.” When fatigue hits, simple wins.
Choosing Your Opening Tempo and When to Ramp Up
This is where most lifters lose comps. They go out blazing fast, bang out 5 reps in 10 seconds, and then look like they’ve been hit by a train. Or they start too slow, never ramp up, and miss the chance to hit their ceiling.
Here’s the smarter path:
Reps 1–3: Locked in, tight, deliberate. Get your rhythm.
Reps 4–6: Build speed, stay smooth. Monitor fatigue.
Reps 7–10+: Controlled aggression. One breath, one rep. Stay sharp.
Final 5–10 seconds: Go. You can survive anything for 10 seconds.
Practice your tempo in training. Set a timer and learn your natural cadence. Do you do better with singles every 4 seconds? With fast 2s and a pause? That rhythm is part of your competitive identity. Don’t wing it.
What to Do When Reps Go Sideways: Mid-Set Recovery Tactics
You WILL have a moment where something feels wrong. The bar drifts. Your foot slips. You blank on your count. This is where composure wins over panic.
Breathe. One deep breath resets more than you think. Use the 3-breath rule: take 3 deep breaths to lower your heart rate, reset your brace, and get your head straight.
Rebuild your feet. If you feel out of position, quickly reset your stance. One wasted second here is better than three failed reps from a bad pull.
Find a hard focal point. Don’t look at the crowd or the judge. Find a fixed point in front of you - eye level or slightly above - and lock onto it. It keeps your posture honest and your mind anchored.
Don’t give up a rep. If the bar breaks the floor, you fight it. Some of the ugliest deadlifts have been the winning ones. But - know when to let go and reset if it’s truly off. Learn to distinguish between a hard rep and a wasted one.
Meet day execution is about composure under stress. You don’t need to be the fastest or the strongest. You need to be the one who keeps their head when the room is loud, the bar is heavy, and time is running out.
You’ve already done the work. Trust your pace, own your setup, and fight for every single rep like it’s the one that gets you on the podium.
Common Mistakes That Kill Rep Events
There’s a graveyard of good lifters who blew their shot at deadlift for reps events. It’s not because they weren’t strong enough. It’s because they made small, easily avoidable errors that compounded under pressure. In this section, we’re shining a light on the repeat offenders - the training and meet-day mistakes that cost lifters reps, placings, and medals.
Let’s dissect them before they dissect your chances.
Ego Opening Pace
The biggest killer of rep events is opening like it’s a 3-rep max and then falling apart at rep five. There’s a misplaced pride in flying out of the gate, as if setting the tone means sprinting through the first ten seconds. But there are no bonus points for fast reps that don’t finish the set. If anything, you’re handing the win to someone with better control.
Fast reps don’t just burn oxygen - they fry your brace, wreck your rhythm, and kill your ability to lock out cleanly when it counts. Strongman rewards efficiency, not flash.
Instead, open like you’re planning to win, not impress the crowd. The guy who gets 9 reps in 20 seconds then misses the next 40 seconds? He’s not the guy collecting the trophy.
Over-Reliance on Chalk or Straps
Chalk is a tool. Straps are a tool. But when you become psychologically dependent on them - or you never train without them - you create a vulnerability. What if the chalk bucket’s empty? What if the event bar is caked with someone else’s mess? What if you rush your strap setup and miss your rhythm?
Too many lifters rely on external tools to give them internal confidence.
Chalk obsession: Lifters chalk up after every rep like it’s a ritual. Wasted time, wasted breath, zero benefit. Learn to keep going.
Strap fumbles: Figure 8s tangled? Wrong tension? You just burned 10 seconds. Practice your strap setup under time pressure. Drill it until it’s second nature.
Mental collapse: If your grip slips once, some lifters panic and mentally check out. Stay calm. Reset, restrap, and recover. You’re not done unless the clock says you are.
Train with and without your gear. Don’t let your brain tell you that the kit is what makes you strong.
Underestimating Leg Drive and Overemphasising Back
This one is pandemic-level widespread in amateur strongman.
So many lifters treat the deadlift like a back yank - pulling with a rounded spine, shoulders forward, minimal tension from the hamstrings or glutes. It works for a max single, maybe. But not for reps. Not when the bar needs to move smoothly under fatigue.
