Testing your strength ≠ training your strength

In strength sports, lifting as much weight as possible is of course the aim. If we’re looking at 1 rep max events, not the endurance type. The latter is for another blog.

When you’re aiming to get your 1 rep max higher and higher, lifting as heavy as possible is the way to go. Or is it? They are useful, but they are a tool rather than the entirety of the training process.

‘Max out, bro, all-in, every session, earn it!’

‘Your muscles need to know the grind!’

Although it sounds logical to train superheavy every session, it can be counterproductive over time. There are more factors that tie in with being able to move big weights. I’ll cover a few in this blog.

Lightweight, Baby! 

Let’s start off with an example, a client who is really in to strength sports and aims to compete one day. He has made quite the progress in the last year, being able to up the weight almost weekly. But now for the last few months, all has stalled and even regressed. The pull doesn’t get further than 65kg, the dip not past 90kg, weighted muscle ups fail every session and not to speak about the squat. Question that arises: what is needed in order to get the momentum going again?

Looking at the way of training, this client aimed to test his 1 rep max every session. Not just one attempt, but at least 3 for each main lift. Of which, most actually failed. It might be good for the ego, but is that really needed and beneficial?

First things first: getting the ego in check. As in, what added value does it have to test your 1 rep max every session? By first setting the goals right in a realistic manner, a better suited program could be written. Next, working with submaximal loads instead of only heavy singles. Don’t get me wrong, both are very valuable. But at the right time. To still feel that the 1 rep max was being ‘tested’, we tried another way of programming.

The top set / backoff sets were a good starter. With this, the top set was heavy, but doable. The backoff sets are lighter and mainly to get more practice in without gassing out. The block after, we’d move in to ascending loads. This means the sets get progressively heavier, but not till the point of failure.

To summarize, we maintained a certain degree of ‘testing’ without the main training suffering.

Heavy singles vs. Submaximal loads 

Now, for a bit of theory.

Heavy singles can be used to practice not only the physical, but also the mental part of a heavy lift. Being confident enough to move a lot of weight is also considered a skill. One that might be harder to master than just moving weights. These are usually programmed towards the end of a block or more in a peaking phase.

Submaximal loads are also heavy, but not as heavy so one is able to perform a few reps with proper form. These can be used to practice a certain lift and to condition the body so it’ll be even better at handling the heavy weights. Here, the mental part also ties in; it might be also taxing endurance wise, so being able to push through demands mental fortitude.

The closer you get to competition, the more valuable frequent exposure to heavy singles can become. Outside that context, most of your training can be built around submaximal work. Both train strength, but they solve different problems.

Just a quote I use more often: in training we train, in competition we test.

Common mistakes

Just to name some:

• Thinking going all out is the golden way to increase 1 rep max.

• Forgetting that your readiness, your mental state might be even more important.

• Valuable data on your performance can also be retrieved otherwise than lifting enormous weights.

What’s in it for you

If you’re not sure which one is better, ask yourself: what do I have to prove or test? For whom do I have to do that?

And if you’re going for heavy singles, ask yourself: Is my mind clear and confident enough?

Final thoughts

Both heavy singles as well as submaximal loads have their respective places in a structured strength training program. The physical capabilities need to be trained, but so do the mental ones. Being confident to move heavy weights and recover from it should be the main driver.

As Ronnie Coleman said: ‘Everybody wanna be a bodybuilder, but nobody wanna lift those heavy ass weights!’ This is true, but be smart with it. Train intensely, but recoverable. No matter if you’re a bodybuilder, streetlifter, powerlifter or anything in between.

Have you hit the ceiling or feel like your performance is declining, despite training heavy and serious? Your physical capabilities might not be the problem, rather how your body is able to express it.

Understanding what might be holding you back is the first step in progressing again, which is what I enjoy finding out with you.