How To

How to assess your One Repetition Maximum (1RM) for strength training

Nigel Hetherington explains how to assess your one repetition maximum (1RM) for strength training

When seeking to develop strength, power or explosiveness for your event having knowledge of your 1RM is essential in order to develop the appropriate component in a structured manner i.e.

Working at 70 to 75% of your 1RM means you are working on muscle hypertrophy - thickening of the muscle
Working at 85 to 90% facilitates power development - reduced bulking
Efforts at 95 to 98% support explosiveness - higher recruitment levels - no bulking
Working much below 70% may support strength endurance but will not facilitate hypertrophy and will not make you stronger!

Not knowing in which region you are working is pointless. Furthermore, the ability to assess your 1RM for a given exercise, without actually having to lift that weight, has clear advantages in terms of safe practice, minimising the chance for injury and allowing those whose specific lifting technique may not yet support maximal repetitions to gain benefits.

Planning

As a fitness component we can plan to generate measurable improvements in strength (as well as power or explosiveness) within 6 to 8 weeks. It has been understood for some years now that there is a linear relationship between the number of repetitions to exhaustion with a given resistance and the % your 1RM. A convenient formula exists to allow us to make the calculation:

Predicted IRM = Weight lifted ÷ (1.0278 - 0.0278x)

Where 'x' is the number of repetitions to exhaustion

What this means is that, say, in a half squat you can just perform 10 repetitions at 100kg your calculated 1RM using the equation above would be 133kg. In reality to establish a more robust value we will need to perform lifts to exhaustion at different resistances. Several approaches are possible:

Calculating 1RM in a session

Calculate from a single set as above - a reasonable starting point but may not be accurate since if, you stop at 10 repetitions, you remain uncertain whether or not you could have managed 11.
As above but, once the first set has been completed increase the resistance by a few % (or decrease if, say, only 9 repetitions were completed) to see if 10 repetitions can still be attained (can now be attained). Repeat until exactly 10 repetitions can only be obtained and you fail on the 11th.
As given below - this increases the chances of an accurate figure:
- Start with a light to moderate resistance level you are comfortable with to rehearse the lifting technique for 8 to 10 repetitions
- Increase the resistance to a level where you will be able to only perform around 8 to 10 repetitions to exhaustion.
- Perform the lifts. Record the resistance and the number of repetitions
- After a minimum 3 minute recovery increase the resistance by around 10% and repeat the lifts to exhaustion. Record the resistance and the number of repetitions
- After a further minimum 3 minute recovery increase the resistance by a further 10% and repeat the lifts to exhaustion and record the resistance and the number of repetitions.

Notes

Ensure you are familiar with the lift you are about to perform and that, where appropriate, you have a 'spotter' - particularly when working with free weights .

Ensure you are fully warmed up and that the equipment is safe. You should not be fatigued when lifting. The same approach may be taken for a number of different lifts in one session. Treat this as a training session in itself and perform it in a warm, comfortable environment. Gently cool down afterwards.

Do not strain when lifting - reproducible efforts with a consistent and good technique will provide the safest and most reliable adaptation.

Use the calculated 1RM to calculate appropriate loadings for hypertrophy, power or explosiveness training as given above.

Re-assess your 1RM from time-to-time as this value will change and determines the resistances used in the various workouts. Record all sessions! Devise a maintenance program once your goal is achieved.

About the Author

Nigel Hetherington is the National Performance Manager for Scottish Athletics. He is a UK Athletics (UKA) level 4 performance coach and senior coach tutor and assessor trainer. He is a chartered chemist with 26 years' experience in scientific research. Nigel is also an experienced athlete in sprint and endurance events.

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