Measuring Strength Progress Beyond 1RMS
Max-effort single PRs. It’s our ride-or-die: the confirmation of success and measure of self-worth as Powerlifters. They're the bread and butter, the nature of our sport. Yet, these lifts are not a common, consistent occurrence throughout all training phases. When you’re not actively peaking: expressing your top one-rep-maxes; it can be difficult to recognize whether you’re progressing. Most training consists of sub-maximal rep work (for more info on that topic, check out this blog post here: Powerlifting: The Case For Submaximal Training). This method effectively builds strength to help you increase those SBD numbers but demands patience & trust in the process. It can feel discouraging; until you bring awareness to other forms of PRs you’re producing. The reality is there are ways to assess your level of progression without testing your heavy singles, and the sooner you realize that- the sooner you can acknowledge your success and remain invested in the long game.
Other Forms of PR-Ing
Volume PRs
Volume refers to the amount of work you’re doing- rather than the load on the bar, measured in sets x reps. Higher-volume phases are significantly beneficial to incorporate for Powerlifters, especially further out from a meet. During a volume block, you may feel less “strong,” since you’re not lifting as heavy, but mistakenly so. In a higher-volume phase, you’re putting in the reps that set you up for success, building hypertrophy and work capacity.
When performing multiple sets and reps, look for progress in your workload.
Hit your previous 3RM for a 5 x 5? Volume PR.
Hit your previous 1RM for multiple sets? Volume PR.
Did a 4 x 8 with your old 5-rep-max? Volume PR.
You get the gist. When you're consistently moving weights- ones that were previously heavy and intimidating- for multiple sets, that'll transfer to an increase in your one-rep. Getting under the bar and comfortably normalizing numbers that used to staple you is insurmountable progress.
It shows that you’ve developed both:
a) more strength, and
b) a greater capability to handle higher percentages, with more mental focus and confidence.
It takes drive and execution to undergo these higher demands, undoubtedly making you a better athlete. Volume work paves the path for bigger numbers down the road. It’s how you prepare your body for that stressor, develop the mental tenacity to overcome discomfort, and ensure you continue building muscular strength.
We all enjoy chasing progress, even if in a different form than showcased on the platform. During a volume phase, refocus your brain to hunt for a record in a) the level of work you’re doing, b) demystifying previous “heavy” weights, and c) that feeling of exertion & effort you get from multiple sets of rep work.
2. Rep PRs
Rep PRs follow a similar line of thinking as volume PRs but with a slight distinction. A volume PR indicates multiple sets, whereas a rep PR could be a single, top set.
For example, if you:
Tripled your platform PR? Rep PR.
Hit your old opener for a set of 5? Rep PR.
Hit your 3RM for a set of 10 on an AMRAP? Brutal, rep PR.
This form of progress has a more direct carryover to your singles. If you hit your previous max for multiple reps, it’s pretty obvious that you’ve made significant strength progress. Rep PRs may occur on the final week of a program if you’re doing a rep “test” (i.e., building up to a 3RM or performing an AMRAP set) or, if training is going well, during your regular training work. Maybe you’re programmed sets of 5, and old percentages feel too easy, so you increase your working weights to a previous max.
Rep PRs are a motivating, consistent marker to track progress. Since most of our training, outside of a peaking phase, is based in rep work, you can continue hitting new rep maxes. Each block or two can provide a marker to the gains you’ve been making- if you’re hitting rep PRs regularly, you’re on the right track.
There’s also a significant benefit to the confidence built in rep PRs. You’re proving to yourself that previous max-effort lifts are no longer your top end: getting acclimated to the feeling of heavy weight. You may have to overcome significant mental uncertainty and doubt to reach these rep records, pushing your self-imposed limits to eke out an extra one: to believe in your capabilities enough to go for it. And when you do? You’re destroying old barriers and hangups that hindered you from pushing forward.
Outside of a testing/peaking phase, rep PRs are a progress point to commit to. Use those small, gradual gains as mini-confidence boosters- increasing your excitement and anticipation for what’s next- and satisfying your desire for continued improvement.
3. RPE Prs
What may come off as an overly subjective form of progress, yet holds importance in training: RPE PRs. In case you were unaware, RPE stands for “rate of perceived exertion,” a scale from 1-10 that determines how high of an effort you’re giving on a lift:
10 is an all-out failure,
1-5 is “not working at all,”
a 6 is a warm-up/deload weight,
7 is fast/clean, with lots in the tank,
8 is where most training exists: sub-maximal yet challenging work, and
9 is heavy and grind-y.
Outside of rep and volume PRs, hitting a previous RPE 9 for an RPE 7 is progress.
When old weights move better than they used to, that’s an indicator that you’re improving.
Of course, many factors go into RPE, and certain weights may move differently on a given day. Sleep, nutrition, mental energy, technique, etc., can all influence the number you assign to a lift.
However, repeatedly performing a previous struggle weight with ease indicates that it’s probably not a max anymore. You’re probably able to handle more.
Again, RPE PRs help instill confidence. When a lift feels lighter than you thought, it’s affirming and validating. This data serves as confirmation that you're moving further along, gaining strength and proficiency. Let that surprise of success fuel you for what’s to come.
4. Technique PRs
While this measure may be seemingly less sexy and exciting than the other three, it’s an undeniably important growth marker. Well-executed lifting form ensures efficiency of movement. The more you can manipulate your positioning, maintain it, and improve your intention, the more weight you can move. Every aspect of execution should be calculated and deliberate to enhance your performance. These small modifiable factors allow you to put yourself in the most optimal place possible- minimizing additional workload elsewhere.
For example:
Increasing your arch,
Improving your upper back tension on your squat,
Pulling the slack out of the bar on your deadlift,
All help you recruit more muscle groups and remove unnecessary struggle in your reps, allowing you to increase the number on the bar.
