Training Max: Seeing a Pattern

[Ten8]

As I browse through these forums and the sub, I see a pattern emerging:

"Finished up a block of _____ and wow my lifts increased big time!" Training max used.

Then a few weeks later, same poster:

"This block felt hard. I struggled during week ____ and missed a few reps. I've stalled" Training max not used this time.

I finished up a strength block last week and had some very nice increases on most of my #s (training max used). Then a few days later the little voice in my head started up....."You can do it without a training max, it's just a little bit more. More weight = more muscles = TB Cyborg mode"

I tend to be slightly OCD, and usually hold off on making even stupid small decisions until I feel like I've analyzed it from every angle....a mild form of paralysis by analysis. So I started searching up training max threads and going through logs. Almost every single time it seems the poster makes steady progress with a training max....then voila they drop it and run into stalls and incomplete reps, like clock-work.

Occam's razor guys? Perhaps Wendler, KB and others that recommend it are on to something?

[Barkadion]

Well if you dig Occam's razor..

http://www.dragondoor.com/articles/occa ... am-design/

[Balaclava]

Best part of the article right here:

"what Leonard da Vinci stated about simplicity being the ultimate sophistication assumes that you understand that that simplicity was purchased at the price of great study and expansive work through the complex to arrive at the simplicity."

[TBPenguin]

My experience is that when starting out with the training max, the workouts almost felt too easy. I used forced progression at a rate that was more than my strength could have been increasing (due to existing strength levels, training history) and it got pretty hard. From reading the books, my interpretation is that the intent is that individual workouts should not push our limits. After all we need to repeat the workout in 2 or 3 days. I don't see any downside to using a training max. If it is too easy, just increase the training max for the next block.

[Barkadion]

My experience is that when starting out with the training max, the workouts almost felt too easy. I used forced progression at a rate that was more than my strength could have been increasing (due to existing strength levels, training history) and it got pretty hard. From reading the books, my interpretation is that the intent is that individual workouts should not push our limits. After all we need to repeat the workout in 2 or 3 days. I don't see any downside to using a training max. If it is too easy, just increase the training max for the next block.

Quite frankly, I never could understand what is wrong with "workouts are too easy" feelings. It's a lifetime rumble. You'll have all your life to get to "workouts are too hard" team.

Just enjoy the ride

[RugbyGuy]

I'm all other workouts (and with TB when I'm done with BB) I've based my % off of a 2RM instead of a 1 RM. That way I'm getting good work in because a 2RM is like 92-93% of 1RM, but using a 2RM is a way to ensure I can still get through the workout if I'm feeling beat up or didn't sleep well or eat well etc.

Plus, it's less math.

[Barkadion]

I'm all other workouts (and with TB when I'm done with BB) I've based my % off of a 2RM instead of a 1 RM. That way I'm getting good work in because a 2RM is like 92-93% of 1RM, but using a 2RM is a way to ensure I can still get through the workout if I'm feeling beat up or didn't sleep well or eat well etc.

Plus, it's less math.

And when you get to your 2RM..Do you still have a couple reps in the tank?

[RugbyGuy]

I'm all other workouts (and with TB when I'm done with BB) I've based my % off of a 2RM instead of a 1 RM. That way I'm getting good work in because a 2RM is like 92-93% of 1RM, but using a 2RM is a way to ensure I can still get through the workout if I'm feeling beat up or didn't sleep well or eat well etc.

Plus, it's less math.

And when you get to your 2RM..Do you still have a couple reps in the tank?

No, I usually pretty try to get as real of a 2RM as I can. Sometimes I'll even just do one rep and if I fell like I could have done it twice, then I'll call it my 2RM.

[Barkadion]

I'm all other workouts (and with TB when I'm done with BB) I've based my % off of a 2RM instead of a 1 RM. That way I'm getting good work in because a 2RM is like 92-93% of 1RM, but using a 2RM is a way to ensure I can still get through the workout if I'm feeling beat up or didn't sleep well or eat well etc.

Plus, it's less math.

And when you get to your 2RM..Do you still have a couple reps in the tank?

No, I usually pretty try to get as real of a 2RM as I can. Sometimes I'll even just do one rep and if I fell like I could have done it twice, then I'll call it my 2RM.

I see. Thanks.

[J-Madd]

People who follow the reddit discussion know that I'm a big train max fan.

For any experienced lifter who has to balance strength against other fitness attributes and real life demands, a training max is most likely the way to go. There are inevitably going to be days that you are not as sharp as you were back when you last tested your maxes. For example, sometimes I'm squatting the day after an Apex session, but I would never test my squat the day after a tough hill workout. In other words, we tend to test our maxes in nearly ideal recovery situations, but a lot (most?) of our training days are going to happen in less than ideal recovery situations because we have other priorities we are balancing. MAYBE, if strength were your only priority you could get away with a 100% training max, but that's not the case for most people on this forum. Looking back I have never said "That block would've been more productive, if I hadn't used a training max" but I have seriously regretted not using one. That makes even more sense when you are using a high frequency program, such as Operator. You goal should be that when 90-95% weeks come by the barbells are still snapping right up. If you want the magic of high frequency training, you need to work with numbers you can hit any day you show up in the gym, even a bad day. If you feel like you need more work, just push your volume a bit. The worst case scenario (short of getting hurt) is getting to week three, missing a bunch of marks and realizing your whole block is botched. I strive to hit that golden mean of walking away from my workouts knowing that I really did get something done, while also feeling a little regret that I didn't do more. It's better to be a bit hungry.

I'm probably going to transition to Zulu for a while later this fall. I was tempted to go with a 100% max to base my percentages on, since Zulu is lower frequency (per lift) than OP. Looking at my spreadsheet, however, I could very easily get stuffed on a bad day during the 95% week. Thus, I'm going to use a training max.

Of course there are a lot of ways of determine a training max. Wendler's standard 90% is great. You could, if you are able to restrain yourself on test day, use a Dan John "sorta max", and I like the idea of using a 2RM instead of a 1RM. If you have any powerlifting/weightlifting experience, you might use what you think would be a reasonable opening lift in a meet as your training max.