How often should you max out?

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I have heard before that when training for strength, you should add 2 1/2 pounds each workout.. but how often should you attempt 1RM?

whenever you want. if you keep progressing in your lifts just be happy about that me personally i max out about every 3 to 4 months depends which programs im on and stuff.

[QUOTE=808faka;531989393]whenever you want. if you keep progressing in your lifts just be happy about that me personally i max out about every 3 to 4 months depends which programs im on and stuff.[/QUOTE]

I have heard that maxing out affects your CNS pretty strongly and can lower your weights on your next workout because it is so stressful on your body.. is this true? and does that mean that maxing out should not be done very often?

yeah lifting heavy is all about training the cns. so if i say max out on bench one week the next week just take it light on the bench or ill just do some triceps and light shoulders and stay away from any pressing just for a week. think about it its only a week off the bench and it you will come back stronger if you let your body recover.

Max out as often as you please. Look at the Bulgarian philosophy, for example.

To me, unless you are "maxing out" for a sports team, or if you are planning on competing in some sort of lifting tournament, you don't have to do it that often.

However, if you are doing a new program, or adjusting the one you are on, performing a max lift might be necessary. But then again, it won't be happening that often.

Sure, it's taxing on the CNS, but not overly so unless you are doing it every week or so. But it does take up a lot of energy for the current workout. So why throw away a day of progress just to see what the max you can do is?

For me: I test my max every 4 or 5 months.

Maxing out for more than 3 weeks on the same exercise will overstress the CNS, leading to loss of strength in that lift. Rotate the exercise that you max out on every 1 - 2 weeks to avoid this.

---Basic Westside principles.

Bodybuilder - Arguably never? Bodybuilding is a sport of aesthetics. Strength is a secondary goal if a goal at all. Many bodybuilders will argue that maxing out is also just an increased risk of injury, back tracking many months even years of work they put in.

Powerlifter - Varies program to program. Westside rotates max effort lifts every 1-3 weeks depending on experience level. Programs like Ed Coan's focus on going from high reps to low reps gradually over the course of 8-14 weeks. There are many programs, some like Bill Starr's 5x5 never max out.

Basically, if you want to max out, do it rarely. Focus on training, not testing.

westside has you do a 3-5RM twice a week. not the same as 1RM but still

[QUOTE=KLOMPUS;532405663]westside has you do a 3-5RM twice a week. not the same as 1RM but still[/QUOTE]

Not true. You are thinking of Westside for Skinny Bastards, Joe Defranco's.

Simmon's Westside is heavy singles in most lifts, though exceptions exist.

Westside really isnt a program anyways, just a training style so it is very much open to interpretation.

[QUOTE=SuicideGripMe;532395883]Bodybuilder - Arguably never? Bodybuilding is a sport of aesthetics. Strength is a secondary goal if a goal at all. Many bodybuilders will argue that maxing out is also just an increased risk of injury, back tracking many months even years of work they put in.

Powerlifter - Varies program to program. Westside rotates max effort lifts every 1-3 weeks depending on experience level. Programs like Ed Coan's focus on going from high reps to low reps gradually over the course of 8-14 weeks. There are many programs, some like Bill Starr's 5x5 never max out.

Basically, if you want to max out, do it rarely. Focus on training, not testing.[/QUOTE]

Good description..

The reason I ask is because I just tested my compound lifts..
I have a goal I want to achieve before we get out of school for christmas break, and then again before school is out in the summer..

If I max out those two times, 4 months apart from each other, would that be ok?

^Yes.

[QUOTE=REALDEAL012;532411633]Good description..

The reason I ask is because I just tested my compound lifts..
I have a goal I want to achieve before we get out of school for christmas break, and then again before school is out in the summer..

If I max out those two times, 4 months apart from each other, would that be ok?[/QUOTE]

Why do you feel the need to max out?

Just make sure you have form down before you do.