When It’s Fun to Chase Numbers

Chasing Numbers in Your Strength Training?

Who Should Chase Numbers?

This mostly applies to intermediate and advanced lifters, since PRs come almost automatically during novice and early intermediate training. As you advance, life often gets in the way of optimal training. Sometimes training mainly supports quality of life, and sometimes it takes a back seat. Every so often, though, you decide to prioritize it. That can happen on a whim when life gives you the time and desire, or you can plan a set season each year, such as the fall, to push the weight up.

How to Set Up a PR Push

It can involve a meet, but it doesn’t have to. A planned PR week is fun to look forward to and doesn’t require beating yourself up with a pile of heavy attempts in one day. If you do a mock meet, know what motivates you, whether that’s an audience or fellow lifters. Unless you are very advanced, plan to peak about 6-8 weeks out: enough time to prioritize intensity, but not so long that you get beat up and burnt out. Decide whether you’re chasing one lift, a couple, all four of the main lifts, or something else, like a chin-up or Olympic lift PR.

Expect to cut volume and drive up intensity. Conditioning takes a back seat, and this is not the time to lose weight. You don’t have to gain weight, but a modest caloric surplus can help. If you plan your year in blocks, the end of a PR push is a natural time to shift to maintenance or fat loss while holding your strength.

Consistency matters most here. You can’t skip sessions or let holiday parties wreck one. Train after good sleep and good food when you can, and move sessions around if that keeps you from bonking. Plus, Matt shares funny stories about internet companies and kids’ checklists.