Max Effort Singles in Training: Is The Juice Worth The Squeeze?

As a member of Precision Powerlifting Systems (coached by Kevin Cann) for well over three years now, I’ve gone through different training styles of opposing extremes. And if you know anything about Kevin’s work, that should raise a chuckle. When I first started with PPS, it was my first foray into powerlifting, and realistically, my first formal training program. Ironically, when I first met Kevin it wasn’t to hire him as a coach but to make an introduction. Who would’ve thought that the trajectory of my life and career would take a massive turn that day.

At the time, I was doing personal training in a commercial gym, and I was certainly no powerlifter. I barely knew what powerlifting was. Hell, I barely used barbells in my training. And my “training” was more like random bouts of me practicing the snatch and clean and jerk followed by deadlifts and kettlebell “flows”. I really had no clue what I was doing even though I thought I did. The day I made the introduction I trained with the “noon crew”; a group of PPS lifters who trained together a few days a week at — you guessed it — noontime. The environment was very lax yet very intense at the same time. Between sets, jokes were being made, feedback, or shit, was being given from Kevin or other team members, but when it was time to lift everyone stopped what they were doing to spot, watch, cheer on and encourage their fellow teammates. That experience was something that really drew me into powerlifting; the camaraderie and competitiveness of the training environment. I remember as I was leaving the gym that day Kevin told me if I had a bigger and stronger squat it would help with my weightlifting endeavors. I don’t know if that was just a sales tactic, or if it even swayed my decision, but I joined the team. Once I competed I stayed for the culture.

When I first started with PPS, we ran a Sheiko program. High submaximal volume prescribed at average relative intensities based on percentages of 1RM (5x5 @ 70% of !RM). For the most part, the extent of variation were pauses at certain points in the comp lifts, or squats and bench with chains, 1 boards, and deadlift off blocks. We only tested 1RMs 1–2 times per year or two weeks out from a meet if I remember correctly. I saw a lot of success with that program, but I would’ve seen success with any program, I was still a noob. However, as any good coach would, Kevin started to get more experimental and steered the ship away from the Sheiko style programming. First, we had rules where if the lifts were easy that day we could increase load by 5%, if they were a little too hard you could decrease by 5%. Then came the variations, flats, and 1–2 “hard sets”. We’d get something like a high bar wide stance squat in flats with a top set of five reps week one. We’d just take sets of 5 until we hit an RPE 9–10. The following week, reps drop to four, then three reps the week after that, followed by a double to finish off a four week block. We’d also do this with bench and deadlift. It didn’t last long, but I hit some of my best rep PRs to this day during that time, haha.

From the day I started the PPS program up until that point, about a year and a half, I had put 200lbs on my squat, 50lbs on my bench, and 150lbs on my deadlift. I also experienced my first back injury around this time. The result of total load exceeding my physical and mental capacity to handle it? Yes. But, I learned a lot about training, pain, injury, rehab, and myself; I’m not fragile, I’m resilient, I’m adaptable. However, I’m only as strong as my weakest link, and weak things break. Fortunately for me, and probably for all of us, this is when the max effort singles came into play. After taking 5RMs, 4RMs, 3RMs, and 2RMs of variations week after week, a 1RM seemed like a breeze. It wasn’t, and still isn’t, but a max effort single is more specific to powerlifting than a double or triple and beyond, and the lower volume is much easier to recover from.

At this point you’re probably thinking, this has to be extremely taxing — what about fatigue? That’s what exercise selection and load management is for. Since the introduction of max effort singles into the program, the structure has evolved quite a bit. If you’re unfamiliar with how PPS programs are set up and want to learn more, Kevin goes in-depth discussing all of his strategies on his IG, blog, and YouTube channel. But to provide further context before I give my pro-max effort singles spiel, I, we, run three week waves of a max effort lift for each squat, bench, and deadlift (exception for DL in phase 1). We take singles week one, do rep work at a percentage of the singles in week two, and attempt to beat the weak one singles by 5–10lbs. This is typically followed by a drop in workload week four with no max effort lifts. Exercise selection, or the selection of constraints rather, addresses some varying degree of mental, physical, and technical weakness based on individual need. The further away from a competition the more constraints on the lift, the closer the less constraints, e.g., specialty bar, box, bands, changing stance and grip widths, ect., vs. straight bar, preferred competition stance, bar placement, ect. Constraints serve a number of purposes including enhanced motor learning for skill adaptation, accentuated regions of force development, regional hypertrophy, controlling for absolute load; by limiting certain strategies it allows others to emerge, which are often more effective.

