Stewart14

1. If I eventually wanted to compete in a competition, but not for a couple of years at least (to get my lifts up), would there be any negatives to training the deadlift with a trap bar up until I decide to seriously compete? I ask because the trap bar is much easier on my lower back, when I do heavy straight bar deads, I have some lower back discomfort for a day that goes away, but I figure if I can avoid that with the trap bar, it might be worth it. How much carryover in strength is there between the two? Obviously there are technique differences to account for, but in terms of raw strength, let's say I wind up deadlifting 600 with a trap bar in a year, and then try a straight bar, should I expect to be able to get at least 500?

2. From what I read in various articles on the net, they always seem to prescribe 70% of 1RM for a speed deadlift. Why is it so high when squats and bench are around 50-60% of max?

thanks guys

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