You’ve just unracked 105kg, finished your set, and you’re standing there wondering if you’ve gone soft. After all, you’ve pulled 107.5kg before. What gives? Here’s the truth: lifting at 105kg, 2.5kg below your current PB, might be the smartest thing you’ve done all month. Let me explain why.
Picture this: You’re at the gym on a Wednesday evening. Your mate just hit a new personal best on squats. Someone’s filming themselves for Instagram. And you’re over in the corner, deliberately loading less weight than you know you can lift. Feels counterintuitive, doesn’t it? But successful lifters understand something most people miss: training at 105kg when you can lift 107.5kg isn’t playing it safe. It’s training intelligently.
Common Myths About Training Below Your PB
Myth: You should always be chasing new personal records
Reality: Constantly maxing out is a one-way ticket to burnout, injury, and stalled progress. Research from Loughborough University shows that lifters who incorporate submaximal training (working at 85-95% of their max) make more consistent long-term gains than those who chase PRs every session. Your body needs exposure to heavy weight, not constant maximum effort.
Myth: Lifting 105kg when you’ve done 107.5kg means you’re getting weaker
Reality: Training load should vary throughout your programme. Working at 105kg, approximately 97.7% of your PB, sits in the sweet spot for building strength without accumulating excessive fatigue. Studies published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research demonstrate that varying training intensity produces superior results compared to constant high-intensity work.
Myth: Submaximal training won’t make you stronger
Reality: The majority of your strength gains come from volume at moderate-to-high intensities, not from grinding out maximum attempts. When you work at 105kg instead of your 107.5kg PB, you can typically complete more quality reps with better form, leading to greater total training stimulus.
Why 105kg Is Actually Perfect Training Weight
Training at 105kg, just 2.5kg below your current PB of 107.5kg, places you in what strength coaches call the “strength zone.” This is roughly 95-98% of your one-rep max, and it’s where magic happens.
At this intensity, you’re lifting heavy enough to stimulate neural adaptations—your nervous system learns to recruit muscle fibres more efficiently. Your brain gets better at telling your muscles to fire in the right sequence. But you’re not lifting so heavy that technique breaks down or recovery takes forever.
The Technical Benefits Nobody Talks About
When you lift at 105kg instead of attempting your 107.5kg PB, something interesting occurs. Your form stays cleaner. Your bar path remains consistent. Your breathing pattern doesn’t disintegrate into desperate gasps halfway through the lift.
This matters enormously. Each rep you perform with solid technique reinforces the motor pattern. You’re essentially programming your nervous system to execute the lift correctly. Grind out ugly reps at maximum weight, and you’re programming inefficient movement patterns instead.
According to NHS guidance on strength training, maintaining proper form reduces injury risk significantly. That 2.5kg difference between 105kg and your PB often represents the difference between controlled strength and compensatory movement patterns that stress your joints unnecessarily.
Volume and Fatigue Management
Here’s what many people miss: strength isn’t built from single heroic efforts. It’s built from accumulated quality work over weeks and months.
At 105kg, you might comfortably complete 3-4 reps per set. Push for your 107.5kg PB, and you’re looking at 1-2 reps maximum, with significantly longer recovery needed between sets. Over a training session, working at 105kg allows you to accumulate more total volume—the primary driver of strength adaptation.
Research from the University of Birmingham found that lifters who managed fatigue intelligently through strategic load selection made 23% more progress over 12 weeks compared to those who constantly pushed maximum loads.
When to Use 105kg in Your Training Programme
Strategic use of weights like 105kg, slightly below your PB, should form the backbone of your training. Here’s how to incorporate this approach effectively.
During Accumulation Phases
Most periodized programmes include accumulation blocks where the goal is building work capacity and muscle mass. During these 3-6 week periods, working at 105kg for multiple sets of 3-5 reps provides optimal stimulus without excessive fatigue.
Your training might look like: 4 sets of 4 reps at 105kg with 3 minutes rest. Total volume: 1,680kg moved. Compare that to attempting your 107.5kg PB for singles: you’d need significantly more rest, complete fewer total reps, and accumulate less volume despite the psychological satisfaction of chasing a max.
For Technical Practice
Strength sports require technical proficiency as much as raw power. Olympic weightlifters spend countless hours lifting at 85-95% specifically to groove movement patterns.
Using 105kg allows you to focus on specific technical cues: keeping the bar close to your shins during a deadlift, maintaining a neutral spine throughout the movement, or driving through your heels rather than your toes. At maximum weight, you’re just trying to complete the lift. At 2.5kg below your PB, you can actively practise technique refinement.
