Training for Maximal Strength

Tony Boutagy

Introduction

Strength is defined as the body's ability, or a group of muscles ability, to produce force. Maximal strength, therefore, is the body's ability to produce maximal force. As such it involves the use of performing resistance training exercises with loads that cause muscular failure and technical breakdown between 1-5 repetitions. Due to the extremely heavy loading, the technical skills and established muscular strength required to perform the exercise safely and the mistaken belief that heavier loads will result in greater muscular hypertrophy, many personal trainers often neglect performing maximal strength training in favour of prescribing lighter loads and hypertrophy/endurance style training (1-3 sets of between 8-20 repetitions). Unfortunately, avoiding the heavy loading misses a number of physiological adaptations that occur with this training style and limits the variety of training methods available over the training years.

If training for maximal strength agrees with a client's goals and their training history, then performing this style of training will guarantee a new level of challenge, variety and excitement to your programming and, additionally, you’ll ensure that they are moving towards their goals more quickly and experiencing an entirely different aspect to their physical conditioning along the way.

What happens?

The intention of performing training for muscle hypertrophy or general strength is to activate and exhaust various muscles to such an extent that the protein stored in the muscle fibers are disrupted. As a result, in the days that follow the training session, the muscles supercompensate to grow bigger and stronger. That’s why repetitions between 8-12, short rest periods between sets (under 90 seconds, multiple sets and multiple exercises for each muscle group must be used, for these are the methods that activate and exhaust the muscles to the highest degree possible, so therefore cause the maximum amount of supercompenstaion that an individual's genetic makeup will allow. The loading parameters are shown below:

Loading Parameters for Hypertrophy and General Strength

The intention of performing training for maximal strength, however, is quite different. Here, according to renowned Russian strength expert Vladimir Zatsiorsky (1995), the intention is not to exhaust the muscles by performing multiple submaximal exercises to muscular failure but rather to recruit the maximal number of motor units possible with the optimal discharge frequency. This is best achieved by performing exercises with a maximal load that causes fatigue between 1-5 repetitions, multiple sets and long rest between the sets, as shown below:

Loading Parameters for Maximal Strength

To make programs interesting, diverse and effective, many of the world's top strength coaches employ a number of similar overload techniques when employing maximal strength training methods. Described below are some of the most commonly used maximal strength techniques that will spice up your client's programs and take their training to whole other level!

Maximal Strength Overload Techniques

- How they work?
Lifting loads that are close to maximal leave a residual strength-enhancing effect in the central nervous system. This phenomenon is called post-activation potentiation, because the muscles are potentiated – or are stronger – after being previously activated. What this CNS event means in practice is that after lifting loads that approach maximum, the strength exerted in the next set will be potentiated and the load allowed to be lifted will be more then if not previously activated by the set before. This explains why most of the maximal strength training methods involve performing some kind of ‘wave loading’ technique, where multiple sets are performed with successively heavy loads each time.

- The 5/1 method
The 5/1 method involves performing a set of 5 repetitions with a weight you could do for 6. While you are taking your rest between the sets, increase the load to a weight you could do for only 2 reps but perform only one repetition. Strip the weight back to a load you can only do for 5 repetitions and perform a set of 5 (unable to do 6). Rest again and increase the weight to a 1 repetition maximum. Take your rest again, increase the weight a little more and perform a final maximal set of 5 repetitions and then a final set of 1.

BOX
Back squats using the 5/1 method, resting 2 minutes between sets
Set 1: 5 reps @ 50kg
Set 2: 1 rep @ 70kg
Set 3: 5 reps @ 55kg
Set 4: 1 rep @ 75kg
Set 5: 5 reps @ 60 kg
Set 6: 1 rep @ 80kg

Strength coach Charles Poliquin uses a similar technique called 1/6 wave loading. It is performed exactly the same way as the method described above with the exception that the single is performed first, then rest several minutes and perform a set of 6 reps, rest and then perform an even heavier single, then a heavier set of 6 reps and so on.

