1 Rep Max

Jonny303

Hey,

Have been lifting now a nice while and only came up in conversation last night that Ive never done a 1 rep max. Whats the best way to approach doing it? Is it just best to do a slight warm up and then go for it, or do gradually build up the weight, doing a few reps on each.

Im currently repping 3x8 on 95kg on squats and the same on deadlifts, what would should I be hitting on a 1rm, im 6'2 (and a bit) and just under 95kg. Been lifting serious on and off since xmas and fully committed for last 6-8 weeks.

aye

this will help you estimate what it is
http://www.exrx.net/Calculators/OneRepMax.html

make sure to have a spotter when trying this.

i would do a few warm up sets, dont go to failure on them tho, leave enough in the tank to do a one rep max.

Hanley

Something like;
20kg x12
60kg x5
70kg x3
80kg x3
90kg x1
100kg x1
105kg x1
110kg x1
115kg x1
120kg x1
etc
etc


it's not going to give you a TRUE max since you'll have done alot of volume before it, but it'll give you a good baseline to work against next time.

Jonny303

cheers,

just brought up a good point there. if u only hav one spotter, how to u spot doing back squats. spot from the front or the back

and seperate point...jus realised comapred to other posts my deadlift being equal to my squat, most others here are far ahead on there deadlift. this be an area of concern? i do no tho that im fairly new to deadliftn and alot of effort is going into my form

Hanley

The majority of people I see who have a squat the same as their deadlift are squatting high. The deadlift really should be ahead of your squat....

Spotting a squat from behind's relatively simple. Just do it like this; http://stronglifts.com/wp-content/uploads/no-power-rack-squat.jpg

Your arm goes underneath the lifters 'pits and if you need to spot you basically wrap your arms around them (your left hand's gonna be roughly on their left pec) and pull them up with your arms and legs (you should be squatting down behind them).

you should probably make sure you get someone decently strong to do it if you're on your own. I've pulled people out of 220kg missed squats by myself. It's not pretty, but sometimes it has to be done.

Jonny303

when u mean squatting high, do u mean as in not getting ass to grass? cos i no im getting down nice and low. I think possibly I just havnt pushed myself hard enough on the deadlift, as im fairly new to it

Colm_OReilly

Once the crease of your thigh is below the apex of your knee (simplified terms) you've squatted below parallel. I believe Hanley meant people with backsquats=deadlifts aren't squatting below parallel.

Jonny303

yea defo getting below that, one thing im always questioning my training partner about, making sure im getting down. think i just need to up the effort on the deadlifts a bit:p

Hanley

Colm_OReilly wrote: »

Once the crease of your thigh is below the apex of your knee (simplified terms) you've squatted below parallel. I believe Hanley meant people with backsquats=deadlifts aren't squatting below parallel.

Nail on the head there.

Try and get some vids on your phone or a camera so you can see how deep your going. It'll also be good to look at the bar speed on your deadlifts. Even if they FEEL "slow" while you're doing them, they might actually be moving quite quickly.

DM-BM

Does 1RM have any real relavance to a novice, or anybody apart from power/oly lifters? I mean if you can still add weight to the bar every session surely you don't need to worry about it, do you?

I seem to havethe same deadlift/squat imbalance, last time i trained i squated 122.5kg x 3x5 but couldn't budge 125kg deadlift, had a very bad pain in my right arm, without which i might have got it, but even so it would still be very low for that squat. Squats are below parallel.

Hanley

Now that I've spent the last year training in a commercial gym I've become very skeptical of peoples claimed squat numbers. Even tho people think they're sinking them in deep their hips may not be getting anywhere near below their knees.

Every single time I've seen someone claim a higher deadlift than squat on this forum the depth of their squat has been MUCH less than is what's needed to get below //

As for 1RM having any relevance to a novice/intermediate... not really. It's just nice to have a bench mark to work against.

Degsy

Hanley wrote: »

Every single time I've seen someone claim a higher deadlift than squat on this forum the depth of their squat has been MUCH less than is what's needed to get below //

You sure?

rubadub

Jonny303 wrote: »

Ive never done a 1 rep max.

DM-BM wrote: »

Does 1RM have any real relavance to a novice, or anybody apart from power/oly lifters? I mean if you can still add weight to the bar every session surely you don't need to worry about it, do you?

That is what I was wondering, why do you want to know the 1rep max?, just to know and be able to say "I can bench Xkg".

I remember another thread where people were putting the cart before the horse. Saying- I want to know my 1RM because I want to lift 80% of it for 8 reps. Well just lift a weight and try for 8 reps, if you do 9 add more weight, if you do 7 lower the weight. It was like they wanted to use it to figure out how many they could do for 8 -just do 8!

I have no idea of my 1RMs, and don't really care, I would use calculators to estimate it just so I can compare to what others can lift, e.g. those crossfit tables, or people on line training around the same length of time as me. Maybe if I had a training partner I might have more interest, just friendly competition, but you could just compare 8RM. I just workout at home with no spotter, last sort of 1RM attempt I did was just chinning with weight, since it is pretty safe IMO.

anybody apart from power/oly lifters?

Thats the only people I figure need to really know, or do them.

It's just nice to have a bench mark to work against

That is it I guess...

Jonny303

its just a bit to spur you on I find. and yea i do have a training partner with nearly exact same stats as me so it is a bita friendly competition.

if u no u hit x one week, its gives some people that extra bit of motivation to try and improve on it a month later. its human nature to want to know how far you can push yourself

kevpants

Lifting your 1RM is a very effective way of gaining strength. If you are lifting for 8 reps all the time you're really going to achive size more than pure strength. If you want your 1RM to go up you should really lift it.

A table like the one Hanley posted above is an effective way of training it with maybe three singles to finish with on your 1RM. The next week then you try and add 2kg or whatever and move it up that way.

Bear in mind this isn't about size so you won't get "the pump" but for strength you won't beat it.

Hanley

Degsy wrote: »

You sure?

Well anyone that has posted any videos that I recall haven't been squatting below //. With a bit of work the majority of those who reposted were looking much better and below //.

I don't think people genuinely intend to squat high, but it can be difficult to know what depth is without someone there calling it for you.

I'll qualify this further by saying that every single person I know and train with* deadlifts more than they squat to below //.


*The one notable exception is Ireland's number one drug free lifter, but he's a total alligator build (short arms and legs) so he lies to the far right of the curve.

Hanley

Degsy wrote: »

You sure?

Sh!t. You're right. Sorry.

What I meant to say is;

Typically when someone claims to have a larger squat than deadlift, their squats are not done to below //.

If someone claims a 100kg deadlift and a 120kg squat (assuming both are absolute maxes), I would nearly bet my legs on the squat being high.

Sorry for any confusion I caused.