How often do you "Max out"?

Many Athletes feel they need to max out regularly in order to make progress in the gym and in training. When in reality, maxing out should be left for a select few times a year or on the competition floor.

Why did you ask? Because when you truly max out, you have technical breakdowns. When you consistently load maximally and load these technical breakdowns you 1) train the poor movement quality, and that quality then becomes your default 2) you subject yourself to a possibility of increased injury. Your body is super good at buffering these breakdowns from time to time, however, it isn't great at accepting and handling these loads consistently while continuing to break down mechanically.

What's a good alternative?

Build to "Heavy" Singles, Doubles, or Triples. This is where things feel pretty tough, mechanically you might start to show flaws, but you are in no threat of missing the lift. Use these heavy days to help drive you forward in training, gain strength, and develop the ability to move close to maximal loads cleanly. While utilizing Heavy days you'll notice that you WILL get stronger, your body will feel better than ever, and you'll have less nagging injuries that show up along the way.

Remember, consistency is where the gainz are made. You get no medal for maxing out, moving like crap, and hurting yourself to feed your ego. Be smart with your training. Push your limits, but load appropriately and you'll see yourself make substantial gains without missing time at the gym due to injury.

How do you use "Heavy" Days in your training?