You don’t have to train in pain. How? Drop the heavy weights and work in some lighter options while focusing on using the best technique you can.

In the third and final part of the 1RM Lift Variation series, my powerlifting friends suggest their favorite movements for improving the deadlift through secondary movements, accessory work, and more.

I wanted to know the best movement to improve a lifter’s 1RM bench press, so I asked my powerlifting pals from all over the country for their two cents. I ended up with a lot of awesome movement suggestions, so hopefully one of these will work for you.

Where part of the problem lies is in the assumption that a single should always or usually be heavy or maxed. The single, the heavy single, and the 1RM should really be seen as three different terms entirely.

As a former 150-pound marathon runner–turned–powerlifter, here’s how I increased my squat 1RM from 500 pounds to 600 pounds in a single year.

Isometric lifts, lifts where the muscles contract without causing movement at the involved joints, might be an under-appreciated tool for lifters and athletes.

After reading the review summary of the video of the elitefts roundtable on programs and programming, I felt I had to put my ideas down to join the discussion.

Thinking fondly of my favorite brain hemorrhaging Smolov sets and the growth one can literally feel, I chose to include one single drop set in this spirit.