Choose Appropriate Maxes in Training

Let's be honest, when you're maxing out on social media it's usually more about the praise and attention than actually getting stronger. And if you squat high, don't get mad when you're called out on it.

So reconsider that kind of max, or be more like Ed Coan. When asked about his maxes, Ed Coan has said, "I don't know; I never maxed in training. I saved my big lifts for the platform."

You can get as strong as you'll ever be and get there without ever taking a true one rep max in training. That said, there's a way to intelligently hit your max, but it's not debilitating. Think of it as establishing an every-day max or EDM.

Your EDM is the max that you could hit even if you're having a down day, are a bit sick, or even slightly overtrained. It accounts for fatigue, helping you set a doable baseline, especially if you're using a percentage-based modality. Use your EDM as the foundation for planning your training.

If you're having a destroyer-of-worlds kinda day and hit a new PR, then you base your training off of that max, you're going to have some days where you miss the reps you planned to hit. Eventually you're going to find your maxes sliding backwards because you set yourself up to fail by training in a constant state of overreaching.

By using the EDM, you should never miss a lift or reps in a set. This will build confidence, a larger strength base to work from, and have you using loads that help you to reinforce proper technique on a consistent basis. All good things when it comes to developing maximal strength.