If your legs don’t push and your hips don’t snap, your lockout dies a slow death every rep. Fatigue sets in, and the back can’t carry the burden alone.
The fix:
Train your posterior chain - not just “deadlifts,” but glute-ham raises, sled pushes, RDLs, and banded leg curls.
Use cues like “push the floor away” and “chest up, hips through.”
Film yourself. If every rep looks like a Jefferson curl, your technique is leaving free reps on the platform.
Losing Count or Panicking Mid-Set
It’s a rep event - if you don’t know how many you’ve done, you’re gambling. Worse still is when you panic mid-set and either rush, bail, or second-guess yourself.
This usually happens because the lifter has no in-set strategy. No plan for when to pause. No rhythm for breathing. No awareness of time.
Here’s how to beat it:
Have someone count aloud for you - a coach, handler, or even a fellow athlete.
Rehearse counting aloud yourself in training if you train solo. It locks in awareness.
Use breathing patterns to mark your tempo. Every third breath = one rep? Build your rhythm.
Practise pausing and resetting calmly. Don’t treat a rep break as failure - it’s just part of the plan.
Mental composure is your secret weapon. If your body’s ready but your brain folds, you’re out.
Training for Max Effort When You Need Repeatability
You can’t just pull heavy singles for 8 weeks and expect to dominate a 60-second rep event. They’re different skills. Maximal strength under zero fatigue is not the same as repeating submaximal strength with precision under oxygen debt.
If your program looks like:
Monday: Heavy single
Thursday: Heavy single
Saturday: Car deadlift for singles
...you’re not preparing for reps. You’re avoiding the very stimulus you need.
The antidote:
Rotate in repetition work. Sets of 6–10 at comp tempo.
Use DE waves to train speed and fatigue resistance.
Add conditioning pieces that simulate high-tension fatigue: kettlebell swings, tempo carries, fast RDLs, etc.
Train implement deadlifts for volume, not just the novelty.
Reps win rep events. Don’t train like you’re prepping for an all-time PR if the contest is a war of attrition.
Avoid these five pitfalls and you turn chaos into control. Every rep you leave on the floor because of ego, panic, or poor prep is one your opponent doesn’t have to fight for. Clean up your strategy, tighten your execution, and make every second count.
Sample 4–6 Week Peaking Block
You’ve built the strength, nailed your technique, and assessed your capacity - now it’s time to peak. Peaking for a deadlift-for-reps event isn’t just about feeling good on the day. It’s about strategically sharpening the exact systems that win: repeatable pulling, precision under fatigue, and controlled aggression across a full minute.
This sample peaking block is built using Conjugate logic and principles from the Double Down and Deadlift PB Without Deadlifting programs. It combines focused repetition exposure, event-specific practice, and supportive GPP to build real-world readiness - not just a gym PR.
Weekly Framework
2 Main Deadlift Days Per Week:
Primary Session: Repetition or implement-specific deadlift (competition prep day)
Secondary Session (optional): Dynamic Effort (DE) pull variation + GPP (conditioning, grip, carries)
Your weekly layout might look like:
Monday – Lower Body Max/Rep Deadlift Focus
Wednesday – Upper Body (pressing, accessories)
Friday – DE Deadlift + GPP Circuit
Saturday/Sunday – Event Practice (if not built into Monday)
Let’s look at the 6-week build-up, starting from your event 6 weeks out:
Week 1 (6 weeks out) – Repetition Exposure Begins
Main Pull: 3–4 sets of 5–8 reps @ comp weight or slightly lighter (reset reps, no touch-and-go) Use comp implement if available. If not, match the bar height/angle as closely as possible.
Secondary Work: Deficit deadlifts (3x6), hamstring accessories (GHRs, banded RDLs), breathing carries
DE Pull (optional): 8x2 @ 70% bar weight, short rest, banded for tension and speed Add kettlebell swing ladder or sled drags post-lift
Week 2 – Bar Speed and Rhythm
Main Pull: 4–5 sets of 6–10 reps @ ~80–85% comp weight Focus on timing, rhythm, and pausing after rep 4–5 - simulate the “mid-set breath”
Accessory Focus: Mid-back rows (snatch grip), seal rows, tempo reverse hypers Start including some grip fatigue with axle holds or sandbag carries
DE Pull (optional): 10x1 speed deadlifts with band tension (60–70%), 30s rest Finish with yoke walk intervals + light RDLs
Week 3 – Specificity Over Volume
Main Pull: 2–3 competition-style sets to technical failure @ comp weight Strap up, time the set, and count reps. Film for analysis. Rest 3–5 minutes between sets.
