Max Effort Method appropriate for Novices?

[umass]

I posted this question on Elitefts.com but was wonder about your thoughts as well. I started thinking about this because I've never seen significant gains with Max effort bench, but great gains when using 5*5 or other lower rep scemes.

I've got a question about how appropriate the use of Max Effort Bench method is in novice and even intermediate lifters. It seems that when we are talking about relatively weak lifters say <1.50% body weight, they just don't accumulate enough volume to improve strength and they would do better focussing on just benching for reps in the 3-6 range. It seems to me that maybe including ME in a cycle often enough to get used to really straining, but if we work in the low rep range we can groove better motor patterns and still use realtively heavy weights.

Your thoughts?
-Ned

[igunick]

I work in the 2-3 rep range for my heavy days, it's working quite wel..for now.

[Jason B]

It depends on how novice we're talking about here. Obviously, the first time somebody touches a weight doesn't need to be a ME session. But it's hard to put an (almost) arbitrary mark like 1.5% of BW for doing ME work. It's especially hard to put a mark like for all the lifts. I think everyone would be different. Some may be strong enough to lift 1.5% rather quickly after starting due to genetics and their previous lifestyle (jobs, activity level, etc) but that may not mean they're ready for ME work. Some may have the skill to lift properly and perfrom ME work, but not yet be strong enough to lift 1.5%. So, I think saying once you hit X number of pounds your ready for ME work is a mistake.

Of course for a beginner (as well as an intermidiate), reps are very important, to perfect technique and learn the motor pattern. So I do believe starting with a rep range like 3-6 with something like 80-90% of 1RM and making sure every rep is perfect and strong is a good idea, not only builds strength and technique, but hypertrophy as well. It's a personal choice on when you believe ME work is appropriate. I do believe some type of bench mark should be sets, like someone who can't bench or squat at least their own bodyweight has no business doing ME work, but once you've got a stable base and you're healthy, it's all you. Are you confident you know how to perform the lifts correctly and correctly execute a ME session? The reason most weaker guys (and I use the term 'weaker' loosely, that's a relative term) don't accumulate enough volume is their weight jumps too much between sets and they don't get enough reps over 90%. They end up doing a 1RM testing instead of a ME session. That may get you a higher poundage on your heaviest set, but your not building the lift like you should be. For example, if your 1RM is 200lbs, a ME session should look something like this:

45 x a bunch
95x5
135x3
155x3
170x2
180x1
185x1
190x1
195x1 (grinder)
190x1

There's 5 lifts over 90%. Most beginners will do something like this:
95x5
135x5
185x2
205x1 (barely)

and call it quits. Yeah, they got a heavier lift in, but there's no volume, and only 3 total reps in two sets over 90%, so they're not getting the practice they need with maximal weights. Jim wrote an article about this recently, I'll try to find it.

[umass]

Originally Posted by Jason B

45 x a bunch
95x5
135x3
155x3
170x2
180x1
185x1
190x1
195x1 (grinder)
190x1

There's 5 lifts over 90%. Most beginners will do something like this:
95x5
135x5
185x2
205x1 (barely)

and call it quits. Yeah, they got a heavier lift in, but there's no volume, or 3 total reps in two sets over 90%, so they're not getting the practice they need with maximal weights. Jim wrote an article about this recently, I'll try to find it.

This is a very good point, I think the article was called Max Effort Mistakes. It was actually part of what got me thinking.

[Jason B]

http://www.elitefts.com/documents/be...takes_jimw.htm