Tuan Tran's Extensive Deadlifts (2)

Photo courtesy of Repetrope
All natural bodybuilder and powerlifter Tuan Tran presents one more deadlift exercise, the good old Farmer's Walk. Tuan explains: "This exercise has helped me elevate the strength of my hands to allow myself to handle more weight on any exercise. As I said before, to increase one's strength, one must start at the hands. The stronger one's grip, the more weight one can push, pull and control. So simple yet so effective."

Tuan Tran's Extensive Deadlifts (1)

Photo courtesy of Repetrope
In the following three videos Tuan Tran performs his comprehensive deadlift workout. The natural bodybuilder and power lifter explains: "I have been dieting since after Thanks Giving and cut my powerlifting season short for I have some things coming up in March and on for 2009. I got up to 197 to 198 lbs, but now I am around 193 to 194 lbs in this vid. I started at 135 for 15 reps, 205 for 10, 275 for 10, 345 for 8, and here I am finishing up with 415 for 6. Sorry but I did say 425, that was my mistake. Not enough blood in the brain to think at the time. Enjoy."



Tuan Tran explains his second deadlift exercise: "I use to hate to follow up my Traditional Deadlifts with Stiff Leg Deadlifts because in the past, I had bad form. Always muscling the weight up vs. using proper form. Now I love it. Why, because first, the weight is way lighter. Second, I know how to maximize using my glutes and hamstrings, and never really feel anything in my lower back, but still feel great intensity in my middle to upper back. Here were my sets. Set 1 at 135 lbs for 12. Set 2 at 205 lbs for 10. Set 3 at 275 lbs for 10. Set 4 at 345 lbs for 10. Sorry again, I did say 365, that was another mistake."



In the third video Tuan Tran performs what you would call Rack Deadlifts, or Top Deadlifts: "Like the same principle on using boards on the bench press, or unloading and back, holding the weight and then racking on barbell squats with out squatting, this is what they call the overload principle. Pretty much you put yourself in the strongest position to lift more weight than what you can do normally on the conventional lift. In this case it is the deadlift. I am in a position were the bar is right at my knee, so I do not have to worry as much on my lower back, this is to help my body build a stronger upper and middle back. As you can see, my last set is for 650 lbs. I started with 315 lbs for 10, then 405 for 10, then 495 for 10 before this final set. I will not lie, I really did not think I would get all 10 reps, but I did and was very happy when it was over."