Max effort lifting is often thought of as lifting the maximum amount of weight that you are capable of lifting for a single rep. I think this is basically because Westside Barbell popularized the term, “max effort day.” For a Westside lifter, max effort day refers to a training session in which you push yourself to lift as much as possible for a single rep for a specific lift. My only concern with calling it max effort day or max effort lifting is that it makes it sound like the only time you are putting forth maximum effort is when you are lifting the maximum amount of weight possible for a single rep. However, as I see it, there are actually three types of max effort lifting which include:
- Lifting the maximum amount of weight possible for a single rep requires maximum effort.
- Lifting a submaximal weight for the maximum number of reps possible also requires maximum effort.
- Lifting a submaximal weight with maximum force and speed also requires maximum effort.
If you look at the three types of max effort training listed above, you should see that you can push for max load, or max reps, or maximum force and speed, and all three variations require maximum effort. In my way of thinking, it would not be inaccurate to call all of them max effort training while referring to them as either:
Max load lifting
Max reps lifting
Max force and rep speed lifting
Precision
If you are reading this blog, most likely you are reading it on the precision point training website. Precision is one of the main points of focus on this website regarding resistance training and strength training concepts. When it comes to max effort training, I think it helps to be precise in regards to which type of max effort training is being used. One reason is that any type of max effort training is going to take a lot out of you, which must be considered when determining how often you are going to use each type of max effort. Here is my general advice in regard to how often most people can tolerate each type of max effort training.
Max load training can be used once every one to two weeks for basic compound exercises such as squats, leg presses, deadlifts, and presses. One max load lift for each muscle group is enough.
One set of max reps training to failure can also be used once every one to two weeks for basic compound exercises such as squats, leg presses, deadlifts, bench presses and overhead presses. However, you may find that you can go for max reps up to twice per week for isolation exercises such as dumbbell lateral raises, dumbbell flyes, barbell and dumbbell curls, triceps extensions, calf raises, sissy squats.
Max force and max speed reps with submaximal weights of 75% or less of your single rep max can be done two times per week under two conditions:
- You stop well short of failure by only doing five reps per set
- You limit yourself to two sets in which you are applying maximum force and rep speed.
If you choose to do three or four maximum force sets with 75% of your single rep max, you will probably be better off to limit this type of workout to one session per week for each muscle group.
Limit Max Effort Training
I don’t advise doing all three types of max effort training during the same workout, and when it comes to max effort and max reps workouts, I don’t even recommend doing these workouts during the same week. Choose a session within a week in which you go for max load. Choose a different week when going for max reps. You can use max force and speed sets every week, but I would not do max reps and max force sets within the same workout.
The bottom line is that not all of your training needs to be max effort training. In other words, don’t think that you must either lift with a max load, or max reps, or maximum force and reps on every set. Most people know that they cannot lift with maximum loads for a single rep in every workout, but a lot of people feel obligated to push for max reps or to push with maximum force and rep speed for every work set.
I was once an advocate of max reps on every work-set. In other words, I believed it was necessary to push to failure on every work set to get anything out my training. Then I discovered it works just as good to stop short of failure by stopping a set when you lose the ability to maintain a steady even rep pace. However, I thought it was necessary to push each rep with maximum force and rep speed. I don’t believe this anymore. Just as you can refrain from pushing a set to the point failure where strenuous grinder reps are required, you can also refrain strenuous reps in which you push each rep with maximum force. In other words, push with 70% to 80% of the maximum effort that it takes to lift with maximum force. This will allow you to perform more sets and train more often without overtraining. For those who prefer to use maximum effort by using either, max load, max reps, or max force, you can do so occasionally, but I would caution against doing it all the time. Most of your training should be done in a manner that causes you to push hard, but not to the point of excessive strain. I could say more about this, but it would get complicated and would become confusing.
The considerations regarding different types of max effort training become especially important if you are stuck and finding it hard to make progress. The longer you train, the harder it becomes to keep gaining, and the more important it becomes to consider small details such as how often to use each type of max effort training. Hope this information proves useful at some point in your future workouts. May God bless you with the best of training.