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Daily PRs…
It’s a more common occurrence than you probably thought… heck, you probably fall into this category as well, or did at one point. No offense; which I mean literally, because as I’ve seemingly labeled it as a bad practice, it’s not. At least not entirely. Going for max sixes, fives, threes, and even ones every lift isn’t inherently wrong. It’s more about how you implement load management into your training that will make or break you. This goes for you regardless if you’re a combat athlete, bodybuilder, marathon runner, etc…
What is Load Management?
Load management is all about finding that sweet spot between how much you train (volume), how hard you train (intensity), and how often you train (frequency). We track two main types of load:
External load: This is the objective stuff you can measure—how many kilograms you’re lifting, how many kilometers you’re running, or how many sets and reps you’re completing.
Internal load: This is how your body and mind actually respond to that work. It includes your fatigue levels, motivation, and how hard the session feels (often measured by Rate of Perceived Exertion, or RPE).
Why focus on Load Management?
It’s not about doing less, lifting lighter, or anything like that, it’s about structuring the main variables to progress more efficiently. When the loads are managed correctly, you’re controlling the amount of stress so you can adapt, get stronger, and perform at your best. Not feel broken down or fatigued. When you’re going off the rails just doing willy nilly, you risk over-training that can lead to issues such as lingering fatigue, and even injuries like tendinopathy or stress fractures.
How to implement Load Management:
Progressive overload: Gradually increasing your training demands so your body has time to adapt without getting overwhelmed.
Periodization: Organizing your training into thoughtful cycles (macrocycles and microcycles) that build you up and then allow for recovery and peak performance.
Daily monitoring: Using simple tools like RIR or RPE scales, wellness questionnaires, sleep tracking, or even GPS data to see and understand how’re you’re performing and adjust where needed.
Recovery is just as important as the training itself. A solid nutrition plan or guideline, consistent sleep, and proper hydration are a non-negotiable. Especially in terms of stress management and proper recovery.
Tracking and Tools for Load Management:
% of 1RM: Training at a certain percentage of your one-rep max to control the challenge level.
Reps in Reserve (RIR): Estimating how many more reps you could have done before failure: https://www.linkingperformance.com/p/rir-the-missing-link-in-your-training-effort
RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion): Rating how hard a set felt on a scale of 1–10 so you can auto-regulate based on your daily readiness.
The Two-for-Two Rule: If you can hit two or more extra reps than your target for two workouts in a row, it’s usually time to increase the load.
At the end of the day, effective load management isn’t about taking a deload every so often or doing less work, it’s all about progressing and increasing strength and performance.
When you get this right, you’ll not only avoid burnout and injury, but you’ll also make more consistent, long-term progress toward your goals.
“The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.”
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MINDSET
Be a bit more intentional with your training and recovery. This will lead you to more gains, and less issues.
Train smart, but never forget to train hard.