1RM Testing

Theresalwaysone

Hi All,

Ive tested my 1rm before but not in a while and I dont plan on testing it again for another 6weeks or so but was having a conversation about it today so have a few questions for the forum.

Whats the best way to programme your 1rm test day?

Will you test more than 1 lift on a day or spread it out.

Will you rest completely for a few days beforehand and then test or test whenever?

Will you eat anything different or specifically for the testing?

LuckyLloyd

Well a couple of things I've picked up over the past few months:

- ideally you want to have a taper or deload week at the end of a training cycle before you have a testing week;
- if you were really, really targeting a particular lift you could do five singles at 85% two or three days beforehand and get lots of rest and food in between that and test day;
- if you test two things on one day your effort on the second lift will be compromised to some extent or another;
- if testing deadlift, no harm working up to a couple of moderate clean sets as a movement beforehand;

What do you intend to test; how many training days do you have to spare in the week; how much time between each session; what time of day will you be testing everything?

Hanley

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

Well a couple of things I've picked up over the past few months:

- ideally you want to have a taper or deload week at the end of a training cycle before you have a testing week;
- if you were really, really targeting a particular lift you could do five singles at 85% two or three days beforehand and get lots of rest and food in between that and test day;
- if you test two things on one day your effort on the second lift will be compromised to some extent or another;
- if testing deadlift, no harm working up to a couple of moderate clean sets as a movement beforehand;

What do you intend to test; how many training days do you have to spare in the week; how much time between each session; what time of day will you be testing everything?

I'd agree with everything except the bolded.

Cleans and deadlifts have different bar paths, and different force curves. Significantly differently actually.

LuckyLloyd

Hanley wrote: »

I'd agree with everything except the bolded.

Cleans and deadlifts have different bar paths, and different force curves. Significantly differently actually.

That's fair enough, would bow to your superior knowledge.

dylbert

How about the other way around DL followed by a max clean attempt, I find cleans allot easier after heavy DL

Theresalwaysone

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

Well a couple of things I've picked up over the past few months:

- ideally you want to have a taper or deload week at the end of a training cycle before you have a testing week;
- if you were really, really targeting a particular lift you could do five singles at 85% two or three days beforehand and get lots of rest and food in between that and test day;
- if you test two things on one day your effort on the second lift will be compromised to some extent or another;
- if testing deadlift, no harm working up to a couple of moderate clean sets as a movement beforehand;

What do you intend to test; how many training days do you have to spare in the week; how much time between each session; what time of day will you be testing everything?

Cheers Lloyd.

I will probably take a week off after the final GVT phase and then test.

I'll be testing in the evening, usually 7 or after.

Regards spare training days, Im currently free for 2 of 7 but expect that to come back to 3 or 4 once finished this program.

LuckyLloyd

Theresalwaysone wrote: »

Cheers Lloyd.

I will probably take a week off after the final GVT phase and then test.

I'll be testing in the evening, usually 7 or after.

Regards spare training days, Im currently free for 2 of 7 but expect that to come back to 3 or 4 once finished this program.

Yeah, my understanding is that it would be better to do three light sessions the week before testing than take it off completely.

Do you lift in the evenings on the current cycle? I wouldn't change up what you've been doing in that regard anyway.

I'd also say to leave Deadlift as the last item of the testing week however else you structure it, with max Squat as far to the other end of the week as you can manage.

Theresalwaysone

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

Yeah, my understanding is that it would be better to do three light sessions the week before testing than take it off completely.

Do you lift in the evenings on the current cycle? I wouldn't change up what you've been doing in that regard anyway.

I'd also say to leave Deadlift as the last item of the testing week however else you structure it, with max Squat as far to the other end of the week as you can manage.

Yeah, evenings from 7. Habitual.

Sun-Squat
Tue-Bench
Fri-Deadlift
Sun-OHP

How does that look?

Hanley

dylbert wrote: »

How about the other way around DL followed by a max clean attempt, I find cleans allot easier after heavy DL

That's cos you're not very technically good

In all seriousness - you're probably right, the cleans WILL be easier because you're firing more motor units. It's the same reason I always take a heavy single before 20 reppers on squats.

The more advanced you become the more the 2 different lifts will screw each other and negatively effect things. But it's probably a valid observation that you find your cleans easier after DLs

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

Yeah, my understanding is that it would be better to do three light sessions the week before testing than take it off completely.

I'd also say to leave Deadlift as the last item of the testing week however else you structure it, with max Squat as far to the other end of the week as you can manage.

correct agus correct

dylbert

Hanley wrote: »

That's cos you're not very technically good

In all seriousness - you're probably right, the cleans WILL be easier because you're firing more motor units. It's the same reason I always take a heavy single before 20 reppers on squats.

I'm not saying that the DL movement helps with my clean technique, different setups, bar path, speed etc. More that a clean feels allot lighter after DL's, also I wouldn't go straight from DLing to a max clean attempt, I'd still do some skill transfer stuff and build sets to get everything firing.

Oh, and my technique ain't too bad

kevpants

Hanley wrote: »

I'd agree with everything except the bolded.

Cleans and deadlifts have different bar paths, and different force curves. Significantly differently actually.

Didn't we go through a phase of cleaning as a warmup on deadlift night in TF? Can't actually remember who started that or where we found the idea. It was apparently a CNS primer. LOL.

Hanley

kevpants wrote: »

Didn't we go through a phase of cleaning as a warmup on deadlift night in TF? Can't actually remember who started that or where we found the idea. It was apparently a CNS primer. LOL.

Possibly!!! I still feel like I'm only REALLY getting training now.