Why Are Deadlifts Harder to Recover From Than Squats? 

Dear Greg! I'm from Russia. I know English very poorly and I am writing this message with the help of a google translator. I'm sorry for my bad english. Thanks to your deadlift training videos and tips for short arms, I was able to increase my deadlift by 55 kg. From 230 to 285 kg. Your advice on deadlifts for people with short arms is the only one that is really helpful in practice. Thank you dear Greg.

I only poop with a 600 pound barbell so squats felt very comfortable from the start.

This video reminds me that it's time for my thrice yearly haircut.

My theory is that it is more difficult for the CNS to produce maximal neural output at the outset of a lift (to break the weight off the floor), especially without the aid of the stretch reflex. Secondly, people train deadlifts less often and squats more often because they think they can, so there is confirmation bias.

lookin fresh asf my dawg

For me after squats I feel like someone had taken a part of my soul, so hard to recover from, but deadlifts feel like a breeze. Maybe I'm not pushing the deadlift to the same extent as squats?

Awesome Video Greg! Thank you for everything !:)

Head looking thick.. tight.. powerful..

Thanks for the video, very informative. Also you're looking good, your discipline is paying off :) anyway, if you are willing to discuss it on your next video, I bring up the topic of rotator cuff issues in powerlifting, what causes them specifically, the ideal ratio between internal external rotation and what ever else you can find and know and what squatters elbow is.

No stretch reflex in deadlift. Also loading much higher relative to capability as compared to squat.

Question: We want to set up a 4 or 5 week long training block and want to reap some benefits from functional overreaching and deloading. When we take a look at the most common programms, we see two options: 1) There is an overreaching microcycle in the beginning, followed by medium stress microcycles (at MRV/MAV) followed by one deload week (comparable to the RTS intermediate program), so you carry some fatigue through the whole mesocycle. This puts you in a longer lasting overreaching state (maybe more gains), but maybe compromises the perfomance in your medium stress workouts. 2) There are a few medium stress weeks, followed by one high stress week, followed by a deload. Shorter overreaching state but better performance throughout the medium stress weeks. What are the benefits of each approach and in which context?

Hey Greg, Nice video as always, just a question, what do you think about accessory work and variations? like the zercher squat for upper back and extra core strength and if they could be used as a substitute if you're not competing or you want a different approach to the training.

Does the hook grip negatively affect grip strength? Does it "kill the nerves" in your thumb? Ps love your videos and articles and your beard. No homo.

Informative. Subbed.

Great videos Greg! Could you maybe go a bit more in depth with the "frying the CNS" when deadlifting with high intensity, i cant really find any good articles about it, but it is mentioned in a lot of youtube vids.

Hey Greg could you do a video on programming a cut into a macro cycle? It seems like everyone says Hypertrophy -> Strength -> Peak when powerlifting, but if your advice is also to cut down to 10-15% whenever you hit 20-22% body fat, there must be an optimal time to program in that cut (for example, if you're close to 20% near a peak, you probably don't want to cut right before your meet). What's the best way to fit a cut into a macro cycle? And when you cut, what programming adjustments should you make?

That's a great conclusion, I'm a weightlifter so I employ the hook grip almost 85% of the time during my workouts. When my hands are "beat up" I feel a negative/painful/emotional response to not lift.

Hey Gregg, I think it's really cool you make these video's! I personally have a different exploitation for why deadlifts with straps are easyer to recover from. In my experience straps allow me (and probably others to) to produce more force from tha upper back wich helps to keep the spine more neutral. Therefore it wil help to decreace the recovery time thats needed. But you have a strong point for the hands so maybe they could both help.

Making all kindz of haircut gains :) Great breakdown!

Hey greg, awesome video. I've watched a lot of videos/read a lot of articles about rounding your back during deadlifts (some probably not great sources of quality information) but the question I havent found a clear answer on is, does a little bit of rounding during deadlifts have a negative effect on your back overtime? Sometimes after I have an especially hard/heavy deadlift session I realize (via filming myself) that I rounded my back a little bit more than Id like, but after the workout I dont feel especially more sore in my back and a couple days later I feel pretty much fully recovered, so it seems that im not hurting myself in anyway. Thanks!

