The legendary deadlift cycle Ed Coan wrote for Mark Phillipi: one top set + speed sets a week, anchored to the target max and climbing from 75% to a new 100% max.
Copy it to your plans in the free app. TopSet works out each set’s target weight from your training max or 1RM.
Download on the App StoreDeadlift day
Deadlift day
Deadlift day
Deadlift day
Deadlift day
Deadlift day
Deadlift day
Deadlift day
Deadlift day
Deadlift day
Ed Coan's deadlift peaking template, written for training partner Mark Phillipi and later published under Phillipi's name. It trains the deadlift once a week: a heavy top set plus a stack of triples done purely for bar speed. Weeks 1-4 stay high-volume — speed work steps down from 8 sets to 5 — then weeks 5-8 shift to a leaner 3-set structure and add deadlift-grip shrugs, before weeks 9-10 taper to single reps that peak at your target max.
Every week has one deadlift day: a top set (a double most weeks, three triples in week 5, a single in weeks 9-10), then a block of triples done explosively for speed. From weeks 5 through 9, the day closes with 3 sets of 5 deadlift-grip shrugs.
| Week | Top set | Speed sets | Rest | Shrugs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1×2 @ 75.5% | 8×3 @ 60.5% | 90s | — |
| 2 | 1×2 @ 80% | 8×3 @ 65% | 90s | — |
| 3 | 1×2 @ 86% | 6×3 @ 71% | 120s | — |
| 4 | 1×2 @ 90.5% | 5×3 @ 75.5% | 120s | — |
| 5 | 3×3 @ 80% | 3×3 @ 65% | 120s | 3×5 @ 58% |
| 6 | 1×2 @ 86% | 3×3 @ 71% | 120s | 3×5 @ 63% |
| 7 | 1×2 @ 90.5% | 3×3 @ 75.5% | 120s | 3×5 @ 67.5% |
| 8 | 1×2 @ 95.5% | 3×3 @ 71% | 120s | 3×5 @ 72% |
| 9 | 1×1 @ 97.5% | 2×3 @ 71% | as needed | 3×5 @ 72% |
| 10 | 1×1 @ 100% (test day) | 2×3 @ 60.5% | as needed | — |
Every percentage is anchored to your target max, not your current one — pick the number you want to pull in week 10 (the template's own suggestion is current max + 5-10 kg) and enter that as your deadlift 1RM in the app so every set's working weight is calculated off the goal. Week 10's 100% single is the actual test or meet attempt. This is a one-shot peak: once you hit the new number, restart the cycle anchored to that new max, not the old one.
On the speed sets, weight matters less than bar speed — pull explosively on every rep. If the bar visibly slows down, cut the load about 2.5%.
Slot the deadlift day wherever it fits your week and build squats, bench, and everything else around it — just avoid a heavy lower-body session the day before. The original template is also said to pair posterior-chain accessories (stiff-leg deadlift, good morning, rows) with the speed sets, but that superset isn't in this chart; add your own if you want, kept light.
What number do I enter as my deadlift 1RM? Your target max for week 10, not your current best — every percentage is built off that number.
Why does week 5 look different from the rest? It swaps the single top double for three sets of three at 80%, and it's where the deadlift-grip shrugs start.
How do I know if a speed set is "fast enough"? Watch bar speed, not just completion — if reps start grinding, drop the load about 2.5% for the remaining sets.
Is there other work I should add? This chart only covers the deadlift day. Fill the rest of the week with your normal squat/bench training, and add posterior-chain accessories on deadlift day if you want — just keep them light.
What happens after week 10? Week 10 is a one-time test or meet day at 100% of your target. If you hit it, start a fresh 10-week block anchored to your new max; the program doesn't loop automatically.
Program by Ed Coan. TopSet is not affiliated with or endorsed by the program’s creator. Program names and trademarks belong to their owners. See the guide for original sources.
