Deadlift → RDL prescription
Andy Baker recommends pairing heavy deadlifts (1–5 reps) for maximal strength with RDLs at 5–8 reps for hamstring/glute development and potentiation — a simple, load‑mapped approach to build both top‑end strength and posterior chain size (x.com).
Baker has long promoted an 8‑5‑2 wave for deadlift training, prescribing three work sets and mapping rep ranges to rough intensities (he suggests starting sets-of‑8 at ~70% 1RM, sets-of‑5 at ~80%, and sets-of‑2 at ~90% with small weekly jumps). (andybaker.com)) His published notes recommend using RDLs or goodmornings as the primary posterior‑chain assistance and describe the RDL as a hang‑start movement that exploits the stretch reflex rather than a deadstop lift. (andybaker.com)) In multiple programming writeups he prescribes assistance volume in concrete blocks — for example Stiff‑Leg deadlifts as 3×8–10 (or 3×6 in harder phases) and rotating accessory movements weekly to manage low‑back stress. (andybaker.com)) One of Baker’s concrete templates, the “very simple 2‑set deadlift progression,” shows the load‑mapping in practice: a heavy top set followed by a second set using ~10% less weight for 5–8 reps from a deficit as the planned back‑off. (andybaker.com)) Baker packages these prescriptions in the Baker Barbell Club, which publishes three weekly power‑building WODs across three tracks and markets online membership at $27/month with workouts sent each Sunday evening at 6:00 p.m. (andybaker.com)) His coaching credentials include co‑authoring Practical Programming with Mark Rippetoe and The Barbell Prescription, and his training logs show the same heavy‑topset / lighter higher‑rep back‑off pattern in real sessions (e.g., a session listing 505×3 top work followed by 455×6 back‑off work). (andybaker.com))
