For those who don’t know of Bob Peoples, here is some background.

Peoples was born in 1910 in Johnson City, Tennessee and by the age of 9, he developed a passion for weight training. He excited that passion by purchasing the Farmer Burns course and reading “Strength” magazine.

By the time Bob had reached the age of 18 he had become very interested in the deadlift. He did all around training, but his specialty from this time on was the deadlift. He made a weight of 350 and in a year had worked up to 450 at a bodyweight of 165. His first competition of any kind was the 1937 Tennessee State Weightlifting Championships.

The next two years of training brought much improvement. Again he traveled to Chattanooga and lifted in the 1939 State Championships. His total had improved 65 pounds but the highlight of this occasion was a deadlift of 600 pounds.More competitions and higher lifts followed. His crowing moment came in during the great Red Shield Boy’s Club Variety Show of 1949. Peoples, at a bodyweight of 181 pounds, set a then world record (for his weight class) by deadlifting 725.5 pounds.

In 1979, Peoples wrote a book entitled “Developing Physical Strength,” which became an instant classic. Peoples passed away in 1992 at the age of 82.

Some of his top lifts are as follows:

Squat – 530 pounds

Bench Press – 300 pounds (didn’t work on it much)

Deadlift – 725.5 pounds

All drug free….

Here is just one of many routines Peoples liked to do.

Bob Peoples Deadlift Training

Deadlift 1 x 15-20, 1 x 10, 1 x 8, 1 x 6, 6 x 1 (10 sets total)

Squat 5 x 5

Press 5 x 5

Notes: Peoples would workout 4-5 days per week. He liked to lift heavy, so there was no light sets. On the deadlifts, he would up the weight for every set until he reached 90% of max, which he would pound out 6 sets of singles. Peoples would use the same weight on the squat and overhead press for every set. If you want to follow this routine, I suggest doing it 2-3 days per week. As always, get plenty of rest, eat good food and drink lots of water. Remember to lift heavy and with max intensity.

Understand that to be successful in any weight training program – hard work is a must! Half-hearted effort does nothing for you. If you’re new to weight training or grossly out of shape, consult a physician first. End of disclaimer.