9 Weeks to a Bigger Deadlift Without Deadlifting: The No-Pull Pulling Program
This Free Program Was Inspired by these two articles: Building the Deadlift without Deadlifting - Part 1
You ever hit a point where pulling heavy just isn’t getting you anywhere?
Where your back feels wrecked, your hamstrings ache for mercy, and you’ve missed the same 10kg PR three different times?
Yeah — we’ve all been there.
So I decided to flip the script.
This 9-week challenge wasn’t just about building a stronger deadlift… It was about doing it without deadlifting at all.
That’s right — no comp pulls. No AMRAPs off the floor. Just a calculated blend of posterior chain work, movement variation, speed, and structure.
And it worked.
The Premise: Build the Engine, Save the System - Deadlift Without Deadlifting
Here’s what most lifters get wrong: They try to fix their deadlift by deadlifting more.
But if your glutes, hamstrings, trunk, and upper back aren’t pulling their weight (pun intended), then all you’re doing is practicing failure.
This program is built to change that.
It’s 9 weeks of pure posterior chain hypertrophy, explosive intent, and smart intensity management — all without grinding your CNS into dust.
The Structure: 4 Days of Intent-Driven Training
Here’s the breakdown:
Day 1 – Max Effort Lower You’ll attack variations like good mornings, safety bar squats, and block pulls to build top-end strength in the patterns that carry over — not just mimic the comp lift for the sake of it.
Day 2 – Max Effort Upper Pressing power matters too — but we also hammer upper back, lats, and trunk to support pulling structure.
Day 3 – Dynamic Effort Lower Speed squats, posterior chain drills, and movement patterning. We train intent, not fatigue.
Day 4 – Dynamic Effort Upper Triceps, lats, delts, grip, and back — all the supporting pieces that keep your pull from falling apart under heavy load.
Every week has a purpose. Every lift has a role. You’ll get stronger, faster, more coordinated — and your deadlift will thank you for it.
Why No Deadlifts?
Let’s be honest — this was part challenge, part experiment.
I wanted to see how far I could push a Conjugate-style prep without touching the movement most people think is essential.
And it worked — because strength is movement-specific, not movement-exclusive.
By targeting the weak links directly, we build a system that can express force — without accumulating fatigue too early in the training year.
📚 The Thinking Behind the Madness: Why This Works Without Deadlifts
This program wasn’t built on a dare — though the “no deadlifts” part definitely made it more fun. It was built from deep roots in Conjugate theory, classical strength development, and sound sports science. Here’s what really underpins it:
🧠 Philosophically: You Are Not the Lift
In strength culture, it’s easy to start seeing yourself as your deadlift. But the truth is, the lift is just an expression of the system behind it. Your glutes, hamstrings, trunk, lats, grip — they’re the real drivers. By stepping back from the comp lift itself, this program shifts the mindset away from ego-chasing and toward intelligent adaptation. It reinforces the idea that you build the lifter, not just the lift.
⚙️ Methodologically: Train the Weak Links, Spare the CNS
Deadlifts are brutally taxing. They crush your nervous system, smash your spine, and often outpace your ability to recover — especially when programmed poorly. This plan takes a smarter route:
Max Effort Squat & Good Morning variations build strength in similar joint angles without the same systemic fatigue.
Dynamic Effort Squats with bands keep bar speed high and force production up — without wrecking your recovery.
Accessory work targets hamstrings, glutes, lats, abs, and grip to rebuild the entire posterior chain from the ground up.
No deadlifts doesn’t mean no effort. It means no wasted effort.
📐 Theoretically: The Conjugate Method Done Right
This is pure Conjugate — stripped back, focused, and unforgiving in its precision.
You’ll notice:
Variation rotation every week: No repeated maxes, no stagnation.
Speed work with band tension: Building explosive intent without neural burnout.
Direct posterior chain work in every session: Because we’re not pretending the deadlift is just about "pulling harder."
Trunk, grip, and calf work: Overlooked by most, but essential for power off the floor and control through the lift.
This plan is a textbook example of Specific Physical Preparation (SPP) in action — just without the lift it’s targeting.
You’ll train the movement pattern around the deadlift, rather than over-relying on the lift itself.
🔍 What This Program Actually Looks Like: Layout & Exercise Selection
This 9-week plan follows a classic Conjugate Lower Body split — two lower sessions per week: one Max Effort (Day 1), one Dynamic Effort (Day 3 or 4).
🧨 Max Effort Days (Day 1)
Main Lift: Each week features a different squat or good morning variation taken to a max single, double, or triple. These movements are chosen to challenge different weak points: front squats for posture and quads, Anderson squats for bottom-end power, good mornings for posterior chain strain, and box squats for reversal strength.
MSM (Main Supplemental Movement): These reinforce the pattern or muscle group trained in the ME lift — e.g., Hatfield squats after Anderson squats, or belt squats after good mornings.
Accessory Work: You’ll hit posterior chain, hamstrings, core, and grip — usually in higher rep ranges to build muscularity and movement quality.
⚡ Dynamic Effort Days (Day 3–4)
Speed Box Squats with Bands: Repeated week to week to build force production, improve bar path, and condition you to move with intent. The percentages wave slightly, but the tension is constant.
Posterior Chain + Quad Work: Every DE session includes a posterior chain movement (like GHRs or back extensions) and a direct quad movement (split squats, step-ups, or belt squats). This ensures full-spectrum lower-body development.
Rows + Core + Grip: Rows cycle between chest-supported and Pendlay styles; core work alternates planks, sit-ups, and ab wheels; and grip work varies to train crush, pinch, and support strength across all angles.
Every week follows this rhythm, but no two weeks are the same. The variation prevents stagnation while keeping movement patterns consistent enough to drive real, measurable progress.
Download the Full 9-Week Program PDF
Here’s the full free program — no opt-in, no fluff, just a serious block of training:
So What’s Next?
You’ve built the engine. Now it’s time to put your foot on the gas.
🔥 My newest FREE follow-up program — Pull the Trigger: 9 Weeks to a Bigger Deadlift with Conjugate Peaking — is live now.
It’s the next phase in the system. You’ll take all that posterior chain development and convert it into real-world kilos on the bar — with progressive overload, banded speed work, and rotated max effort pulls.
Want the Full System? Get Coached.
If you're sick of plateauing or just want a system that actually makes sense, this is what I do.
I coach strength athletes at all levels — from first comp to world medals — using principles that work.
If you’re ready to:
Build year-round strength
Peak without burning out
Train smarter and harder
📩 Head to TEAMJOSHHEZZA.com/coaching and let’s make a plan that actually gets you somewhere.
Let’s build something that lasts. And then let’s pull something that matters.
🖤 — JH
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