I would think that you would use (at least I did) your competition max to figure out your training poundages. You are wanting to work up to a higher competition max but you are using lower weight than your competition max in training for your doubles and singles. Then depending on how your training is going and how you feel, your last competition max might be used now for doubles. It's just a cyclic and progress thing. You surely wouldn't be training year round handling 90 - 95% of your competition max.
Competition Max Training Percentages
The issue with using a percentage of your Competition Max in training is the it is misleading.
Your Competition Max is going to be (or should be) the heaviest load you can complete on your best day. It doesn't carry over to your Training Days.
Example of Competition Bench Press Training Max Percentage
Let's say your Competition Bench Press is 300 lbs. Let's say you based your training percentage to be 85% of the 300 lbs, which is 255 lbs.
Let's say your true Training Max Bench Press on that day is 285 lbs; 85% X 285 lbs = 242 lbs.
That means if you use 255 lbs (85% of your 300 lb max) you're actually performing you Bench Press Training with 89% of your true Training Max Bench Press for that day.
Training Max
You're Training Max is going to fluctuate to a certain degree with each training session. Some day you're going to be a little stronger, some a little less so.
The variance of your strength is dependent on where you are in your Periodization Training Cycle, as well as some other factors.
As an example, after maxing out in the final week of a training cycle, your strength most like will not have recovery in the following week.
That is why once you max out in the final week of a training cycle, you dramatically drop the load and then over a period of weeks progressively increase the load. If thing go right, you end up with a new training max.
I am more of a proponent of using training percentages that are more reality based on what your Training Max is on that particular training day.
Unfortunately, the only way to know your Training Max for that day is to max out on that day. I don't see the point to that.
The Take Home Message
If you base your Training Percentage on your 1 Repetition Competition Max, you need to adjust your percentage down to accommodate for your Training Max.
Working Backward
A better way is to estimate your Competition Max or Training Max is to specifically determine what percentages that you use that carry over with certain load for certain repetitions.
The standard estimation for someone who's max Bench Press is 300 lbs X 2 Repetition is 95%. Thus, that means you should be able to perform a max Bench Press for right at 315 lbs.
However, that is the generic method of determine you 1 Repetition Competition Max. As with most thing, there is going to be some variance with each individual.
Max Training Year Round
This is an effective method of increasing you strength, if your program is well written and executed in a Periodization Training Program.
If you don't compete then I would say you are talking about a training or gym max. The bench is a touch and go without the competition pause.
Paused and Touch and Go Benching
Paused Benches are an effective training method for non-competitive lifters that elicit a different training effect.
Competitive Bench Pressers need to preform some Touch and Go Bench Press Training. Doing so provide some carry over in the Competition Bench Press.
Kenny Croxdale