Following High-Intensity Sessions
You tested your 107.5kg PB on Saturday. Come Wednesday, your nervous system hasn’t fully recovered. Attempting another maximum effort would be counterproductive. But dropping to 105kg? That provides sufficient stimulus to maintain and build strength without requiring full recovery.
Elite strength athletes understand this principle intimately. They might test a true maximum once every 8-12 weeks. The rest of the time? They’re working at loads like 105kg, systematically building the foundation that supports those occasional peak performances.
Building a Smart Training Cycle Around 105kg
Let’s get practical. Here’s how to structure your training when working with loads like 105kg, 2.5kg below your current PB.
Week 1-2: Volume Accumulation
Start with 105kg for 4 sets of 3 reps. This should feel challenging but manageable. Your goal is completing all prescribed reps with excellent form. Rest 3-4 minutes between sets to maintain quality.
Track how you feel after each session. Slight muscle soreness is normal. Lingering fatigue or joint discomfort suggests you need more recovery time.
Week 3-4: Progressive Overload
Increase volume by adding a set or reps. Move to 4 sets of 4 reps at 105kg, or add a fifth set of 3 reps. You’re lifting the same weight but accumulating more total work.
This is where many lifters go wrong. They add weight too quickly instead of extracting maximum benefit from their current load. Performing an additional set at 105kg—an extra 420kg of volume—provides significant training stimulus without requiring recovery from heavier loads.
Week 5-6: Intensity Progression
Now you can add weight. Your consistent work at 105kg has built a robust strength foundation. Add 2.5kg, bringing you back to your previous 107.5kg PB. Except it’s not your PB anymore—you’ve grown stronger through intelligent training.
Test a new maximum. You might discover your true PB is now 110kg or higher. Suddenly, that 105kg you’ve been working with represents 95% of your new capacity rather than 97.7%. You’ve created room to grow.
Week 7-8: Deload and Reassess
Reduce intensity and volume. Drop to 90-95kg for 2-3 sets of 3-4 reps. Your body needs this recovery period to adapt to the training stress you’ve accumulated.
Use this time to address any technical weaknesses you noticed during heavier sessions. Film your lifts from multiple angles. Make notes about what feels strong and what needs work.
Mistakes to Avoid When Training Below Your PB
Mistake 1: Treating submaximal weights as easy warm-ups
Why it’s a problem: Just because you’re lifting 105kg instead of your 107.5kg PB doesn’t mean you should approach it casually. Submaximal doesn’t mean low effort. You need to generate maximal intent—move the weight as explosively as possible while maintaining control.
What to do instead: Approach every rep at 105kg with focus and aggression. Set up exactly as you would for a maximum attempt. Create full-body tension. Drive through the movement deliberately. This teaches your nervous system to recruit muscle fibres efficiently, which transfers directly to maximum efforts.
Mistake 2: Ignoring rest periods
Why it’s a problem: The weight feels manageable, so you rush through rest periods. But adequate recovery between sets is crucial for maintaining quality. Short-changing rest means later sets deteriorate, turning strength work into conditioning work instead.
What to do instead: Rest 3-5 minutes between heavy sets at 105kg. Yes, really. Use a timer. Walk around, shake out your limbs, but don’t start the next set until you’ve recovered sufficiently to perform it well. Quality trumps rushing through your session.
Mistake 3: Constantly changing training weights
Why it’s a problem: Some lifters treat every session like a test. Monday they work up to 105kg. Wednesday they try 110kg. Friday they drop to 100kg based on how they feel. This chaotic approach prevents systematic progression.
What to do instead: Commit to specific training loads for 2-4 week blocks. If your programme says 105kg for four weeks, stick with it. Manipulate volume (sets and reps) rather than constantly adjusting weight. This consistency allows you to track progress meaningfully.
Mistake 4: Neglecting accessories
Why it’s a problem: You’ve got energy left after working at 105kg, so you skip assistance exercises and head home. But those accessories address weak points and build muscle mass that supports future strength gains.
What to do instead: After your main work at 105kg, include 2-3 accessory exercises targeting relevant muscle groups. For deadlifts, that might mean Romanian deadlifts, lat pulldowns, and core work. Simple equipment like resistance bands can add valuable variety here—they’re excellent for activation work and assistance exercises that complement your main lifts.
Technical Considerations for Lifts at 105kg
The specific lift matters when discussing training at 105kg versus your PB. A 2.5kg difference affects various lifts differently.
For Deadlifts
Deadlifting 105kg when your PB is 107.5kg allows you to focus on bar positioning. Keep the bar over mid-foot throughout the pull. Maintain a neutral spine—imagine someone placing a broomstick along your back from head to hips.
