Bob People Deadlift Workout
For those who don’t know Bob Peoples, here’s some background.
Peoples was born in 1910 in Johnson City, Tennessee and at the age of 9 developed a passion for weight training. He stirred that passion by purchasing the Farmer Burns course and reading “Strength” magazine.
When Bob turned 18, he became very interested in the deadlift. He did all the training, but his specialty from then on was deadlifting. He made a weight of 350 and within a year had worked up to 450 with a body weight of 165. His first competition of any kind was the 1937 Tennessee State Weightlifting Championships.
The next two years of training brought many improvements. He again traveled to Chattanooga and lifted at the 1939 State Championships. His total had improved 65 pounds, but the highlight this time was a 600-pound deadlift. More competitions and higher lifts followed. His crowning moment came during the great Red Shield Boy’s Club variety show in 1949. Peoples, with a body weight of 181 pounds, set a world record (for his weight class) by lifting 725.5 pounds.
In 1979, Peoples wrote a book called “Development of Physical Strength”, which became an instant classic. Peoples passed away in 1992 at the age of 82.
Some of his main lifts are the following:
Squat – 530 pounds
Bench press: 300 pounds (didn’t work much)
Deadlift – 725.5 pounds
All drug free…
This is just one of the many routines Peoples liked to do.
Bob People Deadlift Workout
Deadlift 1×15-20, 1×10, 1×8, 1×6, 6×1 (10 sets total)
5×5 squats
Press 5×5
Notes: Peoples would train 4-5 days a week. He liked to lift heavy things, so there was no light play. In the deadlifts, he would increase the weight each set until he reached 90% of the max, which he would hit 6 sets of singles with. Peoples would use the same weight in the squat and military press 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 well, 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-hearted effort does nothing for you. If you are new to weight training or severely out of shape, consult a doctor first. End of disclaimer.
