This workout, that I first heard about in an article by Gary Valentine, is an excellent way to do your big lifts. It is called the 20/20 workout because the original workout calls for 20 snatches and 20 clean and jerks. For us regular folks that don't do Olympic lifting it might only be a 20 workout for one big lift like bench press or squats to then go on to assistance exercises.
The Workout
You start the workout with 5 singles at about 70% of your 1RM. These should be light and your form should be perfect.
Add 5kg to the bar and do 5 more singles.
Add 2,5kg and do 5 more singles.
By this point you should have done 15 perfect lifts, and based on how you feel you can stop here with your head held high, or you can continue.
On each lift from 16-20 you add 2,5kg.
By lift 20 you should be close to what you can maximally do taking the accumulated fatigue into account, but if you can continue to go up you can do so.
If you can consistently get more than 20 lifts, it is a sign that you should up your starting weight.
Example:
Lets say a lifter can bench press 150kg and wants to use the 20/20 workout for the bench:
Set 1-5: 105kg x 1 rep
Set 6-10: 110kg x 1 rep
Set 11-15: 112,5kg x 1 rep
Set 16: 115kg x 1 rep
Set 17: 117,5kg x 1 rep
Set 18: 120kg x 1 rep
Set 19: 122,5kg x 1 rep
Set 20: 125kg x 1 rep
