Deadlift Everyday Without Burning Out or Hurting Yourself

Deadlift every day? Is it a good idea?

If you think daily progressive resistance training is a new idea, think again.

Over 2500 years ago, Milo of Croton, a famed wrestler of ancient Greece, trained for the Olympics by carrying a newborn calf on his shoulders every day until it grew to maturity four years later (when he allegedly slaughtered, roasted, and ate it!).

What were the results of his daily strength training?

He only won six consecutive Olympics and remains an icon of superhuman strength and progressive resistance training 2600 years later.¹

Human bodies have not changed much over the last 2500 years, and if daily strength training worked for Milo, why wouldn’t it work for you?

While there is always a risk of injury in any physical activity, and weightlifting has its fair share, there are many fantastic benefits of deadlifting every day.

How to Deadlift Every Day Without Hurting Yourself

Deadlift Everyday Program

#1. Which deadlift variation should you use?

The conventional deadlift or sumo deadlift is a good starting point.

Go with the trap bar deadlift if you have back issues.

Of course, you can substitute other deadlift variations or include deadlift accessories like straight leg deadlifts, deficit deadlifts, rack pulls, kettlebell swings, and pause deadlifts.

However, the traditional barbell deadlift is the best option since it 1) can pack on the most muscle of all deadlift variations, and 2) it is a legal lift in the sport of powerlifting, should you ever want to compete.

#2. Know Your One Rep Max

What is a one-rep max?

You must know your one-rep max for the ‘deadlift every day’ program.

Your one-rep max (1RM) is the highest weight you can lift one time in a given exercise.

Think of your one-rep max as your current personal record and as the foundation of your strength-training program.

#3. How much should you be able to deadlift?

How much you can deadlift depends on you.

In this deadlift everyday program, you lift heavy weights or a higher percentage of your one-rep max no more than once a week.

Theoretically, you do not even need to test your one-rep max every week; keep working on increasing your intensity over time.

However, it is motivating to see your strength increase week to week or month to month.

So, once a week, you can test for a new one-rep max.

Note: Unless you are competing in a Powerlifting competition, you will never test the absolute max you can lift.

Even the greatest deadlifters of all time, such as Herman Goerner, never pushed themselves to lift their one-rep max regularly.

So, there is no reason for you to do the same unless you are an athlete attempting to break Eddie Hall’s world record deadlift.

Instead, you will estimate your 1RM by following the guidelines of the next section.

#4. How to find your 1RM

Warm up for at least 5 minutes on a treadmill, elliptical, or walking
Do two sets of 10 – 15 floor bridges to activate your hip flexors, which are essential to deadlifting
The amount of weight you can deadlift depends on your gender, age, body weight, and deadlifting experience
Choose a weight that you can likely lift according to the deadlift strength standards below, published by Mark Rippetoe and Lon Kilgore in the 2nd edition of Practical Programming for Strength Training. ³

Deadlift Standards in Pounds – Credit Dr. Lon Kilgore

Note: See the How to Deadlift section for a refresher on proper deadlift form.

Do a warm-up set with a weight you can comfortably lift 8-10 times.
Take a 3 – 5 minute rest.
Add 10 – 20% of your starting weight and do 3 – 5 repetitions.
Repeat steps 2 and 3 until you achieve failure between 3 and 5 repetitions.
Use the Fit Apprentice One Rep Max Calculator to determine your one-rep max.

How to Use the One-Rep Max Calculator:

Select pounds or kilograms
Enter the weight that you lifted between 3 and 5 repetitions
The 1RM calculator will display your one-rep maximum
Click on the show/hide intensity table.

Enter weight or reps

Unit

Weight

Reps

1 Rep Max:

Show / Hide Intensity Table

% of 1RM	Weight	Reps

Deadlifting every day without burning out

Start with 50% to 60% of your 1RM to improve your strength and endurance, four days a week.

These days are your lighter training days.

Warm up for at least 5 minutes on a treadmill, elliptical, or walking
Do two sets of 10 – 15 floor bridges to activate your hip flexors, which are essential to deadlifting
Do three work sets of 8 to 12 reps with 50% to 60% of your 1RM
Once you can do 12 reps, increase the weight by 5lbs
Focus on perfecting your deadlift form and technique

You train with lighter weights to improve your form, conditioning, and neuromuscular adaptation.