At this weight, you can consciously engage your lats before pulling. Think about “bending the bar” around your legs. This creates tension through your upper back, which prevents rounding under heavier loads.
Film yourself. Watch bar path from the side. It should travel in a straight vertical line, not swing away from your body then back. Working at 105kg gives you the mental bandwidth to monitor and correct these technical elements.
For Squats
Squatting 105kg below your 107.5kg PB enables you to hit proper depth consistently. Many lifters cut depth short when chasing maximum loads. This trains poor movement patterns and limits muscle development.
Focus on controlling the descent. Count three seconds down, pause briefly in the hole, then drive up explosively. This tempo work at 105kg builds tremendous strength and muscle mass while reinforcing optimal technique.
Pay attention to knee tracking. Your knees should travel in line with your toes throughout the movement. At 105kg, you have sufficient control to actively monitor and correct any valgus collapse (knees caving inward).
For Bench Press
Benching 105kg instead of your 107.5kg maximum allows you to maintain proper shoulder positioning. Your shoulder blades should remain retracted throughout the movement—squeezed together as if holding a pencil between them.
Lower the bar with control to your sternum, not your neck. This weight gives you the control to touch your chest lightly without bouncing, then press back up maintaining tension throughout.
Experienced lifters often use something like a resistance band for supplementary work after their main pressing—band pull-aparts are brilliant for shoulder health and help balance all that pressing volume.
Monitoring Progress at Submaximal Weights
How do you know if working at 105kg is actually making you stronger? Track these metrics beyond just the weight on the bar.
Rate of Perceived Exertion
Rate each set on a scale of 1-10. Initially, 105kg might feel like an 8 or 9 out of 10. After several weeks of consistent training, that same weight might drop to a 6 or 7. This indicates you’re genuinely getting stronger, even though the weight hasn’t changed.
Keep a simple training log. Note the date, weight lifted, sets, reps, and RPE for each work set. Over time, patterns emerge that pure weight on the bar won’t reveal.
Bar Speed
Stronger lifters move submaximal weights faster. If 105kg felt like a slow grind four weeks ago but now accelerates smoothly off the floor, you’ve made progress.
Your phone can help here. Record your sets from the side. Compare bar speed across sessions lifting the same weight. Visible improvements in velocity indicate increased strength and power output.
Recovery Between Sets
Early in a training block, you might need five minutes between sets at 105kg. As your conditioning improves, you maintain quality with four minutes, then three. Reduced required recovery time signals improved work capacity.
Total Volume
Maybe you started with 3 sets of 3 reps at 105kg (945kg total volume). Now you’re completing 4 sets of 5 reps at the same weight (2,100kg total volume). You’ve more than doubled your work output at this intensity—that’s real, measurable progress.
Your 8-Week Training Plan Using 105kg
Here’s a complete programme structure for making the most of training at weights just below your current PB.
- Week 1: Establish your baseline with 4 sets of 3 reps at 105kg. Focus exclusively on perfect form. Rest 4 minutes between sets. Record how each set feels in your training log.
- Week 2: Maintain 4 sets of 3 reps at 105kg. Your goal is making each rep look identical to the last. Film yourself and review technique between sessions.
- Week 3: Increase volume to 4 sets of 4 reps at 105kg. Rest remains 3-4 minutes. Each set should feel challenging but controlled.
- Week 4: Continue 4 sets of 4 reps at 105kg. By now, this should feel more manageable than week 3. Note any improvements in bar speed or ease of completion.
- Week 5: Progress to 5 sets of 4 reps at 105kg, or 4 sets of 5 reps—your choice based on how recovery has been. You’re now moving significantly more total weight than week 1.
- Week 6: Add 2.5kg, returning to your previous PB of 107.5kg. Perform 4 sets of 3 reps. This should feel more controlled than when it was your actual maximum.
- Week 7: Deload week. Drop to 95kg for 3 sets of 3 reps with perfect form. Your body needs this recovery period. Don’t skip it.
- Week 8: Test a new maximum. You may discover your true PB has increased to 110kg or beyond. Your consistent work at 105kg has built the foundation for this improvement.
Quick Reference Checklist for Training Below Your PB
- Select training weights 2.5-5kg below your current tested maximum for regular sessions
- Maintain perfect form on every single rep—technical mastery builds long-term strength
- Rest 3-5 minutes between heavy sets regardless of how manageable the weight feels
- Track more than just weight: monitor RPE, bar speed, and recovery quality
- Commit to specific loads for 2-4 week training blocks before progressing
- Include accessory work after main lifts to address weak points and build muscle
- Film your lifts regularly to identify technical improvements or areas needing attention
- Schedule regular deload weeks to allow accumulated adaptation to manifest
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should I test my actual PB if I’m regularly training at 105kg?
