Today's work is Zercher Deadlifts.

And Zercher Deadlifts are one of the best exercises for developing your wrestling, grappling, striking and, overall fight strength.

Video Breakdown

Why Zercher Deadlifts Mimic Fighting Positions

First of all, you're not picking up a bar with a dead hang as you do regular Deadlift. You're picking up a bar by holding it in between your elbows.

Just like you do when you are clinching up somebody or you're swimming your under hooks. Or just like if you are in someone else's guard and he has his legs wrapped around you. He's trying to pull you down, break your posture. But you're keeping your elbows in so you don't overextend and he doesn't sink in an arm bar or a triangle choke.

You need that strength and that endurance to hold elbows in close to your body and upper body core strength to maintain that unbreakable posture position.

Full Body Engagement

Because how you have to lift the barbell, your entire body becomes activated.

You have your legs, your lower back, your hip rotation and your hip force as you come up with the bar up and then putting it back down.

You have to have a very strong posture in order to be able to control and not be controlled.

The Soviet Used It

The Soviets have exceeded using Zercher Deadlifts for their wrestling protocols. They go back into the 60s or 70s, maybe even earlier. There's even an old Soviet footage of wrestlers training using the Zercher Deadlift.

If Soviets have been doing Zercher Deadlifts for decades and they've excelled in wrestling and combat sports, then you must too.

Proper Movement and Form

Now, the movement is less about doing like a "good morning" exercise, where you're lowering your upper body forward at the hips while keeping your legs straight.

Not at all.

Instead, you're utilizing your hips, your legs from the ground up and you're using your upper body, your core and your arms tied together as one unit.

You're bending down forward and slightly squatting down at the same time.

And then you're coming back up and you're using the hip hinge and your upper body as one unit to come back up.

Your back may seem arched and it is a bit but you are not picking the weight with your back, instead you are using your entire body as one unit.

Starting Out and Progression

If you never done Zercher Deadlifts before, then you need to introduce very low weight until you get the proper mechanics down.

Use just a bar where you hold it across your elbows. Then do the movement.

Feel your back so you're not overextending and you're not arching and you are not only using your back.

The weight of the barbell should be your body weight. If you can go higher, go higher. If you never done this before, go lower until you get the muscles and the movement down.

Build up your technique and strength first before you introduce any sort of heavier weight.

It's not something you jump into but something you introduce slowly and build up the mechanics behind it. Just like striking, just like grappling, just like wrestling, just like fighting.

Also, you can use a towel around the bar to give you some padding.

Sets, Reps, and Rest

One of my favorite systems to go with for sets and reps is:

• 5 sets
• 10, 8, 7, 5, 5 reps

So, your first set you do 10 reps, second set 8 reps, third set 7 reps, fourth and fifth set 5 reps.

And then you adjust the weight in between sets so you can hit those rep amounts for each of the sets.

Now, if you can do more reps per set that means you need to add a little bit more weight. If you are struggling to get the amount of reps per set and your form begins to fall apart, then you need to de load and have less amount of weight.

This 5 sets of 10, 8, 7, 5, 5 gives you enough between building up your strength and working on your endurance at the same time. It's exactly the combination you need for fighting.

Remember, Zercher Deadlifts are not about speed. They are about total control and working your strength.

And as you do this, focus on fluid motion from the ground. Stand up. Pause. Hold the barbell. Stabilize and then lower it back down, just hover it right above the ground. You can slightly touch the ground, that's fine but don't slam it. Don't use the momentum to get the weight back up.

It has to be smooth control movement. And continue doing it for as many reps as you need for that set.

Then set the bar down and take a break.

Rest between sets should be 2-3 minutes. Then get back onto the next set.

If the weight is too light, add weight. If it's too heavy, remove weight and hit all 5 sets.

Training Approach and Follow-Up Exercise

When doing Zercher Deadlifts, it should be either the ONLY exercise you do or the first exercise you do.

Don't introduce a super set where you add a second exercise or don't do it as a circuit.

Zercher Deadlift should be done as a solo exercise just like Deadlifts. Focus on working through your 5 sets with quality and control.

Then when you are done with these 5 sets, you can introduce additional exercise. One of the best ones to go with is back extensions.

With back extensions you can add weight or just use your bodyweight.

I often use a dumbbell for extra resistance.

But if I'm burned out on the Zercher Deadlifts then I just do body weight only.

Do 3-5 sets and anywhere between 10-15 reps per each set.

Fight Ready Fitness Program

To get more training sessions to become stronger and be fight ready, get "Fight Ready Fitness". A program that's focused on giving you specific workout routines to do solo using bodyweight, kettlebells, dumbbells, barbell and more.