1-Rep Max Calculations

           I work out alone. This is partly because of a personal choice and partly because I don’t have any friends and I just want desperately for people to love me. Hence, this blog.

           Okay, seriously, having a training partner would be awesome but finding someone that you can rely on, match schedules with, and is within your lifting range is pretty darn hard to find. When I train, I always have my headphones on so I am pretty solitary. I don’t engage in a lot of idle chitchat. I am not antisocial but I am there to work. Plus, I’ve got dinner to prepare, laundry to do, and I want to watch a Netflix episode with my son. Time is limited. This solo workout style is not conducive for maximum lifts because what if you are on the bench press lifting free weights and you cannot get that last lift? Are you just going to roll to the side and dump the bar? How embarrassing is that?

           The gym can be effing intimidating and most people are afraid to stand out by making a mistake or a blunder. I know one guy that just loves to post all these “gym fail” videos on his Facebook page and these things piss me off because a good guy would offer words of encouragement to someone struggling. But that might be a segment for another time. Chances are if you are new to the whole lifting regiment, the last thing you want to do is struggle publically and, if you are working out alone, working out with very heavy weight can be pretty dangerous.

           You want to be working hard to achieve your lifts. On average, you want to be lifting 75% of your 1 Rep Max (the most you can lift with a single rep). “But Ryan, you train alone. How do you determine your 1 Rep Max?” Excellent question and I am glad you are paying attention. This is where we are going to approach the problem a bit “bass ackward.” 

           Bodybuilding.com does feature a pretty neat tool called their 1 Rep Max Calculator. You can find it here. It is pretty scientifically accurate where you punch in how many reps you performed at a certain weight and it calculates your 1 Rep Max. Obviously, there is going to be a little play there in the accuracy per person but the trick is to take your body to failure.

           If you go until you cannot lift anymore, those accurate reps should be a pretty close approximation of how much you can actually lift in a 1 Rep Max scenario. This is easier to record on something like a Dumbbell Hammer Curl because you can literally curl until you cannot go anymore and when your arms are done, they are done. On something that is a little more difficult (like a Trap Bar Deadlift or a Barbell Squat), you might have one more rep in you without realizing it because you have psyched yourself out mentally, believing that you are done without really going to failure.

           So, how do I know I am training at 75% of my 1 Rep Max? It goes back to my theory of 8 reps clean (with a goal of 10). If I can get 12 reps, then on my next set, I increase the weight by 5 pounds. Trust me, if you are doing this right and really giving it all you have, that 5 lb. increase should chop your reps from 12 to 10 or maybe even 8.

           This is where tracking your workout becomes so important because you don’t want to backslide and pick up a 35 lb. dumbbell just because you are tired when you picked up a 40 lb. dumbbell for the same exercise last week. There is nothing wrong with regression to really focus on your form but you want to work as hard as you can too.