If you are starting to deadlift for fitness, you can set a goal to deadlift your body weight.

How to Retest Your 1RM

Once a week, test your 1RM by lifting 65% to 85% of your 1RM, which is your maximal strength day.

Warm up for at least 5 minutes on a treadmill, elliptical, or walking
Do two sets of 10 – 15 floor bridges to activate your hip flexors, which are essential to deadlifting
Do 1 set of 2 – 3 reps starting at 60% of your 1 RM
Take a 3 – 5 minute rest
Add 10 to 15lbs and do another 1 – 3 repetitions
Repeat steps 2 and 3 until you achieve failure between 3 and 5 reps
Use the One Rep Max Calculator to determine your new one-rep max

An example of retesting your 1RM

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#5. Increasing Weight

Do not move up to a heavier weight until you can perform three sets of 8 reps on your lighter lifting days and one set of 5 reps on your max weight day once a week.

Remember, your max weight day will never be 100% of what you can lift in a single lift.

Instead, it will be in the range of 80-95%.

#6. Perfect Form

Whether you are lifting 60% or 90% of your 1RM, use the exact proper form for every deadlift repetition.

Concentrate on improving your technique, such as;

Starting position
Correct posture
Range of motion
Important Cues

See how to do the deadlift, with detailed suggestions for perfecting your form.

#7. How much rest between sets?

Take 3 to 5 minutes of rest between sets.

Use shorter rest periods of 1 – 2 minutes if you want to work more on toning and conditioning on your lighter days.

Take a 5-minute break between all sets on your max weight day.

#8. What are the rep ranges for deadlifts every day?

The number of reps for lighter-intensity days is 8 to 10, and 1 to 5 for your max deadlift day.

That said, never attempt to deadlift the most weight you think you can handle.

Instead, train smart and you a 1 rep max deadlift calculator to determine your one-rep max deadlift.

And then use a percentage of that one rep max for your training.

Your heaviest deadlifts should be in the range of 80 to 95% of your one-rep max.

#9. Proper Nutrition and Sleep

When you deadlift every day, proper nutrition and sleep are even more critical if you want hypertrophy – muscle growth.

So it would help if you had excellent food and sound sleep.

You will not want to ruin your daily deadlift workout with junk food or staying up too late at night.

Use common sense; eat food that grows, like whole grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts, beans, and lean protein, and shoot for 8 hours of sleep every night.

#10. When to deadlift?

Do your deadlift workout before cardio exercise.

You push against the ground hard to lift the barbell instead of attempting to lift with your back.

As a result, your legs will feel like rubber after a few sets of deadlifts, even if you are not lifting heavy weights.

Therefore, you will likely lose much of your leg power if you do cardio before deadlifting.

FAQ

How often should you do deadlifts?

That depends on your goal and fitness.

For an absolute beginner, the first time you do a deadlift workout routine, expect that you will not be able to deadlift again for another week or maybe longer!

You can easily experience DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) for seven days or more.

In that case, deadlifting once a week is the best place to start.

Also, many powerlifters who aim to compete will not deadlift more than 2 or 3 times a week.

And they will follow the general system of only one heavy training session per week or even two weeks.

Is it bad to deadlift every day?

No, not if you use light weights or practice other deadlift variations such as;

paused deadlifts,
stiff leg deadlifts,
rack pulls,
kettlebell swings, or
Romanian deadlifts.

It is wrong, even dangerous, to deadlift any day when you do not warm up or when you neglect proper form.

If you don’t have the time or patience to warm up and focus on perfecting your technique, do not bother deadlifting!

You are the Scientist

How does your body react to deadlifting every day?

That is the question.

Everyone is different, and one man’s workout might not be the best for another person.

You need to find out for yourself.

All I can do is share my deadlift everyday results with you.

So far, I want to continue and see what happens down the road.

The goal is to deadlift every day, get leaner, stronger, and fitter in under 30 minutes a day because of the unparalleled benefits of deadlifts.

That said, you should be flexible as to how many days a week you deadlift.

As mentioned, don’t be surprised if you need a week to recover when you first begin to lift.

