What is Maximal Strength and why should we train it?
For starters, nobody wants to feel weak.
Unlike muscular endurance, maximal strength training involves low repetitions of 1-8 reps and 3-4 sets at a heavier weight.
Adding maximal strength to your program will help you build muscle mass and increase overall physical strength.
This will make it easier to perform daily tasks and activities.
Things like carrying groceries, picking up children or animals, cleaning your house, and moving furniture shouldn’t be difficult tasks.
Myth versus Fact..
A common misconception about lifting this heavy is that it will create a bulkier appearance. The truth is, it’s not that simple.
You would have to be eating a surplus of calories in order to create that type of figure.. It doesn’t just happen from lifting heavy weights.
Jumping into this type of training blindly is a mistake.
You must know how heavy you can go in order to progress and not get injured from an egotistical mentality.
Perform an evaluation of your main lifts (press, squat, and deadlift) to determine your 5 Rep Max numbers for each lift.
This will help you determine how many repetitions (volume) you can perform at a given percentage (intensity).
Unless you’re an athlete or competing in weightlifting, it is unnecessary to perform 1 rep max’s on lifts.
The risk is not worth the reward.
Rather, Find your 5 Rep Max (5RM) on each main lift.
After you finish your evaluation, your 5 Rep Max should be programmed as a 3 rep set in your workout in order to leave something left in the tank versus trying to run on empty.
At 5 reps, perform 75% of your max effort.
At 3 reps, perform 85% of your max effort. (your 5 Rep Max)
At 2 reps, perform 92.5% of your max effort.
You can use our Rep Max Calculator to help determine the correct weight for you.
Below is an example of a maximal strength workout that involves supersets (performing exercises back-to-back).
Under the reps column, each set is separated by a comma. Set 1 being the first number of reps, Set 2 being the second number of reps and so on.
Exercise | Sets | Reps |
---|---|---|
DB Bench Press | 4 | 5, 3, 3, 5 |
Double KB Front Squat | 4 | 5, 3, 2, 3 |
DB Reverse Lunge | 3 | 8 Each Leg |
DB 3 Point Row | 3 | 5 Each Arm |
Farmers Carry | 3 | 40 Yards |
There are other ways to superset exercises like a strength and power combination or a protagonist antagonist combination.
A strength and power superset should not be random strength and power exercises. The exercises need to follow the same movement pattern.
For example, a hex bar deadlift, which is a hinge movement, should be paired with another hinge, like kettlebell swings.
The hex bar deadlift is the strength lift whereas the kettlebell swings are the power.
The power exercise is an exception where you can break away from the 3-5 reps at a heavy weight according to the max strength phase prescription.
Power is supposed to be just like it sounds, powerful! Therefore, it is a much lighter weight that you can perform fast and explosively.
The reps for the power movement depend on how long you can go on a particular exercise before losing that power.
You might be able to perform 12 kettlebell swings at a light weight without losing power, but it is more difficult to perform the same amount of reps of a squat jump without losing power.
For a strength and power superset like a front squat paired with squat jumps, your squat jumps might only be 5 reps because that’s all you can sustain at max power.
You can never go wrong with this combination because everyone needs both components to live a longer life.
Contrary to the strength and power superset, the protagonist antagonist superset combines opposing movement patterns.
For example, an overhead triceps extension, which is an upper body push, can be paired with a dumbbell three-point row, which is an upper body pull.
This is also a great combination because it keeps the body balanced.
When your program involves an excess of upper body presses and not enough upper body pulls, you’ll find that over time a lot of shoulder or chest issues can occur.
That’s because you have created an imbalance in your body.
Ever seen a man in the gym whose shoulders are set so far forward it looks like they only train their chest?
That’s probably because they DO only train their chest.
The opposing movement, in this case an upper body pull, must be trained just as often as the press.
Aside from looking funny, imbalances in the body creates pain and injuries.
Train smarter not harder.
In conclusion, each phase of training is important in a program so don’t leave one out.
Leaving out one of the phases of training in a program creates a lack of an essential element your body needs to live a longer life.
Now go find your 5 Rep Max!