Deadlift plateau: what to change first when 110kg stalls for 3 weeks?

Your deadlift plateau at 110kg (243 lb) for 5 reps x 3 sets has lasted 3 weeks, and it's hard to know what to change first. This guide is for lifters with a year or more of training who pull heavy for low reps. Change the set layout first, then the jump size and a variation, one at a time and in that order.

✏️ What is a deadlift plateau?

A deadlift plateau means your deadlift weight and reps haven't gone up for a long time. Put simply, the 110kg in your log has been stuck for weeks. One bad day is not a plateau.

The test is the same one used in how to break a plateau. If you miss your target reps at the same weight for 3 sessions in a row, call it a plateau. A session means one workout.

Pull once a week and 3 sessions take 3 weeks. Pull twice a week and it takes a week and a half, so count sessions instead of weeks.

🔍 With only 3 sets, how do you spot a plateau?

Write down your reps for every set and see which set breaks down. With only 3 sets, one missing rep in one set makes the whole session a miss. The workout log guide shows a set-by-set layout.

Let's say your target is 110kg for 5 reps x 3 sets. That is 15 reps, or 110kg x 15 = 1,650kg of volume. Volume means weight x reps added up. The table below is made-up example data.

The first set hit 5 reps in all three sessions. So the 110kg itself is still liftable. The sets at the back are where it breaks, so this guide changes the set layout before the weight. That order is a rule this guide picked to keep the call simple.

But if you can't hit 5 reps even on the first set, lower the weight first. Follow the steps in how to break a plateau.

🔢 How do you change the set and rep layout?

Cut the reps per set and add sets so the total stays the same. Turn 5 reps x 3 sets into 3 reps x 5 sets. 110kg x 3 reps x 5 sets is also 15 reps and 1,650kg, so volume doesn't change.

You might be thinking, "Won't more sets take longer?" Yes, the workout runs longer. That's why you only try it for 3 sessions.

Let's say you logged the next three sessions like this. The session numbers start over here.

Volume went from 1,540kg in session 1 to 1,650kg in session 2, up 110kg. That is 330kg more than your last stalled log at 1,320kg. Don't count on it working like this table. If the layout works, raise the jump size. If it doesn't work within 3 sessions, move on to a variation.

⚖️ How much should you add when you go up again?

Jump size means the amount of weight you add at one time. Once the new layout hits its target, add 2.5kg (5.5 lb). A 1.25kg (2.75 lb) plate on each side adds 2.5kg, so 110kg becomes 112.5kg (248 lb).

Here's the math. 2.5 / 110 is about 0.023, so the jump is about 2.3%. A 5kg (11 lb) jump to 115kg (254 lb) is 5 / 110, about 0.045, or 4.5%. Same single jump, but one is twice the size of the other.

The first session at 112.5kg targets 3 reps x 5 sets. That is 15 reps, and the volume is 112.5kg x 15 = 1,687.5kg. It's 37.5kg more than last session. Miss even one set and you stay at 112.5kg. Hit every set and you add 2.5kg again.

You might be thinking, "My gym has no 1.25kg plates." Then keep the weight and add reps first. Double progression shows how to set a rep range and add weight only after you fill the top of it.

🔁 How do you add a variation and log it?

If the layout doesn't work, add one variation and log it apart from the main lift. A variation means a lift that is close to the main lift but differs a bit in movement or range. For the deadlift, the Romanian deadlift is one.

Say you changed the layout and still got 14, 14 and 13 reps over 3 sessions. The volumes are 1,540kg, 1,540kg and 1,430kg. Keep 110kg for 3 reps x 5 sets and add Romanian deadlifts at 70kg (154 lb) for 8 reps x 3 sets. That's 70kg x 24 reps = 1,680kg, and you keep it out of the main lift's verdict.

After 2 to 3 weeks, compare total reps and volume for the main lift. If the next 3 sessions are 15 reps and 1,650kg each, you can see the change. The comparison works like the one in bench press plateau.

Change several things at once and you can't tell which one worked. Change the set layout first. If it works, raise the jump size. If not, add a variation, 3 sessions each. Before your next pull, write down the set-by-set reps from your last 3 sessions.

📱 What does logging with Progro make easier?

Progro is a workout log app built to track progressive overload. When you start a routine, every set has a target weight and reps filled in. You'd see five rows of 110kg x 3, fix only the number that changed and check it off. You don't have to remember what you did last time.

After your workout, you see previous and today for each lift, set by set. Green ▲ means up and red ▼ means down, so you can tell right away whether the last set breaks first. The 14-session volume trend appears too. In the lift's note you can leave a line like "added Romanian 70kg".

Target setting is a Pro feature, and you can try it free for the first 30 days. A set that hit its target becomes the next target, and a set that missed does not lower it. You can raise or lower the whole set list by 2.5kg or 1 rep at a time.

There's no sign-up and no ads, and your log stays only on your phone.

Get Progro on the App Store