If you want to be a stronger bench presser or powerlifter, or simply want to lift as heavy weights as possible – training for max strength is your game.
Maximum strength is generally defined as the maximum amount of force you can apply to an object.
For instance, a barbell.
How to Produce More Force
There are three main areas in which you can improve with training to produce more force.
- Technique. If you practice the lift you want to improve in, you will become more coordinated and effective.
- Neuromuscular efficiency. Think of this as your software. A stronger neural signal from your brain to your muscles makes them contract harder, faster, and more coordinated, while other muscles (such as the antagonists) are at a minimum of activity.
- Muscle size. This is your hardware. Bigger muscles produce more force, and your long-term strength gains depend greatly on how much muscle mass you can add.
You improve points one and two by specific practice at the lift you want to get stronger in or a very similar variant of that lift.
Preferably at pretty heavy loads.
When it comes to point number three, building bigger muscles, you have more leeway.
To build bigger muscles, you simply have to train them in any reasonable way.
For example, if you use the leg extension machine to build bigger quadriceps, you can then use those bigger muscle fibers to increase your squat strength. But you need to combine it with specific squat practice.
There is a benefit to using muscle-building exercises similar to the one you’re trying to get stronger in because even the muscle growth is specific.
When you’re squatting, for instance, you’re working the exact muscle fibers that are important to your squat.
At the same time, only training super-specifically all the time might bring its own set of issues, and you are probably well-off by including a bit of exercise variety.
How Many Reps Should You Do For Strength?
I recommend the following number of reps when training for strength, with the corresponding appropriate load:
- About 1–5 reps per set (>85% of 1RM) is probably most effective for strength gains.
- Up to about 10–20 reps per set (~60% of 1RM) is moderately effective for strength gains, but any lighter than that and the strength gain is small.
Related: How Many Reps Should You Do to Build Muscle vs. Strength?
Experiment with different set and rep configurations, and try training with different loads (different % of your 1RM). Many different training methods work, so try to find the style of training that suits you.
Note that this might be slightly different in different exercises. Personally, I often don’t like training the squat, bench press, and deadlift in the same way.
Progressive Overload Is Key
Effective strength training rests on the principle of progressive overload.
That is, trying to lift more over time.
More weight, more reps, or more sets.
When you’re a beginner, you will probably be able to beat your previous workout pretty much every time you train.
But sooner or later, this is going to grind to a halt.
At that point, you might need to do several workouts before you’re strong enough to add more weight or do more reps.
When you’re even more advanced, you might need to train for several weeks before adding weight or reps again.
This is reflected in our beginner, intermediate, and advanced training programs.
- The beginner programs often entail adding weight or reps every workout.
- The intermediate and advanced programs acknowledge that you need more training before adding weight, and therefore they have a slower rate of progress.
If you’re looking for a training program, here are some of our most popular programs for strength.
Free Training Programs for Strength:
- Beginner Barbell Program. 2–3x/week.
- Beginner Powerlifter Program. 3x/week.
- StrengthLog’s Upper/Lower Body Split Program. 4x/week.
- Russian Squat Routine. 3x/week.
Premium Training Programs for Strength:
- Intermediate Bench Press Program. 3x/week.
- Deadlift Disco. 2x/week.
- Intermediate Powerlifting Program. 3x/week.
How to Train for Max Strength, Summarized
When training for max strength, you should:
- Practice the specific exercise (or very similar) that you want to get stronger in.
- Build up the muscles used in the lift.
- Do around 1–5 reps per set for the biggest strength gains, but up to about 10–20 reps is also moderately effective.
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