TRAIN SMART, BUILD MOMENTUM

Why Overshooting Your Program (and Your Training Max) Can Stall Your Progress

One of the fastest ways to derail a training program is by overreaching—setting targets based on what you hope you can lift, rather than what you’re actually capable of on a consistent basis. Many lifters begin programs by overshooting their current ability, training too heavy, too soon. The result? Fatigue, technical breakdown, plateaus, and a gradual loss of momentum.

Progress in training isn’t about hitting the ceiling—it’s about building the floor. That means starting at a level you can perform well, and improving gradually through consistency, not chaos.

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The Role of the Training Max

A big contributor to this problem is how people choose their training max—the number used to calculate percentage-based work in strength programs. This number is often misunderstood, and when chosen poorly, it can make sessions unnecessarily difficult and unproductive.

Many base their training max on an old 1-rep max (1RM), a guess, or a best lift achieved under ideal (or unrealistic) conditions. If that lift was set months ago, during a peak phase, or with significant form breakdown, it’s a poor reference point for building consistent, high-quality training volume.

Instead, your training max should be a number that reflects what you can lift with clean form, today, under normal gym conditions.

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How to Choose the Right Training Max

Use the following guidelines to adjust your training max more effectively:

•How long ago was the lift?

If your last max was over 6–8 weeks ago, especially if training has been inconsistent since, reduce it by 5–10%.

•What were the conditions?

PRs hit at meets, after tapers, or with adrenaline aren’t always repeatable. Base your training on what you can lift on a typical training day.

•Was the form clean?

If the lift had serious breakdown—sloppy bar path, missed cues, or a grindy lockout—it’s not a reliable number. Base your percentages off your technical max, not your ego max.

•Has it been the same number for months?

If you’ve consistently dominated your work with great speed and form, it might be time to increase your training max by 2.5–5% to push new adaptation.

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Why This Matters

Progress doesn’t occur by working off numbers you guess you could do if the stars aligned. It comes from using realistic, repeatable loads you can perform with excellent form—and improve on week after week. That doesn’t mean going super light. It means training hard and smart.

You get better at what you practice most. If most of your reps are compromised, you’ll get good at grinding out bad movement. But if your reps are crisp, consistent, and well-executed, you’ll build real, transferable strength.

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Maxing Out: A Relative Term

Maxing out doesn’t always mean scraping the barrel for every last kilo. Sometimes, whilst pushing close to the edge of your current ability, doing so with control, focus, and technical discipline is the more favourable option. That’s how you train for progress—not just to prove a point.

So next time you build a program yourself or implement one someone has written for you, when choosing your training max and subsequent working weights, ask yourself:

Am I training to just to perform well for that specific session, or training in a way to most effectively improve over the duration of the programme?