Support Work: Back extensions (heavy), inverse curls, support holds for time If you haven’t already, test your full meet-day setup - belt, ammonia, setup cues
DE/GPP Day (optional): Circuit of swings, light deadlifts, and farmer’s - think movement quality, not intensity
Week 4 – Peak Simulation
Main Pull: 1 full competition simulation @ target weight and time cap Treat it like the event: warm-up fully, get someone to count reps, simulate pressure Optional back-off set at 60% for speed and confidence (e.g., 1x8)
Support Work: Lightened volume: 2–3 accessories only. Keep breathing and bracing work in (tempo carries, sandbag holds)
DE Pulls (if needed): Drop to 5x1 speed pulls with chain resistance - focus on bar velocity from floor to lockout Finish with bodyweight GPP (e.g., 3 rounds: lunges, bear crawls, bird dogs)
Week 5 – Taper and Intent
Main Pull: 1–2 easy sets of 4–6 @ 65–70% Nail positioning and confidence. Everything should feel snappy. This is mental prep, not fatigue-building.
Support Work: Minimal - pick 2 accessories you feel good doing. Save the energy for comp day.
DE/GPP: Optional light circuit mid-week: sled drag + tempo swings + light carries + mobility
Week 6 – Competition Week
Early Week: 1 short session - banded speed pulls (3x1 @ 50%), reverse hypers, mobility Walk through your comp setup and cues. Visualise success.
Mid/Late Week: Prioritise rest, hydration, positioning drills, and energy management. Sleep like it’s your job.
What If It’s a Car Deadlift and You Don’t Have One?”
No car frame? No problem. Here's how to approximate the pattern:
Trap Bar Elevated Pulls: Set the handles to match car frame height, use straps, and pause at the top
Axle Block Pulls: Match the grip width and tension - the grind is part of the specificity
Reverse Band Rack Pulls: Match the top intensity while reducing the load off the floor
Harness Rows or Sled Rows: Train the exact upper back + grip fatigue combo
Train movements, not just implements. And if you can visit a gym with a frame once in the peak, even better.
This peaking block won’t just make you fitter - it will make you smarter, more controlled, and fully event-ready. You’ll hit the platform with rhythm, confidence, and the exact skillset needed to pull rep after rep when it counts.
Out-Think, Out-Lift, Out-Last
Winning deadlift-for-reps events isn’t just about who can yank the bar the most times in 60 seconds. It’s about composure under pressure. It’s about knowing your body, knowing your event, and making decisions with clarity and confidence before your hands even touch the bar.
The athletes who win - consistently, across divisions, weight classes, and formats - aren’t always the strongest in the gym. They’re the ones who know how to play the game. They out-think their competition with smarter preparation. They out-lift their rivals with efficient, precise movement. And they out-last the chaos with grit, conditioning, and presence of mind.
What Separates the Winners?
Pacing that’s ruthless and rehearsed. They don’t guess their rhythm - they’ve trained it in the weeks prior.
Technical economy. Their reps don’t waste energy. Their bar path stays tight. Their lockouts don’t leak force.
Tactical calm. They’ve practised chaos. They’ve failed reps in training and learned to recover mid-set.
Reverse engineering. They knew whether they needed more strength or more conditioning - and they programmed accordingly.
This is why some athletes can win a novice show one month, then hold their own in an open class a few months later. They learn. They refine. They get serious about the skills that actually win - not just the lifts that look good on Instagram.
Every Event Is a Lesson
Whether you smash the event or fall apart under the lights, every rep is data.
Did your back blow up at rep 5? Time to reassess hamstring work and hip position.
Did your grip go when the straps slipped? Add more timed support holds and chalk discipline to your prep.
Did you lose count or panic with 10 seconds left? Revisit how you simulate pressure in training.
Keep a post-comp log. Film your set. Review it with a coach. Every event is a chance to build the next victory - or repeat the same avoidable mistakes.
Take the Next Step
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Out-think. Out-lift. Out-last. That’s how you win - not just once, but over and over again.
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