1 Rep max calculation
Iragen
Posts: 61 Member
Hi everyone.
Figure I throw this out here since it came to mind and I am remembering how helpful these forums can be, but I have a meeting with a trainer to calculate a true 1 rep max but he mentioned its a bit of a month long process to calculate it.
4yrs ago another trainer was helping when I was just then getting started, so i cant remember all the details, but I remember him having me a do a few routines for a few days and then we planned to meet to find the number (my 1rep max) so I wanted to see what you all have experienced.
I just wanted to find the number because apparently its a crucial bit of information to have so as to not lift too light or heavy whenever one works out regardless of goal. I am trying to build my bench press, squat, military press and deadlift, but I find myself kind of staying stuck in the same numbers.
Figure I throw this out here since it came to mind and I am remembering how helpful these forums can be, but I have a meeting with a trainer to calculate a true 1 rep max but he mentioned its a bit of a month long process to calculate it.
4yrs ago another trainer was helping when I was just then getting started, so i cant remember all the details, but I remember him having me a do a few routines for a few days and then we planned to meet to find the number (my 1rep max) so I wanted to see what you all have experienced.
I just wanted to find the number because apparently its a crucial bit of information to have so as to not lift too light or heavy whenever one works out regardless of goal. I am trying to build my bench press, squat, military press and deadlift, but I find myself kind of staying stuck in the same numbers.
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Replies
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If you are in the first month or so of training chances are you won't have a 1RM because the stimulas from finding what you perceive to be a 1RM will be adequate to drive some sort of adaptation that would make the 1RM you just tested for obsolete.
A good way to find it is to run a program that tests as a mock meet or powerlifting meet in the final week.
Another way is to use a rep formula or equation off charts either numeric or RPE % based. Keep in mind the farther away from one rep the less accurate. I typically find 3 rep max or less is pretty true.
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Appreciate the information. I was just shocked it would take that long to figure out. I thought I would just be run through a quick warm up and the trainer would plug some numbers and tell me the 1RM and bang boom done.
I'll try some calculators in the mean time while I wait for him.0 -
Two options really:
Take a few days and test your actual one rep max-note that you probably want to avoid doing back to back upper body or lower body testing sessions. So test different lifts on different days i.e your squats on monday, chest on tuesday, deadlift on wednesdah and shoulder press on thursday. You'll be increasing the bar after every successful rep. Make sure you warm up the muscles with some lighter reps-don't just jump in at 50 kg on shoulder press.
Or if you want to avoid loading the bar for a max effort, estimate what you think your 1 rep max is going to be and then taking 80 or 85% of this number perform as many reps as you can.
Once you've done that put the numbers into this formula to get your estimated 1RM.
Weight x Reps x .0333 + Weight= Estimated 1RM
So let's assume you think you can bench 100kg as a 1RM. If you take 80% of that number (80 kg) and perform 8 reps, you'd get
80 × 8 x .0333 + 80= 101.312 (101.3) as your estimated 1RM.
As the user above says, if you're just starting out then your 1 rep max is moot and will increase from session to session/week to week.
As for taking a month, that just sounds like he might be trying to take you for your money.
A true one rep max may vary from day to day anyway although not by that much.1 -
It doesn't have to be difficult. Max effort set somewhere in the 5 rep range (try to keep it under 10) and then use a 1RM calculator based on that max effort set. There are a billion of them. You'll be within 10lbs of your actual 1RM right there. Easy.
As for why a PT would take a month to calculate your 1RM, easy. Training is their job and how they make money. Any other questions?3 -
It doesn't have to be difficult. Max effort set somewhere in the 5 rep range (try to keep it under 10) and then use a 1RM calculator based on that max effort set. There are a billion of them. You'll be within 10lbs of your actual 1RM right there. Easy.
As for why a PT would take a month to calculate your 1RM, easy. Training is their job and how they make money. Any other questions?
Lol thanks. I'll try some of these suggestions. I tried to calculate it today at PF but the numbers didnt make sense (to me).
Said my 1RM is 175lbs and i KNOW i can at least do 185ish. I haven't been slacking THAT much, but if I have god help me.0 -
In my opinion, your 1 rep max is the max you have actually lifted for 1 rep. If you haven't accomplished it, you can't own it.3
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In my opinion, your 1 rep max is the max you have actually lifted for 1 rep. If you haven't accomplished it, you can't own it.
The purposeful idea here is to have a estimated number(near 1RM) to base volume off at a useful intensity so one can recover for next lifting session at the scheduled dosage. Not to own, brag about a 1RM, or how much can you lift?3 -
In my opinion, your 1 rep max is the max you have actually lifted for 1 rep. If you haven't accomplished it, you can't own it.
The purposeful idea here is to have a estimated number(near 1RM) to base volume off at a useful intensity so one can recover for next lifting session at the scheduled dosage. Not to own, brag about a 1RM, or how much can you lift?
I'm not an expert here, so bear with me...
I should have been more clear. I understand that it has an impact on planning, but is there a downside to using one's current 1RM that they have actually achieved? That's what I meant in my post. Why use a calculated number instead of a true value?
I'm also genuinely curious because I want to learn. I've been lifting for about a year and I'm chasing some goals myself.0 -
In my opinion, your 1 rep max is the max you have actually lifted for 1 rep. If you haven't accomplished it, you can't own it.
