This article will cover the common mistakes I see power-lifters or those interested in increasing strength in the squat bench press and deadlift make. There will be a cross-over of issues between points. Going Too Heavy and Training too Close to Failure Intuitively, lifting heavy makes sense and there are periods when lifting heavy may be required to maximise strength adaptations. Based on the principle of training specificity, if you want to get good at lifting heavy things, you should probably practice lifting heavy. However, there does come a cost with lifting heavy. As one lifts loads closer to their 1RM, there is generally increased fatigue per repetition. Likewise, as you lift closer to failure, there will also be an increased cost of fatigue as approaching failure. Between 10 to 5 reps shy of failure, fatigue will be minimal within a set. Between 5 reps to 3 reps shy of failure, fatigue will be moderate Between 3-2 reps shy of failure, fatigue will be significant From 1 rep...