Anyone else have no idea what their max weight is for a single rep?

[metalbabble]

I don't know if it's because I'm older, but I've been hitting the gym regularly for 3 months now, increasing my weight every 4-5 weeks, and I've yet to have the urge to see what I can bench/squat/deadlift in a single rep.

Is it normal not to care?

[grubman]

I don't know if it's because I'm older, but I've been hitting the gym regularly for 3 months now, increasing my weight every 4-5 weeks, and I've yet to have the urge to see what I can bench/squat/deadlift in a single rep.

Is it normal not to care?

I wouldn’t say it’s “normal not to care” like it’s elitist and everyone who DOES care is somehow lesser on the evolutionary scale than you. But if your goals aren’t maximum strength, and you aren’t training appropriately for 1 rep max attempts, then it’s “normal” not to attempt to find out...but there are calculators online that give you a ballpark figure (which is useful for a number of lifting applications).

Myself, I haven’t attempted a 1RM since I was a teenager. It doesn’t fit in with my personal goals.

[MrCarrot]

I must admit I have no idea and no desire to find out. I guess knowing is just a way of measuring your progress (if your 1RM increases you're making progress) but there are lots of other ways of measuring progress too.

[metalbabble]

I wouldn’t say it’s “normal not to care” like it’s elitist and everyone who DOES care is somehow lesser on the evolutionary scale that you. But if your goals aren’t maximum strength, and you aren’t training appropriately for 1 rep max attempts, then it’s “normal” not to attempt to find out...but there are calculators online that give you a ballpark figure (which is useful for a number of lifting applications).

Cool, do you happen to have a link to one of those calcs? I'm a bit curious now that I've brought it up.

My intention wasn't to sound elitist, I just notice that there seems to be a lot of people fixated on this. I find it interesting that people's motivations for fitness can be so different. For me, as long as I'm hitting my reps and increasing weight each week, I consider that a win.

[metalbabble]

I actually find my #1 motivation for fitness is to be mentally sharper and vibe with people better. I'm sure I'm an outlier in this regard. Also, I like the way people look at me when I'm fit. I feel like a better human.

[grubman]

Cool, do you happen to have a link to one of those calcs? I'm a bit curious now that I've brought it up.

My intention wasn't to sound elitist, I just notice that there seems to be a lot of people fixated on this. I find it interesting that people's motivations for fitness can be so different. For me, as long as I'm hitting my reps and increasing weight each week, I consider that a win.

https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/other7.htm

[metalbabble]

Thank you sir.

[etet1919]

I don't know if it's because I'm older, but I've been hitting the gym regularly for 3 months now, increasing my weight every 4-5 weeks, and I've yet to have the urge to see what I can bench/squat/deadlift in a single rep.

Is it normal not to care?

I'd say wait until you have at least one year's consistent heavy lifting under your belt....then you'll REALLY be excited to find out either your 1RM/and 0r 1-5 max rep range! I personally think being interested in and developing your max strength/power is one of the most empowering goals in fitness. But one major obstacle you'll run into, again and again, is if you happen to be a highly competitive person (with yourself or others), you'll ALWAYS feel that need to constantly top your previous best....and that can have it's cons (I'm sure you already know). I'm not discouraging you...just the opposite, as I said I've always been intrinsically motivated to do my very best by focusing on strength, power and performance. I agree that improved fitness levels make the mind sharper, but why do you feel like an "outlier" in regards to this belief? Just curious...

[drkelly74]

I'm 45, and scared of injury, so VERY rarely ever do a 1 RM. My heaviest working sets have me doing a minimum of 5 reps, so it is always my goal to increase the weight I can do for 5 reps whatever the exercise is.

[BootneckBrah]

Not a clue what my 1RM is.

Lift alone crew.


I do 5 sets of 8-10 reps of 100kg, that rep calculator says I should 1 rep 130kg

I probably couldn’t move 130

[OldFartTom]

Obviously depends on your goals... Some people have strength as their top priority so will be interested in knowing their 1rep max (at very least roughly where it is).

Some people have bodybuilding/hypertrophy as their top priority and may not care much about 1 rep max.