The day after deadlifts Im Tired and dont wanna talk to nobody.. I love deadlifts but the next day always sucks

Hey Greg, Love this series idea. What would you say the relative difference between squatting without sleeves/with sleeves and squatting with wraps is? As a side not to the same question; do you think there is a difference between sleeves and no sleeves?

Greg man, I absolutely love your content and I love gaining knowledge about powerlifting, it's something that I'm passionate about and find interesting. I, personally, have really missed your content, I'm not asking for you to carry on uploading but maybe just an explaination? Thanks man, you're content is great bro!

Hey dude, love the videos and articles. I have a question: How would you design a beginner strongman training (for someone who knows he is going to do strongman for sure). I would have just taken your 28 programs, taken the 2x squat, 3x bench (and doing ohp instead of bench) and 1x deadlift programs and filling in some accessories, a ton of core work and GPP. Is that alright? OHP is 70kgx5 and deadlift 170kgx4 @72kg BW.

What is your opinion on the reverse hyper extension? What knowledge on it can you share man? Looking forward to your answer!

Could you talk about the difference between whey and casein protein? I know the general rules, but is there any benefit of one over the other, provided you have a relatively healthy diet and just need some extra protein? Does the literature support one over the other for recovery? Thanks! I'm loving these videos. Great job!

Hi Greg, hopefully you see this... I have looked for a list of ideal %s of competition lift 1RM vs variation 1RM but have found nothing! e.g. if I low bar squat (with a belt) 500lbs what 'should' I be able to high bar squat or low bar squat beltless etc? I feel like this would be the easiest way to determine lifts you are bad at that you can focus on improving in order to transfer over to your competition lift. So if I can low bar squat 500lbs but high bar only 400lbs when it should be around 90%/450lbs, then that's a clear area for improvement and potentially the fastest route to building my low bar. I know you're the kinda guy who has the ability to provide an excellent guide on this... Just putting it out there!

+Strengththeory hey Greg....do you think its important to squat high Bar even if you use low bar in meets? for muscular strength development? and the same for sumo/conventional pulls...do you feel there's a need to do both? if so how would you think to incoporate them into the bulgarian method since repetitive practice seems to be a huge part of the program. or would you just do them at separate spurts and train one specifically at a time.....maybe train high bar/conventional off season...than maybe final 8-10 weeks low bar\sumo to peak? or train both simultaneously....maybe having separate days for each or maybe working the latter movement on back down sets? would love to hear your input

hey greg. I saw the lifting lyceums and i've got a question. Its possible to gain some muscle mass on the Work capacity block right? Just due to the sheer ammount of volume I mean 3x8 to 5x12 in course of months is huge, wouldnt that produce some hypertrophic gains?

Very interesting =) When you speak of a decrease in central motor impulses, is that the same as neural fatigue?

Hi Greg. I have a question that I have been wondering about for a while. When performing an exercise wouldn't it be better to perform several sets to technical failure rather than just an arbitrary number? Obviously for this method you would still need to have a means of weight selection...

Hi Greg. What is your take on valsalva maneuver when lifting light loads. I have been lifting for just a few months and learned from the you tubes, where most people teach to take in a big breath, hold,brace, and lift. I hurt my knees due to bad form so I went to a physical therapist and one thing he said is to not hold my breath when I squat. Instead he said I should brace my core by tensing it, and breath normal. He said the breath and brace is for folks doing PRs and other heavy lifts. What say you?

Hey Greg, just bought some 20lb wrist weights for the hyperplasia Theory. Can't wait to try this out and see what happens

What type of carryover or limitations do you think straps have/cause for the deadlift? You mentioned using them and I've seen other heavy deadlifters use them, whereas others say 100% don't use them.

How much can CNS fatigue last? ... and what would speed up the recovery? Rest, decrease in intensity?

