And to Star, I am going to ask my question again. What does lifting heavy (>85% 1RM) provide that lifting lighter (70-80%) does not? Until someone can spell this out, this debate can’t really come to an end.
Roger, I don’t know if anyone can answer that to a certainty. But that’s a theoretical approach. Its one thing to understand WHY something works, its another to simply know that it does work.
Empirically, the vast majority of studies, vast majority respected experts, and vast majority of strength athletes (both powerlifters and Olympic weightlifters) have determined that SOMETHING is provided by including loads >85%, whatever that something is, that allows a strength athlete to improve max strength faster, longer, and farther, than plans that never exceed 80%. I think common sense would tell you that if an Olympic lifter or powerlifter could get stronger by never exceeding 80%, most would be doing it that way…but there are very, very few, if any, powerlifters or Olympic lifters that NEVER go above 80%, and most include anywhere from 10-20% of all reps at 85% or greater loads.