Bob Peoples Deadlift Workout
For those of you unfamiliar with Bob Peoples, here is some background.
Peoples was born in 1910 in Johnson City, Tennessee and, at the age of 9, developed a passion for weight training. He excited that passion by purchasing the Farmer Burns course and reading “Strength” magazine.
By the time Bob turned 18, he had become very interested in the deadlift. He did all kinds of training, but his specialty from then on was deadlifting. He made a weight of 350 and in one year he had worked up to 450 with a body weight of 165. His first competition of any kind was the 1937 Tennessee State Weightlifting Championship.
The next two years of training brought many improvements. He again traveled to Chattanooga and won the 1939 State Championships. His total had improved 65 pounds, but the highlight of this occasion was a 600-pound deadlift, followed by more competition and higher lifts. His singing moment came during the 1949 Red Shield Boy’s Club great variety show. Peoples, at 181 pounds, set a world record (for his weight class) by lifting 725.5 pounds.
In 1979, Peoples wrote a book titled “Developing Physical Strength,” which became an instant classic. Peoples passed away in 1992 at the age of 82.
Some of his best lifts are as follows:
Squats – 530 pounds
Bench press: 300 pounds (didn’t work much)
Deadlift – 725.5 pounds
All drug free …
This is just one of the many towns that liked to do routines.
Bob Peoples Deadlift Workout
Deadlift 1 x 15-20, 1 x 10, 1 x 8, 1 x 6, 6 x 1 (10 sets total)
Squats 5 x 5
Press 5 x 5
Notes: People would train 4-5 days a week. He liked to lift heavy objects, so there were no light games. In the deadlift, he would increase the weight in each set until he reached 90% of the maximum, which he would overcome in 6 sets of singles. People would use the same weight in squats and shoulder presses for each set. If you want to follow this routine, I suggest you do it 2-3 days a week. As always, get plenty of rest, eat good food, and drink plenty of water. Remember to lift heavy and with maximum intensity.
Understand that to be successful in any weight training program, hard work is a must! Half effort does nothing for you. If you’re new to weight training or seriously out of shape, see a doctor first. End of disclaimer.