1RM

TravelsWithHuckleberry

Gals,

I'm closing in on Week 12 of 5x5, and since I basically started from scratch I never concerned myself with 1RMs.

And now I'm wondering if this is something I should start exploring? Why or why not?

And if it is, how do I do it?

Sorry to be such a noob (still), but figured I'd ask you guys before trolling the Interweb for 19 different conflicting views.

Thanks,
C.

Fittreelol

You should worry about 1RM if you're a powerlifter, you're insanely curious, or street cred. For everything else you can estimate it. You can use "rep max" calculators to help determine 1RM or Xrm for different training programs, or to help determine a good starting weight for a similar exercise. A max front squat is typically 70-75% ish of a max low bar back squat. You can use that as a guideline to determine accessory training.

krokador

I like using E1RMs (estimated) to gauge my progress in time. Thing is, you have to stick to the same calculator all the time because they all will giver you different results. Most of them get HEAVILY inaccurate once you try to go with anything higher than 6-8 reps. Also, everyone has a different "adaptive slope" when it comes to strength, so it's hard to get a good figure without taking that into account.

[confusing attempt at explaining follows:]
For example, especially on my upper body lifts, I have very little reps in me at higher weights, but somehow I can still push and do singles quite high. I can do a lot more reps at a lower weight than my actual 1RM "suggests". In numbers (because this is confusing even for me):
I can bench press 95 for 14 (E1RM: 138), 122.5x4 (E1RM 139) but if I actually went and tested, I probably would only be able to manage 1 rep at 130 (E1RM of 135) yet manage singles up to 145. If that makes sense. Not my best example because those 2 rep PRs were done on the same day (with the 95 coming after the 122.5), but if you calculate the slope of reps vs weight my E1RM would be 133.5 (so too many reps to gauge well).

I've tested my maxes a few times, usually just before a deload week. I'm curious and might be looking into participating in a powerlifting event in the near(ish) future, so that's why I do it. You don't wanna be testing them in the middle of a cycle because it takes a lot out of you, and when you're maxing out, you're not necessarily doing the best thing to build strength.

Also, if you do end up testing, you want to be comfortable enough with the lifts that you're not afraid and won't hurt yourself doing so, have an escape plan in case you need to bail on a rep, and make sure to not overdo it and stay smart about it. Always work up to the weight you want to attempt reasonably slow. One thing that I think is not a bad trick is to set a time cap to work up to a heavy weight (12-15 mins top, maybe 20 if talking about deadlifts). That way you're certain you're not going to push beyond fatigue or further than you should.

But for someone with no real need to know 1RMs, what you could do instead is do an AMRAP set with a certain weight near the beginning of your workout. Keep that in mind and try the same weight a few weeks down the road (I think they call those indicator sets?). Once you reach 12+ reps at a certain weight, start basing it off of something heavier. It's a good way to judge progression without risking too much. Unless your program is 5/3/1 in which case you're kind of doing a similar thing every day anyway xD (It's why I love the first sets last :P)

tldr; You don't need to test your 1RM. In a linear program like 5x5 you don't even really need to check on E1RMs, but if you want to, you can always plug your numbers in and check. http://strstd.com/

Llamapants86

I just use an estimation to see progress, I don't care too much about the actual number I just want to keep seeing it increase.
Even on my 1+ week (wendlers cycle is quite different than 5x5 so don't worry about it too mich) I still only use 90% of my calculated 1rm because I'm a chicken.

canadianlbs

i think there's something kind of neat to be able to name a given weight i can lift, and then add ' . . . for 5 times 5!!'

everyone's different, i guess. for some reason i don't think i could do even one rep at much more than i'm already doing with 5x5, so to me they're sort of the same number anyway. i think i really am scared of hurting myself.

lilawolf

1RM testing causes you to need extra recovery time because it's so much stress. That's why I just use a calculator. This is the one that I like best: www.strstd.com