Listen to your body and rest when necessary.

For example, you might find your body responds better to deadlifting two or three times a week with bodyweight workouts on your non-deadlifting days.

You make the choice.

A word of caution

The deadlift will tax your nervous system because deadlifting is an intense full-body compound exercise.

Therefore, you cannot deadlift the same weight load every day!

Experienced powerlifters might deadlift twice a week, one day for lighter weight and another for their heavier deadlift weights.

So, even a competitive powerlifter will not look for a personal record more than once a week.

Your nervous system cannot take it.

Plus, if you are a beginner deadlifter, your body needs to adapt to the new stresses of deadlifting.

Don’t make the same mistakes I did as a deadlift beginner.

That is a sure way to get tennis elbow, bruised shins, and lower back pain deadlifting.

Yes, I have gone through all of them, so you do not have to.

The most important lessons I’ve learned are:

determine your one-rep max
learn how to deadlift with proper form
use a sensible program for deadlifting every day

A deadlift workout is not enough.

You need to train with a system to achieve progressive improvement.

That is how you get leaner and more muscular.

And you must keep records of your training.

While the deadlift looks simple, pick a weight up off the floor, it is not as simple as it seems.

There is a lot of technique you need to master.

Respect the deadlift, and you will do great.

Deadlift every day benefits

Why is the deadlift one of the best exercises you can do, even every day of the week?

Here are some practical reasons to deadlift every day:

#1. Hit all the major muscle groups of your entire body

With only one exercise, you can build, tone, and define the most important muscles of your lower body, like your;

quadriceps,
hamstrings, and
glutes, and those of your upper body, like your;
abdominal muscles,
spinal erectors,
lats, and
traps.

Also, maybe even more significantly, these muscles encompass the much neglected back half of your body, your posterior chain.

#2. Train your nervous system

Strength means that your nervous system can better communicate with your muscles.

You might think that you are only exercising your muscles when you lift weights, but in fact, you are training your nervous system to connect to your muscles.

Strength is “a neuromuscular adaptation, meaning the ability of your nervous system and muscles to produce internal tension (in the muscles and connective tissues that pull on the bones) to overcome an external force [or external load].” (National Academy of Sports Medicine)

Deadlifting every day helps you train all of the nervous system connections that power a deadlift, meaning most of the muscles of your body!

#3. Improve your core strength

Your core is those muscle groups besides your head, arms, and legs.

The deadlift targets your core muscles, including the abdominal muscles on the front half of your body and the spinal erectors and latissimus dorsi on the back half.

#4. Building muscle mass improves your other barbell lifts

For example, while the deadlift does not target the prime mover muscles of the bench press (pectorals), it does work your entire back musculature, which can only help you stabilize your bench press.

#5. Increase your athleticism and regular activities of daily living

For example, Steph Curry famously used the trap bar deadlift to strengthen his “glass ankles” and become one of the greatest basketball players of all time.

Or consider the fantastic transformation of Shirley Webb, a 75-year-old Grandma who could barely stand up without assistance.

That is, until she began to deadlift.

Within a year, not only did her mobility improve, but she also began competing in powerlifting!

My anecdotal evidence is that I had knee pain from a torn medial meniscus in my left knee.

After six months of deadlifting, I was able to walk once again pain-free, which is why I sometimes deadlift every single day of the week – to maintain my mobility.

#6. Resistance training is proven to increase testosterone

For example, one study on the effects of a 12-week weight-training program with three sets of 8 to 10 reps concluded that “strength training can induce growth hormone and testosterone release, regardless of age.” ²

This study used nautilus equipment, where you are seated, so you can only imagine the benefits from deadlifts, one of the most challenging types of resistance training you will ever experience.

More testosterone will help you build more muscle, get stronger, and thereby help improve your bench, sports, and everyday life.

#7. Build overall body strength

There are few exercises as practical as the deadlift for building overall muscle mass and body strength.

Within my first few months of deadlifting, I felt like I added a layer of body armor at 56.

Imagine how deadlifts change your body if you are younger!

#8. Perfect your deadlift technique

Practice makes perfect, and focusing on your deadlift form five times a week will help you master the deadlift.

