Every Day Max

The Every Day Max (EDM)

This is not a concept of my creation. This idea was one I got from Paul Carter, whom I think extracted it from the writings of classic and golden age lifters who spoke of "resting strength", and every day strength.

The definition of Every Day Max-The maximum (1RM) weight you can readily lift on ANY given day, without extensive warmup, hype up, and without assistance. Your EDM best represents your functional, real world strength levels at any given. The EDM only applies to barbell exercises.

Please not the word "readily". Your EDM is the heaviest weight you can lift without struggling, and without fear of missing the lift.

Its not your 1RM from college. Its not you getting a spotter to help you. Its not you taking a double serving of preworkout, having your personal trainer their cueing you, and then getting hyped up to lift the heaviest weight you've ever lifted.

Its the "max" weight you can lift RIGHT NOW if we walked into a gym, did a few warmup sets, and I said "what do you want me to put on the bar"

And you lift it yourself. No struggling, no grinding, no my saving you if you miss the lift.

That is your Every Day Max

Why is Your Every Day Max relevant?

A few reasons

-It reveals what your functional strength levels

-its the number you use to calculate your weights in any percentage based strength training programming

-it reveals if your resistance training is actually WORKING to get you stronger/more muscular

-its how you test your "max" if you train solo

Do you NEED to test your EDM?

Not necessarily. You could test a 3RM, a 5RM, or even a 10RM. If you are a novice to training, and have never seriously lifted before, testing an EDM can be futile, because your strength levels are going to increase almost every week if you train properly. A percentage based training program is usually pointless for beginner lifters.

Why Does the EDM only apply to the barbell lifts?

Because compound movement barbell exercises are the only exercises that are closed chain, perfectly symmetrical, and allow for maximum force production. This why you can perform 1 rep maxes with them in the first place. You cannot reasonably perform one rep maxes with dumbbells, kettlebells, cables, or isolation movements. (You can do 1 rep maxes with machines, but I don't recommend this at all, as its completely pointless. Your 1RM on a machine is meaningless except to your own ego)

Open chain exercises are things like DB presses, in which your arms can freely move and must be stabilized. Or lunges, for an example of a lower body exercise.

Closed chain, your entire body is stabilized by the implement, which the increased stability allows for far greater force production. Thats why barbells work so well for maximal lifting.

Operative point, don't do EDM testing on non barbell movements.

If you are going to do any kind of REAL Strength Program, you need to know your maxes

A strength program is one in which you are training to increase your maximal strength. You need to know your maxes for accurate training numbers, especially if you are using percentages.

In my SMP-543 program for example, you are doing cluster sets with 70-80% of your 1 rep max on squat bench press and deadlift. Which requires you to test them at the beginning of the program.

Your EDM should steadily increase with time if your training is working

Especially for natural lifters, strength gains lead to muscle gains. If your strength levels have been static for years, with no demonstrable increases in EDM, or 5RM, or 10RM, or ANY kind of rep max…youre training is not working. You need to reevaluate what you are doing.