How to rehab a pulled hamstring: Deficit Deadlifts

Yesterday morning around 10am, our house alarm went off.  My wife and our two children were upstairs when we heard it.  I turned to run downstairs and investigate, and somewhere in my first few steps, my hamstrings went up on me.  The left was much worse than my right, enough that I couldn't fully bend or extend my leg.  To walk up or down the stairs I had to use the rail as a crutch.  I immediately started the tried and true RICE treatment, along with some vigorous, albeit painful, massage on both legs.  I just knew that Monday's planned deadlift session was out.  I didn't even think I'd be able to go to work.

Fast forward to Sunday night:  I'd self-diagnosed the injury as a grade 1 pull.  The treatment worked well.  I was mostly pain free, and much of my range of motion had been restored.  Work was back on, but I planned to push the deadlifts back a day.  But while I was walking my route sometime on Monday, this thought came to mind:

"You don't love your job, but you love training.  If you were willing to test the leg doing something you don't love, test it doing what you love".

So once I finished my work day with 2 intact legs, it was off to the gym for my first session of this cycle based around deficit deadlifts.

Training Recap

Bodyweight at start of session: 199 1/2 lbs

Warmed up with some romanian deadlifts with the empty bar and 115 lbs.

Working max = 505 lbs

1. Deficit deadlifts - I use 35 lbs plates and wear flat soled shoes for deficits.
115/5
190/5
260/5
(65%) 330/5
(75%) 380/5
add belt: (85%) 430/7 - I had my Versa Gripps on my wrists, but didn't use them until the very last rep.  The bars at the gym I went to today are fatter than normal Olympic bars.

2. Front Squat - I haven't done these in at least a year.  Used a clean grip while holding onto straps around the bar.
135/6
225/6
add belt: 315/1 - The bar rolled forward on this one, so I re-racked it after I came back up.  I could have done another 1-2 if the bar was more stable.
225/6

The rest was done as a circuit.  12 reps of everything.  Minimal rest between each exercise.

3a. Flat DB fly
30's, 30's

3b. Standing lateral raises
15's, 15's

3c. Face pulls - cable with rope attachment
110, 110

3d. Standing calf raises
230, 210

Total time: 1 hr 3 min

Oh, by the way: the alarm at my house was a false alarm!  No intruder, just a glitch with the phone.  I'm glad that no one was in the house, but I would really be upset if I'd been more seriously injured over that.  But I'll just be grateful that everything ended in a good way.