Not Sure How Heavy to Lift? Follow This Trainer's Simple Advice

Training for maximal strength is exactly what it sounds like — you want to get strong, strong, strong. The focus in this phase is increasing the load placed on the tissues of the body and improving the rate of force production. To train for maximal strength, your rep and set range will be: four to six sets of one to five reps at 85 to 100 percent of your one-rep max. Using the same barbell squat example from above, you should be lifting anywhere between 85 and 100 pounds in this phase. Your rest period will be between three and five minutes.