Your take on 1RM

I don't attempt ORMs. As long as I'm progressing each month, I just assume that my ORM keeps getting better. It does scare me to attempt them...I tried once with a trainer, and actually ended up backing down before I failed because I just didn't feel the lift was there and didn't want to hurt myself. There are other ways to track progress.

I tend to attempt higher 1RM for my compound lifts like bench, squat, deadlifts every 2-3 months. There is no real reason other then curiousity and personal satisfaction. A lot of times people who injure themselves on 1RM tend to not stretch and loosen up properly beforehand (Not implying that was their issue). Good form is oftentimes sacrificed for that extra 5-10 pounds on the bar too which is a recipe for disaster.

I cant c y attemping a max on a compound movement woulf dramaticly increase the risk of injury. It may hinder ur performance for the week.

But for those who do them and DON'T compete, do you every fear injury from it? I personally know of 2 people as of late who ventured into 1RM "just for the hell of it" and now one has a torn rotator and the other injured is low back (sounds like a 2nd degree strain) from the attempts.

^THIS is exactly why I don't attempt 1RMs. I have lifted for some time now and I have never had an injury, which I'm proud and grateful for!

Unless you're competing, I really don't see a need to lift for a 1 RM for the reasons you stated. I think a lot of it is for ego/bragging rights (just my personal $.02)

I cant c y attemping a max on a compound movement woulf dramaticly increase the risk of injury. It may hinder ur performance for the week.

this. I use 5/3/1 and the program is built so you essentially work up to a 1RM over a several month period, and then end up deloading when you get to a point where you can no longer progress. Doing it this way gives me a pretty good idea where my 1RM is without actually attempting it, and when I get there, it'll be after quite a while of slightly lower weights that gives me the confidence in what I can handle.

For example, I'm close to a 1RM on my bench. Friday I did 4 reps at 193.5, and the program called for 3+ reps. This week I'll be doing 1+ reps @ 200, which will be a 1RM for me. We'll see if I can push out more than 1 rep though and get through another cycle before I have to deload.

never attempted it...not sure I want to...esp since I workout at home...and going to the gym for that seems silly

I use this instead

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/other7.htm

not sure how accurate it is but hey...I like the numbers it gives..for example I am at 200lb DL..says my max is 225..sounds reasonable....and for my bench I can lift 125 3x5..says my max is 141...sounds reasonable as 125 is still well a bit of a struggle.

never attempted it...not sure I want to...esp since I workout at home...and going to the gym for that seems silly

I use this instead

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/other7.htm

not sure how accurate it is but hey...I like the numbers it gives..for example I am at 200lb DL..says my max is 225..sounds reasonable....and for my bench I can lift 125 3x5..says my max is 141...sounds reasonable as 125 is still well a bit of a struggle.

Ah, but do you put in there the actual resistance of what is lifted, bar and you, get the 1RM, and then back out current weight of you for just the new bar weight?

For DL, probably higher, bench wouldn't change much of course, well, unless Popeye forearms.

http://www.exrx.net/WeightTraining/Bodyweight.html#Estimating1RM

http://www.exrx.net/Calculators/Workload.html

i'm basically in the same boat as the OP

only thing i've even flirted with attempting it with is bench, and thats after i did my normal bench workout anyway


which leads me to a question, for those that do do it, and the OPs friends that were injured, what, if any, warm up do you do

In Wendler's program you do all your lifts at a % of your estimated max...

so warmup:
5x 40% of max
5x 50% of max
3x 60% of max

Working sets
5x 75% of max
3x 85% of max
1+x95% of max

every time you start a new month long cycle you increase the max by some amount, so every 4 weeks your 1+ set gets closer to a true 1RM.

I wouldn't bother trying to figure out a 1RM just for the sake of knowing it, but its built into the program with the primary goal being to increase that max (as well as your 5 RM and 3 RM and just overall strength).

A true 1RM is about demonstrating strength, not building it. There is no good reason to do a 1RM in anything but competition. I don't fear injury from it, and being afraid of the lift will guarantee it is not a true 1RM. But yes, injury can happen, and I think a certain amount of experience is wise before attempting any lift in a low rep range.

What's interesting is that a lot of teenage boys new to lifting are ALWAYS trying to attempt 1RM on bench press. And of course most FAIL miserably....................then forget to rerack the weights.

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And that ^ is exactly the category of people I expect who "injure themselves with a more serious injury" attempting 1RM. People who are completely unfamiliar with low rep sets suddenly trying them out of the blue would also be a higher risk, which sounds like the people you know who did. But if you keep your form, do a few practices at lower rep weights, are serious about your strength estimation & don't tend to drastically over estimate yourself and even then if you have good spotters it shouldn't be that much of a problem. I don't doubt its SOME higher risk of injury in the end though, especially if you are more likely to psychologically "give up" on failure to complete and lose strength (not sure why it happens with certain people more), and have to "test" your ability to use the emergency rack hooks and/or spotters ability if you over estimated.

For myself I did 1RM for years for deadlift and bench with no problems, but I took it seriously, calculated how I felt beforehand, didnt even attempt if I didnt "feel it" or I didnt have good spotters. Mental is HUGE in 1RM, and calculators for 1RM I compared to real 1RM tend to be all over the place and relatively very inaccurate. I have also avoided 1RM in recent years, mostly because of equipment/facility for deads/squat and spotter problems/injury for bench.

Powerlifter here.

Our sport is obviously to test 1rm's. But I basically leave this for the platfrom. It does depend on the program used. Some like Westside will do a heavy max twice a week. Not necessary 1rm though.

I think the potential for injury is not just the 1rm part but going to failure with any sort of decent load. Grinding out 1rm deadlift or grinding out the 10th deadlift at 10rm are going to be equally taxing.

For those not competing, there is no real reason to test besides just wanting to know for curiousity. I also use the 1rm calcs but even these are never 100% e.g. some people are just really good at higher reps and aren't used to the heavier loads when the time comes to test.

I also think that injuries in general can be a bit luck of the draw. Unfortunately for me, I've been a bit unlucky. Not just in powerlifting either. (Used to be a runner = stress fracture, used to do bjj = torn hip flexor, used to compete in powerlifting = thoracic disc bulge (and minor muscle tears))

I do think that powerlifting in general is pushing the body to extreme limits and at some stage even with good form, the body will not cooperate. But that is the nature of the sport.

I'm now prepping for a BB comp but still include the lower rep ranges (but working around injuries).

edit: my back injury was caused predominantly from deficit deadlifts at 5 reps (only 40mm deficit too) *kitten* happens!

I would think a good warm-up to be key to non-injury.