Makes a lot of sense

hey greg. I wanted to start strength training but I could only go to the gym once a week. should I do a bench day, deadlift day and squat day, or should I do two lifts per session??

Are squats and deadlift (including all variations) enough to stimulate and develop all heads of the hamstring given enough workload and progressive overload (through direct involment and radiant effect)? Or knee flexion based exercises eg. leg curl, glute ham raise are in fact necessary, particularly for bicep femoris? I've heard contrasting opinion on that topic.

Possible topic: What is the role of bicep training in powerlifting? (For example, do the biceps actually play a stabilization role in the bench press? Can bicep training mitigate the possible dangers of using an over-under grip in the deadlift?)

Hey Greg, can you put up a video about intermittent fasting please?

You had me at sensory nerves at my genitals. But seriously deadlifts destroy me and anytime I'm fatigued it manifests itself in my deadlift. I can pretty much always hit my squat volume no matter how I feel but deadlifts if I'm fatigued I may not even be able to budge it. Guess this is why I've put on well over 100 lbs on my squat in the last year and a half and a whole 15 lbs on my deadlift... I'm also built for squats though.

ok what I got from this is, straps == gains got it coach

In what position should out wrists be kept while we bench? Is there any benefit in bending (wrists) at any portion of the bench? (would slightly change shoulder flexion demands, etc).

Hey greg! Would you take a note on The 5-3-1 program. Plz!

Any references showing deadlift recovery time is longer than squat recovery time? Would be useful for the report I'm writing at the moment

Hence why I hate holding the steering wheel after deadlift sessions. I miss your fairly regular content, Greg!

Hey Greg, after deadlifts my back hurts, but in sort of different way and I'm not sure if its something "inside" the back or just the erectors and I'm just not familiar with "erector doms" despite experiencing this type of pain quite often after deadlifts, even if I feel like my form isn't suffering too much during sets. Any ideas? The pain is sort of in the middle of the lower part of my back, just below the juiciest part of the erectors and goes away in a couple of days, however it's more of a warm discomfort type of pain when not touching it but the erectors feel sore when I press them, so not that type of sharp doms I get in the quads for example.

would you please talk about sodium intake? I'm not sure how much I should consume daily. Stan Efferding says he takes 10-12 grams daily. ???

Why are there no "AMAP" in your intermediate and advanced programs but only the beginner once? How do they affect intermediate programs?

Hey Greg what do you think about the texas method

As a powerlifter, do we need hypertrophy work while cutting weight?

I did 295 3x5 deadlifts, then did squats 2 days later, then another 2 days and tried to do 295 deadlifts again, and I couldn't do one and had to lower the weight by 50 lbs, is that normal.

I recover faster from deadlifts than from squats, because i never do leg day. Since I only do upper body I can recover faster from the max weight I can lift as opposed to squats where I feel it for days.

Does it have anything to do with deadlift not having a strech reflex? meaning it starts from a dead stop without having an ecentric first? that is what i have heard the most

Hi Greg! What are your thoughts on full-body training splits ( à la AlphaDestiny) vs. a more commonly used "bro split" like P/P/L? Wich one is more beneficial for people who try to get better at powerlifting (and also general strength)?

How should a long femured lifter approach his squat training - technique and programming wise?

This is me! I’ve been lifting for about 3 yrs now and am way better at deadlifts than squats It’s takin me this long to figure out that I keep frying my CNS and have really awful sleep because of it which then hinders my time in the gym and the results I’m seeing. Do you recommend backing off some of the weight? Or just simply using straps?

hi Greg, when will we see you again?

What about the fact that your lumbar erectors (low back muscles, whatever they're called) don't get as much of a break in normal life? For instance, after a squat day, i sit at work, not using my leg muscles much, however my lumbar muscles are still having to stabilize my posture all day, and they want a break! Thats what it feels like anyway...

Which Movements are good for the spine and which should you avoid?

when is the 2nd version of art and science of lifting coming out?