The purposeful idea here is to have a estimated number(near 1RM) to base volume off at a useful intensity so one can recover for next lifting session at the scheduled dosage. Not to own, brag about a 1RM, or how much can you lift?
I'm not an expert here, so bear with me...
I should have been more clear. I understand that it has an impact on planning, but is there a downside to using one's current 1RM that they have actually achieved? That's what I meant in my post. Why use a calculated number instead of a true value?
I'm also genuinely curious because I want to learn. I've been lifting for about a year and I'm chasing some goals myself.
No there is no downside I'm aware of to using one's current 1RM (and then using a percentage of it to train).
However, people won't know their 1RM without specifically testing for it as most people do multiple reps and/or sets, so the estimated 1RM is designed to help get around that problem unless you want to actually test your 1RM.
Additionally, if you were to test your 1RM everytime you were curious about it, it would probably effect your training programme so using the formula above you can see how your 1RM max is progressing without disrupting your training.2 -
In my opinion, your 1 rep max is the max you have actually lifted for 1 rep. If you haven't accomplished it, you can't own it.
The purposeful idea here is to have a estimated number(near 1RM) to base volume off at a useful intensity so one can recover for next lifting session at the scheduled dosage. Not to own, brag about a 1RM, or how much can you lift?
I'm not an expert here, so bear with me...
I should have been more clear. I understand that it has an impact on planning, but is there a downside to using one's current 1RM that they have actually achieved? That's what I meant in my post. Why use a calculated number instead of a true value?
I'm also genuinely curious because I want to learn. I've been lifting for about a year and I'm chasing some goals myself.
Say coach has programmed that this week you squat 5 sets of 5 reps at 80% of your 1rm. That 80% reflects at least 2 things:
1. It is light enough that you will be able to complete your 5x5 without failing, or having to lower the weight. If you used 85% of your 1rm, you probably won't be able to finish all 5 sets.
2. It is heavy enough that it will force your body to adapt and become stronger. If you used 55% of your 1rm, the intensity probably wouldn't be enough to be "useful" i.e. make you stronger or make your muscles grow.
If you use an outdated 1rm from 6 months ago, you may be using weights that are heavier or lighter than programmed. It may also be fine, if your 6 month old 1rm would still be your 1rm today (or thereabouts).
Further, intermediate strength programming will aim to regularly increase the weight on the bar (say, every week). Under a percentage based program, that means you have to add some amount to your 1rm every week, which immediately makes it an estimated 1rm.
In theory, another way of doing things might be to regularly test a true 1rm, to keep it up to date. The training philosophy that I follow is that hitting a true 1rm is less efficient for building strength than hitting one or two heavy singles @ 90% to 95% and then hitting some higher rep volume after, if only because after you hit a true 1rm you won't physically be able to lift the same volume at the same intensity. So I personally wouldn't do this. I'm aware that other people have different views on this.2 -
While it's not necessarily as effective for beginners, I prefer to gauge by RPE rather than messing around with testing 1RMs. RPE 8 or 9 will always be RPE 8 or 9, even as the weight being lifted increases.3
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In my opinion, your 1 rep max is the max you have actually lifted for 1 rep. If you haven't accomplished it, you can't own it.
The purposeful idea here is to have a estimated number(near 1RM) to base volume off at a useful intensity so one can recover for next lifting session at the scheduled dosage. Not to own, brag about a 1RM, or how much can you lift?
I'm not an expert here, so bear with me...
I should have been more clear. I understand that it has an impact on planning, but is there a downside to using one's current 1RM that they have actually achieved? That's what I meant in my post. Why use a calculated number instead of a true value?
I'm also genuinely curious because I want to learn. I've been lifting for about a year and I'm chasing some goals myself.
That's going to depend on many variables.
The idea is to get you in a close ballpark for your volume.
Completing a true one rep max is going to have fatigue and CNS factors that will lag future training. Also there will be form issues on any 1RM. Let's keep our bodies in a better position to keep training. Let's also not forget if you to use a tested 1RM from a month or so ago, it's possible that data might not be as accurate depending on how quickly you are gaining strength.
One is better off using a submaximal weight they feel they can triple and only doing a single and calculate from there which would be more accurate than a higher rep calcualtion in most cases.
This will not only stress the body in a less fatiguing way. It will give some practice at the skill of lifting a heavier weight that could be helpful to long term training depending on your goals. All done with ideally better form.
So if a lifter feels he could of squatted 400 lbs for a triple after working up from 360 and 380 prior. This would give us a good idea what the 1RM would be.
400 ÷ .92(triple)= 434lbs
From there we could calculate a rep scheme that has useful intensity for approproate volume.
This is more optimal than actually squatting 430lbs for a single then doing your volume work which would be grindy at best if you attempted the same weight as a calculated 1RM. Volume work should be somewhat challenging but not grindy.
Hope this helps explain some things.2 -
I appreciate the responses! Thank you for taking the time to explain the reasoning and I can see how this be implemented into training routines. I'm going to start using it for mine as I'm starting to shoot for higher reps than I was pulling before.
Just for fun, I put my most recent rep PR into the formula and I think it's decently accurate with the 1 rep max.2
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