While everyone’s technique is slightly different, generalized recommendations still apply (and we have many articles covering these topics: Blog Page). Aiming to move the needle closer to your ultimate goal of "ideal" technique is a valuable pursuit for many athletes. Especially as a beginner- and even as an intermediate lifter- you’re still developing your technical proficiency and mastery. Choosing aspects of your lifts to work on, think about, and habituate will vastly increase your performance. In your first few years of lifting, improving your technique will make you far stronger- aside from actually *getting stronger.* Even if your muscles were to remain at the same strength level, improving neuro-muscular efficiency & coordination- getting better at executing- will help you move more weight.
All of this is to say that technique PRs are a significant indicator to focus on and celebrate. Moving the same weight with better intention, positioning, and speed are definite signs that you’ve improved. Additionally, technique PRs often coincide with RPE PRs, leading to rep & volume PRs, and eventually PR-PRs.
5. Pain-free PRs
If you’ve recently overcome an injury or were previously dealing with pain, this is undeniable progress to recognize. We often take for granted what it’s like to move with a healthy body- until we experience the alternative.
Making a comeback from these difficulties, learning and adopting better habits as an athlete, becoming more resilient, and increasing stress tolerance; are all significant achievements. These pursuits require a lot of mental work- and, through the process- can feel debilitating. If you’re:
Moving previously irritating weights with less pain or,
Progressing your strength to pre-injury levels-
Those are huge wins- and you don’t want to ignore them. The same mentality applies if you’ve taken time off and recently returned to training. As humans, we undergo different phases of life, and each one may require varying levels of energy and focus on the gym. The weights you’re lifting now may be a “phase-of-life-PR” (post-injury, burnout, or major life transition)- and that’s a form of progress in and of itself.
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There are many markers of strength progression beyond one-rep maxes themselves, and understanding each one is essential to keeping your head in the game & recognizing improvements when they occur. The mental “switch” here can be difficult to implement, as many lifters seek validation and pride in their top-single numbers. Here are some ways to help yourself stay engaged in the process, even when testing your maxes is far away:
Set goals for each lift & training phase.
While your brain may wander toward your next huge milestone PR- setting smaller objectives as you progress closer keeps you inspired. During your sub-maximal rep work, find a way to create target goals.
Before your new cycle, set intentions for each lift:
Maybe your goal is to work on your upper back tension in your squats. To do this, you’ll show up determined for each session, compare videos week-to-week, and shoot for an RPE PR.
Maybe you’re starting a volume block & want to hit a rep PR on your deadlift by the end of it.
Maybe you’re approaching heavier lifts- wanting to improve your confidence in your bench press- so you’ll focus on rep consistency and volume PRs.
Notice how each data point paves a logical path for continual progression down the road? It gives your brain a distinct purpose and destination, so you can reflect progress without maxing out. That way, you’ll show up to your training sessions with reason, fueled by the desire to attain advancement.
2. Ask your coach about the reasoning behind movements.
Understanding the “why” behind your programming is a simple yet effective way for athletes to feel driven to work. We all care about our sport- and when our passion fuels our actions- we go somewhere. When you’re just reading prescriptions on a spreadsheet, lacking a sense of direction- no wonder you won’t feel like doing your volume.
Good coaches periodize programs over time, progressing on your past capabilities and bringing you forward for the future. That’s what we emphasize here at Ironside, and it’s an important tenet of athletic endeavors.
Ask your coach why they programmed a certain exercise, why you’re doing 5x5s this block after 4x8s last block, and how it will make you better for what’s next. When you analyze your program from that big-picture perspective, viewing it all as necessary to achieve your highest ambitions, your work becomes meaningful & in turn, you execute better.
3. Put a meet on the calendar, think about the year in increments.
On a similar note, don’t consider just your sub-maximal work right now- but also- think about what’s in your near future.
We all know by now how valuable rep work is, but that doesn’t necessarily make it easier or more enjoyable in the moment. Having a meet to guide you can provide an incentive to get it done, knowing that you’re closer to the heavier weights & will get to reap the rewards soon.
Most athletes compete 1-3 times per year, and viewing your training as defined by your future meets can help provide motivation and objectives. It allows you to set goals for each phase, following your order of demands:
Maybe you just got out of a meet prep & are now in off-season, so your goal is volume and technique PRs.
Maybe you’re approaching a higher-intensity phase, so you’re shifting your focus to hitting rep PRs to set you up for success.
View yourself as a well-rounded athlete rather than boxing yourself into one form of achievement. Many qualities support you in the goal of becoming your strongest self. Take a look at where your deficiencies lie and how each phase can help you develop them. Powerlifting & training act as a self-evaluation, a humbling insight into your weaknesses, and a solution to strengthen them. Truly advancing as an athlete means embracing every modality necessary to raise the standard. When you adopt that athlete mentality, the possibility for potential becomes an open sky you can continue climbing and reaching for. Every training day is a levitator, gradually increasing your height of athletic accomplishment.
While our max-effort singles may be the peak of that horizon, the greatest tangibles we grasp onto; they're not the continual routine of our training programs. During the sub-maximal volume work, we must shift our gaze to other markers of progress: volume, technique, rep, or RPE PRs. Creating targets for each training block, embracing what it asks of you- and viewing yourself & your training year as a well-rounded trail in the quest for strength development- helps you remain engaged & perform at your best. If you’re overlooking those other essential progress markers, you’re selling yourself short, creating a self-fulfilling prophecy of discouragement & stagnation. Instead, actively seek out the many ways you can improve- and when it does come time to max out, you’ll be a sharpened, more confident athlete- guaranteed.
