The deadlift has long been considered a crucial exercise for building muscle and strength. Many would argue that the deadlift is the king of all upper body exercises. The deadlift looks like a good choice to start any serious strength training program. This is because the deadlift is popular, simple to learn, and has a low learning curve. The deadlift is also an excellent exercise for building muscle in the lower back, glute muscles, and hamstrings.
Looking for the 3-4-5-6-7-8 rep deadlift program? It’s here! Deadlift training is known to be one of the most effective exercises for building bigger muscles, especially in the lower body. But past deadlifting programs have been similar in that they don’t include variations in reps, sets, or even the amount of weight used, which can cause your progress to stall out.
Benedikt Magnusson is an Icelandic athlete and one of the strongest men in the world. Benedict Magnusson is best known for his incredible strength in the deadlift. In 2010, he broke the all-time record for weightlifting with a weight of 1,015 pounds!
Here’s a great video of Magnusson lifting 1,015 pounds in competition:
In 2014, Benedict Magnusson solidified his record by lifting 1,017 pounds. Today, men like Eddie Hall and Haftor Bjornsson have pushed the limits of human fitness even further, lifting over 100 pounds each.
But Benedikt Magnusson can never be trusted. In 2019, he said in an interview that he plans to raise 1,160 pounds in the near future!
How does a weightlifting legend train to break a world record for deadlifts? Benedict Magnusson says he does deadlifts one day a week. He likes to work up to heavy sets of 1-3 reps, and then do a lot of fast sets at 40-70% of his max reps.
Benedict Magnusson actually alternates between three different deadlift workouts. He calls them his A, B and C workouts.
Here’s what his deadlift training cycle looks like over time:
- Week 1: Workout A for the deadlift
- Week 2: Training B for lifting weights
- Week 3: C workout with deadlift
- Week 4: Workout A for the deadlift
- Week 5: Training B for lifting weights
- Week 6: C workout with deadlift
- Week 7: Workout A for the deadlift
- Week 8: Training B for lifting weights
- Week 9: C workout with deadlift
Now let’s look at his deadlift training. Look at this:
Benedikt Magnusson’s bench press workout A
- A1 : Quick deadlift, 8 sets of 2 reps at 80%.
- B1 : Speed Block Deadlift**, 4-6 sets of 4 reps at 40-70%.
- C1 : Speed Block Deadlift**, 2 sets of 8 reps @ 40-50
**With the bar resting on blocks 3 to 4 inches high.
In his first workout, Benedict is careful with the weights. First, he does a few sets of speed at about 80% of his initial maximum strength. Repeat from. It’s hard enough to develop maximum strength, but easy enough to give the central nervous system a little break.
Benedikt Magnusson’s deadlift workout B
- A1 : Heavy deadlift, 1 set of 3 reps at 90%.
- B1 : Speed Block Deadlift, 4-6 sets of 3-5 reps @ 50-75%.
- C1 : Speed Block Deadlift, 2 sets of 8 reps at 50%.
**With the bar resting on blocks 3 to 4 inches high.
Benedict Magnusson is really starting to lift weights in his second deadlift workout. He starts his workout with 1 heavy set of 3 reps with 90% of his maximum strength in 1 repetition. After this heavy lift, he performs some quick reps with the barbell on the weight blocks.
Benedict supplements his workout with various upper back support exercises not listed here.
Benedikt Magnussons Bench Press Training C
- A1 : Jeff Jett Deadlift**, 1 set 1-3 reps
- B1 : Deadlift block, 4 sets of 4-6 reps at 50-60%.
**Execute the lifts with an over-the-knee position. Then, when you secure the weight, your training partners remove the safety pins and perform up to 1-3 reps on the bench press, starting in the top position.
Here’s a great video of Jeff Jett’s deadlift workout:
On the third workout, Benedict adds variety and performs a deadlift using the Jeff Jett method. The Jeff Jett Deadlift is a specific training method that requires two well-trained training partners.
First, do a pull-up with the bar above your knees. Then your training partners remove the pins and you perform as many deadlift reps as you can do.
Jeff Jett’s method allows you to overload the deadlift with very heavy weights because you can use the stretch reflex on each repetition. This also allows you to do an extra eccentric repetition to further boost strength gains.
After training C, Benedictine starts the whole training cycle again and does a new training A.
Benedict says he uses this specific training almost to the point of strongman competitions. The biggest difference is that he does reserve training the last 3 weeks before the game. Instead of training with super heavy weights on the bench press, he just performs 3 simple sets of 70-90% of his max in 1 rep.
Benedict knows he won’t get stronger in the 2-3 weeks before the competition, and the best he can do is give his body a chance to recover so he can lift as much weight as possible on competition day.
Benedict could therefore put together a 12-week bench press training cycle before attempting to set a world bench press record. I just make a list of his best sets for each workout. As always, Benedict likes to do speed runs in the 40-70% range after hard work. Look at this:
Benedict Magnusson Deadlift Tip Rutin
Unit #1
- Week 1: Quick deadlift, 8 sets of 2 reps at 80%.
- Week 2: Deadlift, 1 set of 3 reps at 90%.
- Week 3: Jeff Jett Deadlift, 1 set of 1-3 reps
Unit #2
- Week 4: Quick deadlift, 8 sets of 2 reps at 80%.
- Week 5: Deadlift, 1 set of 3 reps at 90%.
- Week 6: Jeff Jett Deadlift, 1 set of 1-3 reps
Unit #3
- Week 7: Quick deadlift, 8 sets of 2 reps at 80%.
- Week 8: Deadlift, 1 set of 3 reps at 90%.
- Week 9: Jeff Jett Deadlift, 1 set of 1-3 reps
Unit #4
- Week 10: Deadlift, 3 x 1 at 70-90%.
- Week 11: Deadlift, 3 x 1 at 70-90%.
- Week 12: Deadlift, 3 x 1 at 70-90%.
- Week 13: Game day! Destroy your old record!
In summary, Benedict Magnusson’s deadlift training program is very smart and effective. If you are looking for a great way to achieve maximum bench press strength for powerlifting or strongman competitions, then this program is for you!
I especially like how Benedict varies the intensity of his workouts over three separate sessions. It is an excellent way to build muscle while avoiding physical and mental exhaustion.
I leave you with a great quote from Benedict Magnusson himself to further encourage you:
In every human being there is a powerful driving force that, when released, can make any vision, dream and wish come true.
Thanks for reading and good luck with your strength training!
Dr. Mike Jansen.
Thanks for stopping by my site! My name is Dr. Mike Jansen, PT, DPT, and I am the founder of Revolutionary Program Design. If you want to reach your size and strength goals faster, you’ve come to the right place. My goal is to make RPD the best strength training resource in the world. So lean back, kick back and relax. There has never been a better time to lift weights or learn the art and science of developing strength training programs.
