Deadlifts are a fundamental compound exercise that boost athletic performance and improve overall strength. (1) Strongman competitions often showcase unique deadlift variations, like the axle deadlift or the elephant bar deadlift.
2018 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) Hafthor Björnsson recently set the all-time deadlift world record of 505 kilograms (1,113 pounds) at the Eisenhart Black Competition. Björnsson’s success is supported by his meticulous training regimen, crafted by his coach, Sebastian Oreb. “The Australian Strength Coach” shared the methods Björnsson used to peak for his deadlift performance.
Have you ever noticed you can lift big in training, but fall short on comp day, you fall short? That’s the result of poor peaking.
—Sebastian Oreb
What Is Peaking?
Oreb views strength peaking as the art of showing up on game day and performing at your absolute best. It represents the final phase of a carefully planned training cycle, not focused on building strength, but on maximizing its expression when it matters most.
| Building Work Capacity | Hypertrophy | Strength | Peaking |
| Length: 1 mesocycle (4-6 weeks) | Length: 1-2 mesocycles (4-6 weeks each) | Length: 1-2 mesocycles (4-6 weeks each) | Length: 1 mesocycle (4 weeks max) |
| Focus | Focus | Focus | Focus |
| 1. Strength endurance2. Build good pain tolerance3. Build up to hypertrophy phase | Building goal-specific muscle | 1. Getting mentally & physically strong2. Finish on peaking exercises | 1. Most specific phase2. Further reduction in volume to increase recovery.2-4 sessions per week |
Whether competing in strength sports like powerlifting, strongman, or Olympic weightlifting, or other disciplines like martial arts, rugby, or track & field, the underlying principle remains unchanged.
Peaking reduces fatigue, sharpens specificity, and delivers top performance at exactly the right time.
—Sebastian Oreb
Peaking Isn’t Strength Training
Maintaining peak strength year-round is not feasible. The training required to build strength differs from the training needed to peak in strength. To effectively build strength, athletes should train with loads at or above 80% of their one-rep max (1RM). (2) When paired with appropriate rep ranges, this typically translates to performing between one and six reps per set.
Oreb recommended the three-to-six rep range for strength development. Sets of one or two reps, while helpful in testing max strength, lead to greater fatigue and limit overall training volume. As a result, these lower rep ranges are less effective for building long-term strength.
Research and Oreb’s personal experience suggest performing six to 12 sets per movement pattern each week is optimal for building strength. (3) This range is slightly lower than the recommended number of sets for muscle growth (eight to 15 reps) due to the heavier weights involved in strength training.
Combining heavy weights with high volume is too fatiguing and makes it hard to progress.
—Sebastian Oreb
Can’t Stay Peaked All Year
A key feature of the peaking phase is the deliberate reduction in training volume to decrease fatigue. High levels of fatigue can obscure performance, making it challenging to lift to one’s full potential. This is why peaking is treated as a distinct phase in training.
By reducing volume, fatigue subsides, allowing athletes to showcase the strength developed in earlier phases fully. However, this decrease in volume comes with its trade-offs.
You can’t stay in a peaking phase for too long without losing the qualities that made you strong in the first place.
—Sebastian Oreb
Most athletes can sustain peak performance for only about two weeks before it begins to decline. This is because the reduced training volume during a peaking phase leads to the detraining of key physical attributes like hypertrophy and work capacity, essential for maintaining strength over time. Since the goal of the peak phase is not to generate new adaptations, progress tends to plateau.
While some leading periodization experts recommend peaking phases of up to six weeks, Oreb advocated for a more concise approach, finding two to four weeks far more effective. “This time frame allows for sufficient recovery, increased specificity and intensity without sacrificing the size and strength you’ve worked so hard to build in the earlier training cycles,” he said.
How to Peak: Reduce Volume & Increase Specificity
Oreb’s approach to peaking is a carefully structured and gradual tapering of training volume, paired with a steady increase in intensity. Throughout a four-week peak block, training volume is reduced progressively rather than through a sudden drop, allowing for a more balanced and effective transition. “It’s gradual in an attempt to avoid detraining the muscle mass and work capacity that we’ve worked so hard to build,” Oreb noted.
Four-Week Peaking Plan
| Week One | Week Two | Week Three | Week Four |
| 4×4 | 3×3 | 2×2 | 1×1 |
Each week, training volume decreases while intensity rises, with lifts becoming increasingly tailored to the demands of competition. This approach ensures a seamless and effective progression from training to peak performance.
Accessory Work During Peaking
As peak training approaches, accessory work should be minimized or completely removed, particularly during the final one to two weeks. If any accessory exercises are included, they should be low-fatigue, isolation movements that do not hinder recovery.
Oreb suggested incorporating low-fatigue exercises that promote joint health and help prevent injuries, such as face pulls, external rotations, or loaded mobility drills. Additionally, he recommends low-impact isolation exercises to complement primary lifts, like triceps pushdowns following bench presses, leg extensions after squats, and hamstring curls post-deadlifts. “These movements help maintain some muscle mass without adding unnecessary fatigue,” Oreb concluded..
Wrapping Up
- Lifting heavy and pushing your limits year-round is rarely sustainable in the long run.
- Maintaining peak performance often comes at the expense of long-term progress.
- Structure your training into distinct phases, each focused on developing specific qualities.
By aligning these phases strategically, you can bring everything together when it matters most — on competition day.
More Strongman Content
- 3 Accessories Exercises to Squat Like a Strongman
- Is Martins Licis Following the Strongman-to-Arm-Wrestling Pipeline?
- Strongman Shane Flowers Injures Right Pec in Training
References
- Abade, E., Brito, J., Gonçalves, B., Saura, L., Coutinho, D., & Sampaio, J. (2023). Using Deadlifts as a Postactivation Performance Enhancement Strategy in Warm-ups in Football. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 37(9), 1821–1827. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000004485
- Lasevicius, T., Ugrinowitsch, C., Schoenfeld, B. J., Roschel, H., Tavares, L. D., De Souza, E. O., Laurentino, G., & Tricoli, V. (2018). Effects of different intensities of resistance training with equated volume load on muscle strength and hypertrophy. European journal of sport science, 18(6), 772–780. https://doi.org/10.1080/17461391.2018.1450898
- Rhea, M. R., Alvar, B. A., Burkett, L. N., & Ball, S. D. (2003). A meta-analysis to determine the dose response for strength development. Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 35(3), 456–464. https://doi.org/10.1249/01.MSS.0000053727.63505.D4
Featured image: @australianstrengthcoach on Instagram
