can you elaborate on this more, each repetition in a set or in a session? It appeared to me that singles significantly reduces this.
Technique and Muscle Fatigue
At any point in a set, when Muscle Fatigue occurs in a Technique Movement, STOP! Continuing ensure you Technique is going to fall apart; you end up learning to preform the movement incorrectly.
Powerlifters
Many Powerlifter use the Competition Lifts as the training exercise. This is one of the few groups, that has this foolish mentality.
As watchnerd essentially stated, this is a really bad idea.
Repping Out
You don't see Olympic Lifter, Pole Vaulters, Shot Putters, Baseball Batters, etc preforming multiple non-stop repetitions with 5, 10 or 15 per set. However, many Powerlifter do just that.
Building Strength In A Movement
The key to increasing Limit Strength in a movement is to employ Auxiliary Exercise that utilize the same muscle groups and have a similar Strength Curve.
Deadlift Lift Auxiliary Exercises
Good Morning, Still Leg Deadlifts (slight bend in knees), Trap Bar Deadlifts, Trap Bar Stiff Leg Deadlifts, 90 Degree Back/Hip Extensions, 45 Degree Back/Hip Extensions, Pull Through, Romanian Deadlifts, Hip Thrust, etc.
The purpose of these movement is to increase Limit Strength for your Deadlift. You can push them to the limit, if your form fall off, it is not an issue. The focus is on increasing Limit Strength, not technique.
Is there a volume of 85% singles that developes other physiological adaptations beyond technique?
I am not quite sure what you are asking.
Is the inverse true? Does the firing sequence from max efforts carry over to lighter loads?
The Inverse Is True
The muscle firing sequence change with the percentage of the load; other factors also take place.
Back To The Baseball Analogy
As I previously stated, learning to hit a 60 mph baseball won't make you good at hitting a 90 mph fast ball.
The reverse it true. Learning to hit a 90 mph fast ball won't make you good at hitting a 60 mph baseball. A large part of that has to do with the timing and the muscle recruitment is slightly different.
How long are those rest periods?
Multiple set are performed with Rest Periods long enough between sets to insure recovery.
Same answer as before. The rest period need to be long enough to ensure that you preform the Technique Movement correctly. Recover could take you two, three minutes or longer.
How similar or dissimilar? Bench press to pushup or bench press to military press? Military press to dip?
Performing Auxiliary Exercise Similar In Nature To The Technique Movement
1) Push Up; These are an Upside Bench Press, essentially the same. However, it hard to overload Push Up with weights.
2) Military Press: It is effective at increasing your shoulder/triceps strength but does little for chest strength.
3) Dips: This is the ultimate Decline Bench Press; a great movement. Pat Casey, the first man to Bench Press 600 ls in a T-Shirt, found this was/it still is, one of the most effective Auxiliary Bench Press Exercises there is.
4) Incline Press: This is a great Bench Press Auxiliary Exercise; you can vary the Incline Level.
5) Reverse Grip Bench Press: Research show it work the upper chest more than the Incline Bench Press, as well as overloading the triceps.
Summary
1) Westside Powerlifting Method (Circa 1980): Part of the foundation of this program is build on the use of Auxiliary Exercises as a means of increasing Limit Strength, 1 Repetition Max.
2)
Bench Press More Now
This book by Dr Tom McLaughlin (PhD Exercise Biomechanics) came about the same time as the Westside Powerlifting Method.
McLaughlin's research reinforces the Westside Powerlifting Method.
Kenny Croxdale