EMOM Trap Bar Deadlift 48 Reps, 480 lbs, 48 Minutes

This is a very simple strength workout...take a moderately heavy weight and do single reps, every minute, on the minute. It's simple yet it build INSANE strength/endurance. I did this workout for my 48th birthday!

 



 


 

In this "grease the groove" type of workout, you're going to be doing a single exercise done for single reps, for an extended period of time.

 

You're going to get a lot of practice with that exercise, a.k.a. "greasing the groove" on it (a term coined by Pavel Tsatsouline meaning frequent training so your nervous system becomes very efficient at that particular exercise).

This is a nervous system adaptation that can add substantial weight to your lifts in a very short period of time.

I'm using Trap Bar Deadlifts for this workout, though you can use any good compound exercise for it as well (I don't recommend isolation exercises for this technique...it won't be as effective).

This method will also develop your work capacity for moving heavy loads with greater volume.

 

Pick a single exercise you want to build strength in and pick a time block.

 

In my case, to "celebrate" doing this workout on my 48th birthday, I went with a 48 minute time block, with 480 lbs on the bar. That weight is 83% of my 1 RM on that exercise, which is a good guideline to use for weight selection.

You can use shorter times blocks (like 10, 20, 30 minutes) or, if you want to really push yourself, LONGER time blocks (45, 50, 60 minutes).

On the shorter blocks, you can then also do additional blocks with other exercises, if you like (e.g. 20 minutes of deadlifts, 20 minutes of presses).


You're going to do ONE rep "on the minute."

 

This means when the clock is at :00 (of every minute), you do a rep.

I've got a towel stuff in the front of my belt to improve leverage and core bracing. You can read about how the Crotch Stuffer Deadlift works here.

It can put 30-70 lbs on your deadlift instantly, while also making the exercise feel better on your back.

Trap Bar Deadlift Start

Trap Bar Deadlift Top

Then you just repeat for the full time block, doing single reps.

That's it.

It's VERY simple, which is what makes it such a powerful strength technique.

You can work this technique into your training as a single workout. I would recommend hitting it just once a week as it is very taxing on the nervous system and you want to give your body time to recover from it so you can progress on it the next time you do it.

Add weight (or time) based on your performance in this workout (e.g. you made it all the way through on time and felt you had a bit more in the tank).

Even though this workout may seem boring, I personally find it a lot of fun. There's no thinking involved...you just DO.

For a similar, but shorter version of this type of training, try 20 Rep Cluster Training. You'll get strength work without as much overload on your recovery.

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