Your max, and your training max
Your max is the most you’ve lifted. Your training max is the number your program runs from. Keep them apart, and keep the training max a little lower.
| Best squat | Training max (about 90%) | 80% set from best | 80% set from training max |
|---|---|---|---|
| 150 kg | 135 kg | 120 kg | 107.5 kg |
| 200 kg | 180 kg | 160 kg | 145 kg |
The 107.5 kg sets are the ones you can still do well on a bad Thursday. The 120 kg sets are the ones that fall apart by week five.
Four rules for a training max
- 01
Start a bit low
Somewhere between 85% and 95% of your real best. If in doubt, lower.
- 02
Raise it in small steps
After a good block, 2.5 kg to 5 kg. Not the whole of your new best.
- 03
Lower it when the numbers say so
If the work keeps coming out harder than planned for weeks, take it down. That’s not failure. It’s accuracy.
- 04
Retest now and then
Every 10 to 16 weeks, fresh, so the training max stays tied to something real.
The bad-day test
Ask yourself: on a poor night’s sleep, could I hit this training max for a single? If the honest answer is no, it’s too high.
From the Compound founder. Notes on training, not medical advice.