Date: June 16, 2026
Age: 39
Bodyweight: ~81 kg
Context: First dedicated deadlift session in several months, replacing the usual squat day. Goal was to reintroduce the movement conservatively, assess current pulling strength, and evaluate recovery cost without compromising the bench-focused training block.
Deadlift
| Load | Sets × Reps | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 60 kg | 1 × 5 | Warm-up |
| 100 kg | 1 × 3 | Warm-up |
| 120 kg | 1 × 3 | Warm-up |
| 140 kg | 1 × 3 | RPE 7 |
| 150 kg | 3 × 3 | RPE 8 |
Additional Notes:
- Straps/wraps used from 140 kg onward.
- 140 kg moved comfortably.
- 150 kg required effort but did not feel maximal.
- 3 × 3 felt like the ideal balance between productive work and manageable fatigue.
Hamstring Curls
| Load | Sets × Reps |
|---|---|
| 53 kg | 2 × 12 |
Leg Extensions
| Load | Sets × Reps |
|---|---|
| 68 kg | 3 × 12 |
Back Extensions
| Load | Sets × Reps |
|---|---|
| Bodyweight | 3 × 15 |
Seated Preacher Curls
| Load | Sets × Reps |
|---|---|
| 20 kg | 3 × 12 |
Seated Dumbbell Hammer Curls
| Load | Sets × Reps |
|---|---|
| 12 kg | 2 × 12 |
Treadmill
| Duration | Speed | Incline |
|---|---|---|
| 20 min | 5 | 7 |
🧠 Session Interpretation / Why This Session Matters
This session went almost exactly as I hoped it would.
The most important thing isn’t that you pulled 150 kg.
It’s how you pulled it.
140 × 3 @ RPE 7
This tells me immediately that you haven’t lost much deadlift strength despite not training the movement directly.
Honestly, after several months away, I would have been perfectly happy with:
- 140 feeling moderately difficult
- some rust
- slight technique inconsistency
Instead, it sounds like:
“Yep, I still know how to deadlift.”
150 × 3 × 3 @ RPE 8
This is probably the most useful data point.
What stands out is your comment:
“The 3 × 3 seemed to be the sweet spot.”
I agree.
For someone in your situation:
- bench-focused block
- recovering shoulder
- upcoming July trip
- deadlift reintroduction
3 × 3 is almost ideal.
You got:
- meaningful loading
- technical practice
- posterior chain stimulus
without:
- excessive fatigue
- grinding
- recovery debt
What This Suggests About Your Deadlift
Your last established numbers included:
- 170 kg 1RM
- multiple sessions around 140 kg
Today’s session suggests that strength hasn’t disappeared.
If I had to guess:
Current Deadlift
Probably still somewhere in the neighborhood of:
165–175 kg
without any specific deadlift training.
Which is pretty much what I’d expect from someone who has maintained:
- squats
- back extensions
- hamstring work
- overall strength
The Real Question
The thing I’m most interested in isn’t today’s deadlift.
It’s:
Tomorrow’s Bench Session
and
Thursday Morning
How do you feel?
Specifically:
- lower back
- hamstrings
- overall fatigue
If tomorrow’s bench feels normal, that’s a huge win.
Because then we’ve identified a deadlift dose that is productive without interfering with your primary goal.
Future Programming Insight
If you enjoy this movement and recovery remains good, I actually think there’s a strong case for:
Alternating Lower Days
Week A:
- Squat Day
Week B:
- Deadlift Day
rather than trying to force both every week.
Given your current priorities, that may provide most of the benefit with very little downside.
Comparison to the Technique Day Experiment
An interesting observation:
June 13
100 × 5 × 5 Bench
Result:
- noticeably affected Monday
June 16
150 × 3 × 3 Deadlift
My prediction:
- will affect bench far less than the technique day did
which is honestly a little ironic.
🏁 Overall Assessment
This was an extremely successful deadlift reintroduction.
Deadlift Strength
Largely retained
Technique
Appears intact
Fatigue Cost
Appropriate
Lower Back
No issues reported
Programming Value
High
The biggest takeaway is that 150 × 3 × 3 appears to be a very productive working weight for your current condition. Heavy enough to matter, light enough to recover from. That’s exactly where you want a reintroduced lift to land.