Test your true maximum every 6-12 weeks, not more frequently. Constant maximum attempts interfere with consistent training and increase injury risk. Most of your sessions should use weights like 105kg—slightly below your known capacity—to accumulate quality volume. When you do test, you’ll likely find your maximum has increased significantly beyond your previous 107.5kg PB, making that 105kg training weight even more effective as a submaximal load.
What if 105kg feels too easy some days?
Feeling strong is excellent, but don’t spontaneously add weight mid-session. The goal is consistent progressive overload across weeks, not random variation day-to-day. If 105kg genuinely feels easy, focus on moving it faster with perfect form, or add an extra set rather than increasing weight. Save weight progression for planned intervals in your programme. Jumping from 105kg to 110kg because you “feel good” disrupts systematic progression and makes tracking progress impossible.
Should I work at 105kg for all my sets, or only some?
Your main working sets should be at 105kg if that’s your programmed intensity. Warm-up sets should progress gradually: perhaps empty bar, 60kg, 80kg, 95kg, then your working weight of 105kg. After completing your prescribed sets at 105kg, drop weight for any additional volume work or technique practice. A typical session might include: warm-ups, 4 working sets at 105kg, then 2-3 “back-off” sets at 85-90kg with slightly higher reps.
Can I make strength gains without ever testing my maximum?
Absolutely. Many successful strength athletes train for months using calculated percentages without testing actual maximums. If you know your PB is 107.5kg, you can programme effectively around 105kg (roughly 97-98% intensity) for extended periods. Regular testing creates fatigue and injury risk. Focus on measurable progress at your training weights: increased reps, sets, bar speed, or reduced perceived effort at 105kg all indicate growing strength, whether or not you formally test a new maximum.
What should I do if I fail a rep at 105kg when it’s supposed to be submaximal?
Missing a rep at a weight you’ve previously completed successfully signals accumulated fatigue, inadequate recovery, or possibly illness. Don’t push through. End that session after your warm-ups and reassess. You might need an unplanned rest day or deload week. Check your sleep quality, nutrition, and life stress levels—they all impact lifting capacity. When you return, consider dropping to 100kg temporarily and rebuilding from there. One failed session doesn’t erase your progress; ignoring warning signs and grinding through fatigue definitely will.
The Bigger Picture: Training for Long-Term Strength
That 2.5kg difference between your 105kg training weight and your 107.5kg PB represents something more significant than just numbers on a bar. It represents the difference between intelligent, sustainable training and the endless hamster wheel of chasing maximum efforts.
Athletes who make consistent progress year after year understand this principle. They spend most of their training time at weights like 105kg—challenging but manageable—building technical proficiency, accumulating volume, and allowing their bodies to adapt without constant maximum stress.
The lifters struggling with injury, burnout, or frustrating plateaus? They’re often the ones treating every session like a powerlifting meet, grinding through maximum attempts multiple times weekly.
According to NHS guidelines on strength training, progressive resistance training should challenge you while allowing adequate recovery. Working at 105kg when your capacity is 107.5kg fits this guidance perfectly.
Think about the next six months of training. You could chase maximum loads every session, accumulating fatigue and potentially stalling or getting injured. Or you could intelligently programme work around loads like 105kg, systematically building strength through quality volume. In six months, which approach leaves you stronger, healthier, and more technically proficient?
Research from the University of Birmingham’s School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences consistently shows that periodized programmes incorporating submaximal training produce superior long-term results compared to constant high-intensity work.
Taking Action: Your Next Training Session
You’ve got the information. Now put it into practice.
Your next training session, load the bar to 105kg or equivalent—whatever weight sits 2-3% below your current tested maximum. Set up exactly as you would for a PB attempt: proper warm-up, full preparation, maximum focus.
Then perform your prescribed sets and reps with absolute technical precision. Move the weight deliberately. Maintain perfect form. Rest adequately between sets. Don’t add weight because it “feels light.” Stick to the plan.
After several weeks of this consistent work, you’ll test a new maximum and likely discover you’ve made significant progress. That 107.5kg PB might become 110kg or higher. Suddenly, 105kg represents a different percentage of your capacity entirely.
This is how sustainable strength is built: not through constant maximum efforts, but through intelligent programming around submaximal weights that allow quality volume accumulation.
Will every session feel heroic? No. Will you get stronger, build better technique, and reduce injury risk? Absolutely. That’s the deal. Choose wisely.
