Expected weight drop with increase in reps

RoyalMoose11
RoyalMoose11 Posts: 211 Member
edited November 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
After following Jim Wendler's “5/3/1″ system (a great program that I highly recommend) for three cycles I'm changing up my routine for 6 weeks to do something different and keep my gym routine fresh. I plan on returning after this six week vacation.

On my new routine I'll be increasing my rep ranges. My current plan has the rep ranges of (surprise!) 5, 3, and 1. My new plan will have reps going 10, 9, and 8 at different points. I assume I will have to decrease the weight to manage this longer rep range but does anyone have an estimate of how much I should expect to be taking off? After hitting one rep maxes a few weeks ago at 200lb for bench press and 300lb for deadlift, I know I should assume I'll be able to come close to those with such a high increase in reps.

While an app can never replace my own research in the gym, I did have an app that estimated one rep max when I added information about my current lifting abilities (for example, if I can do 14 reps bench press at 135 before form is compromised it estimated a one rep max number for me).

Thanks.

Replies

  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    edited May 2015
    Here's a calculator that will give you your 5 and 10 rep max. Use it to estimate your 8 and 9.

    http://www.ivannikolov.com/calculators/rep-max-calculator/

    Also, there is a phone app called Rep Max Calculator that will give you your 1 rm through 12 rm. I'm on Android. I'm not sure if it is on iphone.
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    You can try and estimate but everyone is going to be different.
  • Sam_I_Am77
    Sam_I_Am77 Posts: 2,093 Member
    After following Jim Wendler's “5/3/1″ system (a great program that I highly recommend) for three cycles I'm changing up my routine for 6 weeks to do something different and keep my gym routine fresh.

    I think the others helped with your original question, but I find myself curious as to why you feel you have to change after just 3 cycles. What is your training goal(s)?
  • RoyalMoose11
    RoyalMoose11 Posts: 211 Member
    It's more for some variety. I found myself average about my gym routine than excited to be going for the first time in a while. I have some down time in my running schedule between the race I just finished and marathon training (to begin in August). This plan involves all the same compound lifts with more assistance work than my 5/3/1 plan. I could do some of the other 5/3/1 programs (BBB, which would be ironic to switch to) but I wanted to try something new.
  • Sam_I_Am77
    Sam_I_Am77 Posts: 2,093 Member
    RoyalMoose11 wrote: »
    It's more for some variety. I found myself average about my gym routine than excited to be going for the first time in a while. I have some down time in my running schedule between the race I just finished and marathon training (to begin in August). This plan involves all the same compound lifts with more assistance work than my 5/3/1 plan. I could do some of the other 5/3/1 programs (BBB, which would be ironic to switch to) but I wanted to try something new.

    Gotcha'. Find something that speaks to you, something that will keep you motivated and stick to it for a LONG time. Doing one program for a few weeks, then doing another one for a few weeks, etc., etc, is a recipe for wasting time and no progress. But definitely do something that motivates you, no point in doing something that doesn't.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    edited May 2015
    I do something similar with an undulating periodization of 12/6/3. I basically just had to play with it for a couple of sessions...I haven't done 1 RMs for quite some time so I just played around with my weights for a couple of sessions until I was close to failure in those reps.

    I worked this out with my coach and he said that theoretically I should be at roughly 60% of my 1 RM with my 6 reps if I'm close to failure, but we haven't bothered testing that theory out yet.
  • RoyalMoose11
    RoyalMoose11 Posts: 211 Member
    Thanks all.

    Sam - to add to your point, I did 5/3/1 on a two day split because of my running schedule so each cycle took a month. Chest/squats were done the same day as interval runs and OH Press/deadlifts were done on my running rest day. It was the best way to keep strength training fit within my training. 4 months of 5/3/1 gave me some really good results and I'm hoping this short program gives me a chance to go back to 5/3/1 at a better level.

    Cwolfman- not a bad start. My 1RM of 200lb on the bench (my last "1" of 5/3/1) equates to 120. I'll test that out as a starting point.

    Jemhh- I had previously guess I'd level out around 145 so this calculator gives me a good, rough estimate. Thanks for sharing.
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