Hi all,
I would categorize myself as a general lifter with no plans on competing. My goals are just to be as strong as possible and to put on as much muscle as possible. Would I benefit from peaking for a 1RM. Or should I just keep “building” i.e. always be at volume phase of training?
Unless you just wanted to test/know an absolute 1RM, there is no “need” for an individual to test/peak for 1RMs.
With that said, the converse of this isn’t just to stay with all high-volume training that looks identical, all the time. There can still be value in periodically altering certain training parameters, whether it’s the overall volume, intensity range, or exercise selection. This can relate to things like psychological engagement/enjoyment, managing injury risk, and other positive outcomes. There is no one “correct” way to do this, as it is pretty individual and there are lots of options for individuals to play with over time.