MAX

Chet Morjaria

Day Max

I’ve named all of these maxes in ways that are self-descriptive. So the Day Max is the max lift you can hit on that day. However, this is not the same as when you work up to something heavy, without any misses. That is called a heavy single. A max for the day is genuinely the heaviest weight you can lift on that day, or as close as possible to it. A general rule of thumb is to give yourself three attempts at a given weight. If you miss three attempts, you are done, and your max is deemed as your last successful lift.

Coaches: The difference between a “max for the day” and a “heavy single” is also an important distinction for you to make in your programming. Be clear on which one you want, and which one you ask for.

Technical Max

1RM, one rep max, max lifts, what makes a max lift, lifetime max, max repThis is the max weight you can hit with perfect technique, or at least without any major deviation. This max is often only slightly lower than your training max (more on what that is in a minute). As you become more advanced, your technical max and your training max should edge ever closer. Many lifters do not give much thought to their technical max, instead placing all of the focus on maxes involving bigger numbers. However, on a day-to-day training basis, this is the most important max to improve on in terms of long-term strength development. Your technical max is also ideal to use when plugging your max figure into a new training program. A max reliant on good technique scales up well. One reliant on a combination of luck, brute force, and adrenaline is less of a useful marker when it comes to percentages and programs. Work out what your technical max is, and seek to improve it.

Training Cycle Max

This max is likely to be something you have built up to over the course of a few weeks and months, or are in the process of doing so. Your training cycle max is relevant to the here and now. It’s in accordance with your strength, nutrition, recovery, and lifestyle factors at this particular time. If it’s at the end of your training cycle, this max may also be the result of some specific rep schemes and tapering. This makes it a meaningful marker for comparing against yourself throughout your training cycle. And for the same reasons, a little less meaningful to carry over anywhere else beyond this (except, perhaps, for comparisons of training cycles).

Training Max

1RM, one rep max, max lifts, what makes a max lift, lifetime max, max repYour training max is simply the most you have ever lifted in training. Often, it will be on a day where everything happened to come together. It may not be the prettiest of lifts, and it may or may not have been to competition standards,but it happened, somehow. This one is a good marker to compare with other maxes you hit in training, throughout any and all training cycles, but maybe not much else. Many lifters use this max to as their working max for new programs. Make no mistake, this is a mistake. It’s not scalable either down in terms of percentages or up in terms of a solid base number.

Competition Max

This is the highest number you’ve hit in competition. This is actually your first legitimate max. There’s a big difference between hitting this number in the weight room and hitting it on the platform, under the scrupulous eyes of multiple judges. To attain a good and true competition max, it should have taken the work of a good training cycle to get you ready for the comp. You should look to set a new competition max every single time you step out onto the platform.

Lifetime Max
I was tempted to combine this with competition max, for three reasons: Firstly, any max that is to be deemed your lifetime max should be done under strict competition standards. Secondly, the extra buzz a competition gives you should help you in your mission to hit an all-time max. Lastly, the fact that you hit it in a competition suggests you have been strategically and progressively working towards this lift for a good while. 1RM, one rep max, max lifts, what makes a max lift, lifetime max, max repThat last reason is an important part of a lifetime max. It should be the culmination of a long period of intense training and focused hard work, leading up to this competition in particular. This will have been over months or even years (think in terms of the Olympics.) However, here’s the distinction between competition and lifetime max. If your competition max has not been attained though this level of commitment, it is not your true lifetime max. It’s merely your competition max. Obviously (hopefully), you have put some effort into your competition preparation, but there is a difference between the two types of max. Dan John refers to a similar concept as the difference between your “max max” and your “max max max.”