#9. Improve neuromuscular adaptation

“Developing maximal strength depends on neuromuscular adaptations resulting from consistently and progressively overloading muscles with higher intensities” (NASM).

When you deadlift every day, you will use lighter weights most days to focus on your form, thereby improving your mind-muscle connection.

#10. Is deadlifting good for weight loss?

You might not think of deadlifting as a way to lose weight, but it is.

I can vouch for it since deadlifting helped me lose 75 pounds in 6 months, a feat I thought impossible to achieve.

The rational explanation is that deadlifting can burn hundreds of calories during and after the workout.

How do you burn calories even after a workout?

The answer is EPOC.

“EPOC, an acronym for Exercise Post Oxygen Consumption (also known as Oxygen debt), is the amount of oxygen required to restore your body to its average resting level of metabolic function (known as homeostasis).

It also explains how your body can continue to burn calories long after you’ve finished your workout.” (ACE – American Council on Exercise)

It stands to reason that heavy resistance training, such as deadlifts that engage your body’s most massive muscle groups, will create a greater oxygen debt.

The notable EPOC effect of deadlifts also explains why years of treadmill walking and dumbbell curls did nothing to help me reach a healthy weight for my height.

Therefore, if you are significantly overweight today, between the extra muscle mass you build and the EPOC effect of deadlifts, don’t be surprised if you lose excess weight.

#11. Simple to set up a home deadlift studio

If you do not have a gym to work out in, you still need to exercise.

But what can you do?

If you have nowhere to play basketball, swim, or run, especially in the winter months, you can set up a home deadlift studio.

A place to deadlift takes up minimal space.

Once you have your mat, barbell, and weights set up, all you have to do is lift whenever you want to.

No commuting to the gym or waiting for a turn to deadlift is necessary.

#12. Avoid back pain

For example, I could no longer get to a gym because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which began in March 2020.

I had nowhere to deadlift and could not find any weightlifting equipment.

I thought pushups and walking might be enough, but six months later, I had to go to a physical therapist to treat back pain I first noticed while walking!

The PT concluded that my back pain resulted from the sudden end to my weekly weightlifting routine.

The moral of the story is that having a place to deadlift is urgent because you likely spend a large part of your time on the most significant muscle of your body, your butt!

And a lifestyle habit of constant sitting will result in weaker glutes and back muscles, and cause lower back pain.

Deadlifting correctly every day using the appropriate weight, reps, and rest scheme is vital to avoid seeing a physical therapist for back pain.

Considering all of these great benefits, is it any wonder that many athletes and coaches think of deadlifts as the King of exercises?

Deadlift Everyday – Wrapping up

Deadlifting every day goes against conventional wisdom, which says that while the deadlift is a great exercise, you can do too much of a good thing.

And if you train too often, you run the risk of injury or burning out your central nervous system.

The purpose of this post is to explain –

1) the benefits of deadlifting everyday and

2) to provide a sample program for doing so without hurting yourself.

Anyone who wants to get fit will benefit, and especially if you’re are looking for a low-maintenance home workout without buying many different machines.

The most important points are:

deadlifting every day is a good idea because it is a total body exercise, and practice makes perfect
if you choose to lift daily, then deadlift most days with a lighter weight and volume and focus on perfecting your form and technique as explained above
deadlift heavy once per week when you retest your one-rep max
with only one lift, in a small space, you can train most of your body’s most important muscle groups

The more you deadlift with good form, the better will be your mind and muscle connection.

In essence, you are not so much deadlifting every day, as much as you are training your nervous system via the deadlift.

This post lifts the lid on why it is an excellent idea to deadlift every day and how to structure your program so as not to burn out or hurt yourself.

Whether you use a personal trainer or not, this article can help motivate you to deadlift and give you a sample workout routine that will provide you with real-world results.

What’s Next?

What happens if you only do deadlifts?

Because maybe you only have enough space in your home for a deadlift area.

Or perhaps you don’t have sufficient time or mobility to squat or bench press as in the classic 3×5 strength workout.

See 27 Sensational Ways How Deadlifts Alone Change Your Body.

Footnotes:

¹ Climbing: Training for Peak Performance

² https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2796409/

³ Practical Programming for Strength Training