- Conventional wave loading
Conventional wave loading involves performing a 'wave' of sets using progressively heavy loads and fewer reps, such as sets of 5, 4 and 3 repetitions, resting several minutes in between each set. Then perform a second 'wave' of sets using the same repetition configuration as the first 'wave' but using a heavier weight than the original loading. Just like the 5/1 method above, perform the first 'wave' of sets, ie the first 5,4,3 reps, with a weight just under maximum and the second 'wave' of sets at maximum. Of course, a third wave can be performed.

BOX
Deadlifts using conventional wave loading technique, resting 2 minutes between sets
Set 1: 5 reps @ 60kg
Set 2: 4 reps @ 65kg
Set 3: 3 reps @ 70kg
Set 4: 5 reps @ 65kg
Set 5: 4 reps @ 70kg
Set 6: 3 reps @ 75kg

- The 5/3/1 wave loading method
This variation of wave loading is performed in an identical manner to the conventional wave loading method described above, with the difference of greater load increases in between sets which results in the repetition scheme being sets of 5, 3, then 1. The second 'wave' of 5/3/1 repetitions would again be performed with heavier loads than the first 'wave'. Like all wave loading techniques, the first ‘wave’ of 5/3/1 will be submaximal and the second 'wave' will be at repetition maximum.

BOX
Bench press using the 5/3/1 wave loading method, resting 3 minutes between sets
Set 1: 5 reps @ 40kg
Set 2: 3 reps @ 50kg
Set 3: 1 reps @ 60kg
Set 4: 5 reps @ 45kg
Set 5: 3 reps @ 55kg
Set: 6: 1 reps @ 65kg

Another variation is to perform this method with the repetition scheme being 5/3/2/5/3/2.

- The 5/4/3/2/1 method
The 5/4/3/2/1 method is the simplest of all maximal strength methods as it involves the progressive increase in load and decrease in repetitions from set to set, resulting in the final set being a true 1 repetition maximum.

BOX
The 5/4/3/2/1 method using pull ups (using an additional load via a weight belt). Rest 2 minutes between sets
Set 1: 5 reps @ 5kg
Set 2: 4 reps @ 7.5kg
Set 3: 3 reps @ 10kg
Set 4: 2 reps @ 12.5kg
Set 5: 1 rep @ 15kg

- Exercise Choice
Resistance training can be performed with a variety of equipment choices, most commonly using a combination of machines, free weights, cables and bands and body weight. When performing a program to achieve muscle size, strength-endurance or for general muscular strength, a variety of different exercise modes can be successfully used. When training for maximal strength, however, only certain exercises can safely be used. Due to the heavy loading, the ideal exercises are those which recruit a large amount of muscle mass, multiple joints and the use of free weights. Recommended maximal strength exercises are listed below:

- Quad dominant: Back squats, front squats, overhead squats.
- Hip dominant: Deadlifts, deadlifts off blocks, good mornings.
- Vertical push. Standing or seated barbell press, standing or seated barbell behind the neck press, standing or seated dumbbell shoulder press.
- Vertical pull: Chin ups, pull ups, lean away pull ups.
- Horizontal push: Bench press, incline barbell or dumbbell press, parallel bar dips.
- Horizontal pull: bent over rows, single arm dumbbell rows, reverse incline pull ups.

- Training Splits

A simple method to introduce maximal strength training into your programs is to pick just one major exercise per workout which will be trained with the maximal strength method (using one method from above). This is ideal if using a 4 day per week split. For example, Day 1 would be based on a quad dominant movement, Day 2 on a horizontal push, Day 3 on a hip dominant movement, and Day 4 on a vertical pull. Alternatively, if training a three day split, you can choose one lower body & two upper body exercises per session – as shown below) The other exercises in the session can be muscles groups which help the key exercise or are susceptible to injury. Higher reps and fewer sets can be used for these exercises. A sample week using a 3 day split may look like this:

Using these ideas, you have the potential to expose your clientele to a greater variety in training stimulus, new and exciting methods of training and may perhaps gather a crowd of cheering spectators as your client performs feats of strength in your local gym! But the most important reason to perform maximal strength training is to have a group of clients you can readily call upon when needing to move heavy implements and pieces of furniture around the house!