From Brian Alsruhe’s YouTube channel I got the idea to “rack pull” the gym’s yoke.
(Set the yoke crossbar as low as possible.)
Ahh, from Brian’s channel a screenshot :
I’ve done this twice now :
1. 6/22/18 :
Up to 345lb with a decent hold at lockout.
I was very pleased with this as it was nearing my regular every day overhand deadlift max of 365-385.
2. 8/15/18
Up to 425lb very clean, this could’ve been a decent hold, and 445 barely. This time I was simply pulling without long holds.
I was dumbfounded by this, and am somewhat surprised that I didn’t go mental these both having been past my overhand deadlift max of 405.
Based on this performance I got a wonderful awful idea…to try to get the axle to deadlift floor height.
Simulated SUPER fat bar deadlift :
After testing one box, on the second try I got a box that had the bar set at about an inch above normal floor height.
Close enough.
I worked back up to 385 very cleanly and hit an ugly 405 where the thumb on my right hand slipped near lockout, but I did finish the lift.
I was trying to pull this all double overhand.
Being a stupid thick bar the weight is further in front of you than a regular bar. This is why thumbless is advantageous. The thumb out of the way brings the bar in slightly closer.
Now compared to a barbell of the same thickness :
The yoke sways as the weight is out in front of you and behind you. A barbell doesn’t do this.
On the yoke the weights are not that far from your center, on a barbell the weight is a few feet to your sides.
Based on many military press reps I say these factors roughly counteract each other.
(I’ve pressed the 185lb yoke so many times over the last year+ having grown to view it as a no set up required base weight. Yes, I strict press 185+ on a super thick bar regularly…and cold. Likely an article here for another time.)
That means I pulled 405 double overhand practically from the floor on a 3″ (I believe, it the same model of yoke as in the Alsruhe video) bar.
Now here’s the conundrum.
Yes I’m stronger proportionally with a more open than closed hand caused by open hand door row and hot tub handle deadlift isometric simulations, the following axle obsession, and then the work as a mover.
But today’s performance was ridiculous.
Yeah, I was fresh after 4 arguably 5 days off.
Again too ridiculous to be just that.
I was leaving poundage in the tank and even repping 10s on a bunch of backoff sets.
(Funny note : I mathed terribly wrong, in my mind I was struggling with 10×235 dumbfounding myself only to strip 50lbs and notice it has been 10×335 a decent super fat bar perfornance. This was on the “rack pulls”.)
That aside story points out I did the “deadlifts” after a good deal of “rack pulls”.
I conclude it’s that on a thick bar I have no psychological “gym rules/gym knowledge” mental block.
No one pulls their yoke, especially not in a deadlift simulation, well unless they’re Brian Alsruhe, me, or a similar kindred lunatic soul.
Still, there is no guideline here.
(Though I don’t doubt that some late 1800s strongman has pulled something huge on a similarly thick bar. Hell, I’ve likely come across it before, but I am NOT searching for such obscure info at this time.)
It was just me with a clear mind and no preconceived notion of limits testing my hands…and LEAVING SOME WEIGHT ON THE TABLE.
No preconceived notion of limit. THEREIN lies the key.
-J
Yoke Pull Log :
1st two sessions in post.
8/17/18 “deadlifts” up to soft lockout 465, 465 mixed, doh holds 365 x 40 seconds, 405 x 32 seconds.