Day 1
Deadlift day
- Barbell Conventional Deadlift4 × 4 · 70% e1RM2 × 2 · 80% e1RM1 × 8+ · 70% e1RMSoul AMRAP set: 8+ reps, as many as possible - this is the engine of the whole plan.
Magnusson/Ortmayer (Mag-Ort) Deadlift Program
A brutal deadlift cycle from Magnusson and Ortmayer: 4×4 + heavy doubles + an 8+ rep AMRAP set each week, progressing in fixed jumps in pounds, with two full rest weeks. The app lists the 9 training weeks; with the rest weeks and the final test week it spans 12 calendar weeks.
- Weeks
- 9
- Days / week
- 1
- Exercises / day
- 1
Run this program in TopSet
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 StoreWeek structure
Week 1Calendar week 1
Week 2Calendar week 2
Day 1
Deadlift day
- Barbell Conventional Deadlift4 × 4 · 70% e1RM1 × 2 · 80% e1RM1 × 2 · 90% e1RM1 × 8+ · 70% e1RMSoul AMRAP set: 8+ reps, as many as possible - this is the engine of the whole plan.
Week 3Calendar week 3 (take a full week off after this week)
Day 1
Deadlift day
- Barbell Conventional Deadlift4 × 4 · 70% e1RMAdd 10 lb (≈5kg) on top of the percentages for all sets this week (cumulative jump).1 × 2 · 80% e1RM1 × 2 · 90% e1RM1 × 8+ · 70% e1RMSoul AMRAP set: 8+ reps, as many as possible - this is the engine of the whole plan.
Week 4Calendar week 5
Day 1
Deadlift day
- Barbell Conventional Deadlift4 × 4 · 70% e1RMAdd 10 lb (≈5kg) on top of the percentages for all sets this week (cumulative jump).1 × 2 · 80% e1RM1 × 2 · 90% e1RM1 × 8+ · 70% e1RMSoul AMRAP set: 8+ reps, as many as possible - this is the engine of the whole plan.
Week 5Calendar week 6
Day 1
Deadlift day
- Barbell Conventional Deadlift4 × 4 · 70% e1RMAll sets this week go 20 lb (≈10kg, cumulative jumps) over the percentage1 × 2 · 80% e1RM1 × 2 · 90% e1RM1 × 8+ · 70% e1RMSoul AMRAP set: 8+ reps, as many as possible - this is the engine of the whole plan.
Week 6Calendar week 7 (take a full week off after this week)
Day 1
Deadlift day
- Barbell Conventional Deadlift4 × 4 · 70% e1RMAll sets this week go 30 lb (≈15kg, cumulative jumps) over the percentage1 × 2 · 80% e1RM1 × 2 · 90% e1RM1 × 8+ · 70% e1RMSoul AMRAP set: 8+ reps, as many as possible - this is the engine of the whole plan.
Week 7Calendar week 9
Day 1
Deadlift day
- Barbell Conventional Deadlift4 × 4 · 70% e1RMAll sets this week go 30 lb (≈15kg, cumulative jumps) over the percentage1 × 2 · 80% e1RM1 × 2 · 90% e1RM1 × 8+ · 70% e1RMSoul AMRAP set: 8+ reps, as many as possible - this is the engine of the whole plan.
Week 8Calendar week 10
Day 1
Deadlift day
- Barbell Conventional Deadlift4 × 4 · 70% e1RMAll sets this week go 40 lb (≈20kg, cumulative jumps) over the percentage1 × 2 · 80% e1RM1 × 2 · 90% e1RM1 × 8+ · 70% e1RMSoul AMRAP set: 8+ reps, as many as possible - this is the engine of the whole plan.
Week 9Calendar week 11 (take a week off afterward, then test new maxes in week 12)
Day 1
Deadlift day
- Barbell Conventional Deadlift4 × 4 · 70% e1RMAdd 50 lb (≈25kg) on top of the percentages for all sets this week (cumulative jump).1 × 2 · 80% e1RM1 × 2 · 90% e1RM1 × 8+ · 70% e1RMSoul AMRAP set: 8+ reps, as many as possible - this is the engine of the whole plan.
Program guide
Overview
Mag/Ort is named for two lifters known for brutal, high-volume deadlift training: Icelandic strongman Benedikt Magnusson (a deadlift world-record holder) and American powerlifter Travis Ortmayer. It's a single-lift specialization block — one deadlift session per week — combining a 4×4 base-volume block, a heavy double, and a single AMRAP set of 8+ reps that acts as the engine driving the whole program. Load climbs through fixed pound jumps stacked on top of the working percentages, building from +10 lb to +50 lb over the block. Two full rest weeks are programmed in, and the cycle finishes with a new-max test. Typical outcome: a 20-50 lb deadlift PR.
Who It's For
- Intermediate-to-advanced lifters with solid deadlift technique and strong recovery capacity.
- Not for beginners or anyone with an unresolved back issue — the weekly AMRAP set is genuinely taxing on the low back and grip, and that fatigue is the point.
Program Structure
9 loaded deadlift weeks across a 12-calendar-week cycle: weeks 4 and 8 are full rest, and week 12 tests a new 1RM after the final rest. Every loaded week is one session, one exercise, seven sets:
- Sets 1-4: 70% × 4 reps — base volume
- Set 5: 80% × 2 reps
- Set 6: 80% × 2 reps in week 1 only, then 90% × 2 reps from week 2 on — the heavy double
- Set 7: AMRAP at 70%, 8 reps minimum — the "soul set"; push to about one rep shy of failure
Intensity & Progression
Every percentage is calculated off the training max you enter at the start — pick it conservatively, not from a shaky one-off PR. From training week 3 on, each loaded week also adds a fixed amount of absolute weight on top of the percentages (not another percentage):
| Training week | Calendar week | Added weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1-2 | 1-2 | baseline (+0) |
| 3 | 3 | +10 lb (~5 kg) |
| — | 4 | full rest |
| 4 | 5 | +10 lb (~5 kg) |
| 5 | 6 | +20 lb (~10 kg) |
| 6 | 7 | +30 lb (~15 kg) |
| — | 8 | full rest |
| 7 | 9 | +30 lb (~15 kg) |
| 8 | 10 | +40 lb (~20 kg) |
| 9 | 11 | +50 lb (~25 kg) |
| — | 12 | rest, then test new max |
Since it stacks on the percentage load, the last loaded week pulls well past what 70/80/90% implies. Reps banked on the AMRAP set are the real progress signal — more reps this cycle should mean a bigger jump next time.
How to Run It
- Enter a training max you can hit with clean technique, not an all-time best single.
- Train the deadlift once a week; keep other lower-body work light so your back is fresh each session.
- Push the AMRAP set to within a rep of failure — 8 is the floor, not the target.
- Take calendar weeks 4 and 8 fully off the deadlift — programmed recovery, not a buffer.
- In week 12, test your new 1RM and restart the cycle from that number.
FAQ
Do I train other lifts during this block? Only the deadlift session is prescribed; keep everything else light enough that it doesn't eat into weekly recovery.
What if my plates only allow 5 lb jumps? The added weight is fixed, not a percentage — round to what your equipment allows and stay close to the schedule.
Can I skip a rest week if I feel fine? No. The two full rest weeks are part of the design, not a cushion for missed sessions.
Why is the AMRAP set called the engine of the program? It's the feedback signal: reps banked past 8 show how hard to push the next cycle's added weight.
Is the added weight in kg or lb? The original prescription is in pounds; roughly 10 lb ≈ 5 kg.
Program by Magnusson & Ortmayer. 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.