Good points. Imagine the nerve signaling when you hold 200kg in your hands and fingers. It's extremely hard. With squat the weight is resting on your shoulders.

They’re not. Not for me at all. I can recover from heavy deadlifts fully in probably 4 days doings sets of 405. Doing sets of 315 on my squat can literally leave me in pain for 7 or 8 days. It’s always been this way for me. Am I doing something wrong?

love your new haircut bro

Who are/were some of your idols, or people you favored, when you first began your fitness/education journey? For example, lifters, researchers (if applicable), or just resources in general like books and maybe fitness blogs catered towards the science crowd.

Farmer walks place less stress on the spinal erectors than squats but are ridiculously stressful on the CNS -- at least for me. I'm not sure I can attribute most of that stress to just my hands being torn up.

Awesome

lower back muscles are the slowest healing muscles in human body - Arnold, Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding. Biceps, calves, abs, and forearm muscles recover the fastest.

hey greg i was reading your article about cardio and i decided to implement 20 min of cycling at the end of the session. Is it fine or its gonna interfeer with the strenght adaptations and therefore i should do those sessions on off days?

do you gain muscle in a work capacity block?

Will do. Just to be accurate, do I have to wear them 24/7 for a month? I am a COSTCO night stocker so I will hopefully notice GAINZ right away lol

Yeah, I am going on my 5th day of fatigue after back and biceps

Deadlifts are harder on the CNS, but squats give me the worst soreness and my quads are the muscle group which is most prone to DOMS.

sıhhatler olsun greg abi

I feel less embarrassed about my shitty squat now. And I've always squatted and deadlifted on the same day. Squat before deadlift. I did it the other way around one rime because someone was using the rack. BIG MISTAKE. Squatting immediately after deadlifts felt like absolute hell

Video request question: If you have a great session and move a lot of weight with relative ease on, say, Sunday, then have a crappy sleep Sunday night, then have a decent or great sleep Monday night, how much of your gainz from Sunday's awesome session? I hope that made sense!

Mind=blown. These all seem very valid

i thought it was only because you can use more weight on the dl (raw of course)???

my bench hasn't improved in the last 6 moths tough i have been training very hard, could you give some tips on how to overcome this plateau

I have a problem. I have lost all motivation to workout. I have for a long time pushed to become a better squater. We all know that the days following squats can be painful. But for me lately I get soul crushing muscle pain even after a light workout. I can't walk or sleep for a week. Do you have any idea how to counter this. So I can get my motivation back?

Why would my sqaut be more fatiguing than my deadlift sqauts also make me more sore than deads

Come back!!! Pls

I always find heavy squats beat me up more than heavy deadlifts. Plus I (usually lol) look forward to heavy deadlifts, I dread heavy squats. I’m an intermediate lifter. I use straps in training fwiw.

Greg, how tall are you?

hey greg do you think HRV is usefull for all levels of trainees? Such as beginners and intermediates? Or its only for advanced lifters?

Greg if we ever meet in person can I have a hug?

greg is jason blaha 5x5 novice routine low in volume and good for novices?

Thoughts on rounded upper back in deadlifts? Who is it for, pros and cons!

You make video now?

I don't understand how I landed on this video when looking for information on STRING THEORY

What if it's the opposite for me?

Please come back, Greg! And if you aren't coming back can you tell where I can see your face on the daily?

I'd just say there's no real evidence that they do and leave it there. People tend to recover from training that they're adapted to where the stimulus is appropriate. If the stimulus isn't appropriate i.e. the volume or intensity is too high then they're going to be very fatiguing but that's true of any lift.

hey greg

SO FRESH!

a question : personnaly what is your favorite tips for improve your arch ?

Do you think pulling mixed grip will cause imbalances... or am I just over thinking it? Haha

I think a big factor is your using quite a bit more weight for deadlift generally and people are able to grind out more ugly reps on deadlift than squat. But I absolutely can see all of your points

Deadlifts are harder too they fuck up my CNS and when I do them I feel like I’m boutta pass out

I was just wondering how this is the other day :)