Max effort singles only make up a small portion of the program, and “maximal” is a bit of a misnomer, at least in our case. It took me a while to learn this, and I’m probably not alone, but I (a raw natty powerlifter) can’t go full-send RPE 10 every training session, or even every week. However, I can push the upper limits of 9–9.5 every other week by finding a balance between leaving a full rep in the tank and an eye popping six second grinder, which I understand can be a fine line. While we’re not doing singles, the rest of the program is made up of moderate submaximal volume to build work capacity, address weaknesses, muscle hypertrophy, ect.; essentially supporting a solid foundation for sport-specific practice while allowing a slight break and recovery period from high intensity.

Why? Is there any additional benefit beyond the popular 6–8 RPE range and into the 8.5–10 range? I think that’s a complicated answer, one that goes beyond a simple yes or no. But, in general, I would argue that for powerlifting, yes, given specificity factors like psychological arousal and the ability to strain, the benefit outweighs the risk as long as the individual is prepared for the demands of the training. I’ll admit, I wasn’t at first. And it’s not that I wasn’t physically prepared, or didn’t have the mental toughness to max out, I was beating the shit out of myself, not recovering, and ignoring all the warning signs of injury and burnout, which ultimately led to injury and burnout. Not burnout entirely, I kept training, even if some days it was only the bare minimum. I wasn’t prepared because I lacked experience and skill; I didn’t do the right things both in and outside of the gym to support my training. After I got injured a second time, I really had to reflect and figure out what I was doing wrong, but more importantly, why I continued to train in a manner that was seemingly maladaptive.

Well, I realized that regardless of how fucked up my body was, the training was making me more resilient, and harder to kill. I also recognized it was my own poor decision making that got me here, and it was my own *better* decision making that was going to get me out. I knew that I couldn’t continue carrying on like I had been. I knew that I had to take back control of my training. Which I have done, but I’m still learning, still gaining experience, still developing skill. But I am making better decisions, and learning from my mistakes as opposed to dwelling on them. There is intent behind my motives. I’m more focused on the process now than I have been in the past, and less emotionally attached to the weights on the bar. I’m getting better at picking the right times to pull back, the right times to coast, and the right times to push. I do my accessory work, and not just half assed lateral raises and skull crushers, I’m pushing good mornings, belt squats, heavy dumbbell bench, heavy rows, ect. I was always like, I only need the lifts since strength is specific. It is, but if you want to excel at the sport and maximize your training, don’t just do your accessory work, push yourself with it, it supports the expression of specific strength.

Interestingly enough, breaking myself down mentally and physically with max effort training taught me how to handle max effort training. As an athlete, I know the risks associated with this type of training and continue to do it. As a coach, knowing these risks, there’s definitely been some reluctance to program max effort lifts for my lifters. Don’t get me wrong, I prescribe singles but usually in the 7–9 range, rarely above. I figure that gives them just enough rope but not enough to hang themselves. But does it? Would they be better off pushing it a further here and there? I think so. An RPE 7 single rarely imposes the psychological demand or elicits the arousal similar to an RPE 9+. If you’re even a little hesitant or fearful under a max attempt, it could make or break the lift. An RPE 7 is still a warm up and an 8 is a first attempt-ish. You hit 9–9.5s on the regular, those fears and hesitations disappear. Having the ability to strain is also important, and it’s a skill you don’t develop with lower RPE training. There is always going to be a sticking point with a maximal attempt, the ability to accelerate through it comes down to how well force is applied to the bar and how fast within those specific 1RM conditions. Perception changes from 1 @ 8 to 1 @ 9 to 1 @ 10, therefore environmental conditions change. The only way to elicit those specific adaptations, both physiological and psychologically, is to be exposed to those demands. Sometimes you just need to show yourself what you’re made of to build confidence. Additionally, using constraints to facilitate more effective movement strategies under 1RM specific conditions will have the greatest transference to competition skill. At least in theory, but logically it makes sense. Thus, the juice is worth the squeeze.

Not a training day goes by that I miss the Sheiko days. I think that time period was foundational in my career as a lifter, a coach, and a person. Witnessing the evolution of PPS, growing with the team and Kevin as a coach has been a life changing experience. There were a few hiccups and bumps and bruises along the way, however, each afforded its own learning opportunity from which I only grew wiser. I sometimes think, had it not been for that fateful day a few years ago at a gym in Somerville, I probably wouldn’t be writing this article.