Why Strength Fluctuates
Strength fluxuations are a natural part of training and aren’t necessarily a sign that you’re not getting stronger or something is wrong with your training program. As long as there remains an upward trend over time, you’re good! Stress, sleep schedule, recovery time, and how much you’re eating can all effect how strong - or not - you are on any given day. Disrupted training, like going on vacation or being sick, can also cause a dip in strength, but these setbacks are usually minor and getting back to your pre-break levels happens relatively quickly. The changes in strength can often be small numbers, too small to be noticed when the minimum weight you add is at least 5 pounds. The use of smaller fractional plates help make the flucuations in strength more clear.
How Beginner Lifters Mess Up Their 1RM Attempts
Testing your one rep maxes (1RM) is a way to measure strength progress, but there are a lot of wrong ways to go about them. Attempting maxes too frequently or too soon, wasting your energy during a warm up, or not tapering/peaking beforehand, can all lead to 1RM that aren’t representative of your strength. It’s extremely important to take proper precautions when doing 1RM because the heavier the weight, the more likely it is it’ll cause a serious injury if something goes wrong. Remember that there are many other ways to measure strength and progress, and not meeting your goal on a 1RM is not the end of the world, nor proof that your training isn’t working.
Should You Workout On Vacation?
You don’t need to workout while on vacation. The amount of time people often take for vacations (one to two weeks) is generally not long enough to lose your progress. Even if you do, it’s much easier to get back to your pre-vacation numbers than to get there in the first place. Vacations are supposed to be fun, relaxing, and restorative. You’re not supposed to be going through your normal routine and habits. Taking a break means that you’ll (hopefully) come back to your normal life with enough energy and motivation to make it through until your next break. Traveling, or even vacation days at home, are usually more physical than an average desk job. You’re still moving. However, if it doesn’t feel like enough, a simple workout once a week while on vacation is enough to keep your gains up.
Ditch The Treadmill!
Many people train to be good at running in ways that violate the basic principle of exercise specificity. Here’s why ditching the treadmill will make you a better runner.
Tapering And Peaking: Overlooked Tools For Maximizing Strength
Tapering and peaking can easily add 2-5% to your max lifts without much of any effort at all - in fact, it’s so deceptively easy that many people mess it up by training too hard. Here’s how you can taper and peak properly to maximize your strength for competition or max testing.