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Maximum Effort Method (MEM) is the most superior form of strength training. When it comes to getting maximum strength, MEM work is going to produce the greatest gains. MEM will improve inter-muscular and intra-muscular coordination because the body will adapt to only the stimulus placed upon it. It is the most popular among top athletes and lifters. It should not be used for small exercises but for the clean, snatch, squat, bench and deadlift.

MEM can also work for special exercises such as good mornings, box squats, rack pulls and many forms of squatting. Because the body muscular system and the central nervous system adapt quickly, the core exercises must be close in biomechanical parameters to the classical lifts, power or Olympic workouts. However it is good to add new exercises once you can perform the basic power lifts properly.

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Maximum Effort Method is not for beginners. Instead, they should start with General Physical Preparedness. Beginners will not have the technique, required muscle strength or muscle coordination to perform the lifts, no matter what their age or gender. The side effect of using MEM too early will be a high risk of injury. For most people, using MEM lifting in every workout is going to be impossible. That's why using the dynamic effort method and repetition effort work need to be incorporated also.

For more advanced lifters, MEM is very fatiguing both mentally and physically which may lead to burn out. This is common when MEM is used too much (daily). This also depends on which MEM lifts are used - a power clean or snatch is more fatiguing than the bench press so consider this when creating your programs. MEM is the most essential factor for strength development in both athletes and in the real world. This method must be used properly to achieve continuous results as fatigue or form issues could become limiting factors.

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The central nervous system only adapts to the load placed on it. MEM uses the heaviest loads possible to yield the largest adaptations in strength. To perform the MEM, progress to heavy weights for 1 to 3 repetitions per set. Remember this for the core exercises where the upper and lower body work as a total unit to recruit synergistic force.

The heavy load (near max weight) recruits the most motor units. The lifter will learn to fire these motor units in a more efficient manner and improve motor coordination (your body's "hardwiring" for using muscle). During MEM we are primarily training muscles rather than movements. For example, the purpose of an agility ladder is training for a specific movement. Heavy squatting is for training muscles.

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