There are as many reasons why people train as there are gym goers. People will give many different answers to your question.

[bobbydigitaloa]

I'm very aware.

[metalbabble]

I'd say wait until you have at least one year's consistent heavy lifting under your belt....then you'll REALLY be excited to find out either your 1RM/and 0r 1-5 max rep range! I personally think being interested in and developing your max strength/power is one of the most empowering goals in fitness. But one major obstacle you'll run into, again and again, is if you happen to be a highly competitive person (with yourself or others), you'll ALWAYS feel that need to constantly top your previous best....and that can have it's cons (I'm sure you already know). I'm not discouraging you...just the opposite, as I said I've always been intrinsically motivated to do my very best by focusing on strength, power and performance. I agree that improved fitness levels make the mind sharper, but why do you feel like an "outlier" in regards to this belief? Just curious...

I assumed that most people's motivation for working out was aesthetic, whereas I feel like mine is mostly mental.. but I realize it's all connected.

Thank you for the insight. I am a very competitive person and I think you're right. I'm not excited to get big muscles, but I am excited to get really strong and flexible. I really love volleyball and I have this fantasy of being a 40-year-old beast, smashing around the blocks of varsity players. I'm 38 now.

I do worry having had ACL surgery in both knees (both volleyball related) that I am at risk for reinjury, but my surgeon is really good and I feel great.

[SNAKEBITER]

I've never gone for a 1RM, not because I don't care, but because I don't want to injure myself!

What I do know is that when I started I benched 70kg/154lbs for about 6 reps/4 sets and now bench 105kg/231lbs for the same amount.
(Although I dropped down because of an elbow injury, but built up to 95kgs for 10 reps/4 sets).

For me that's all I care about, I am doing better than I was doing, and measure progress differently.

[SNAKEBITER]

Not a clue what my 1RM is.

Lift alone crew.


I do 5 sets of 8-10 reps of 100kg, that rep calculator says I should 1 rep 130kg

I probably couldn’t move 130

You'd be surprised, you'd need a spotter, but you could do it.

[ajdahlheimer]

There are some pretty good charts out there available for estimating a 1RM for intermediate lifters. Rule of thumb I have always used is 10 pounds for the first rep and then 5 pounds for each additional rep. i.e. if you did a set of 225x8 (fully exhausted on the 8th rep)--your estimated 1RM would be 225+10+5+5+5+5+5+5+5 = 270. Should be pretty close to that number anyway. I really don't like to 1RM much these days because I think that is when more catastrophic injuries such as pec tears and things tend to happen for us older lifters.

-AJ

[SNAKEBITER]

Not a clue what my 1RM is.

Lift alone crew.


I do 5 sets of 8-10 reps of 100kg, that rep calculator says I should 1 rep 130kg

I probably couldn’t move 130

You'd be surprised, you'd need a spotter but you could do it.

[etet1919]

I assumed that most people's motivation for working out was aesthetic, whereas I feel like mine is mostly mental.. but I realize it's all connected.

Thank you for the insight. I am a very competitive person and I think you're right. I'm not excited to get big muscles, but I am excited to get really strong and flexible. I really love volleyball and I have this fantasy of being a 40-year-old beast, smashing around the blocks of varsity players. I'm 38 now.

I do worry having had ACL surgery in both knees (both volleyball related) that I am at risk for reinjury, but my surgeon is really good and I feel great.

You can still be that beast....I would just follow your doc's recommendations.....and then crush it, not literally...JK!

[Jayarbie]

I've been lifting for 35 years and I've never had a desire to do 1RM. I've always lifted as part of a sports training regimen, not as a competitive lifter (power or oly), so 1RM is just not a motivation for me.

[jk202]

I haven't tested a 1RM in like 2 years.

I do get curious at times, but I just never bother since it's useless for hypertrophy.

[blue9steel]

The closest I get is 3x3, which is to say not that close. For physique goals I think that's plenty, for strength goals likely not.

[Farley1324]

I don't know if it's because I'm older, but I've been hitting the gym regularly for 3 months now, increasing my weight every 4-5 weeks, and I've yet to have the urge to see what I can bench/squat/deadlift in a single rep.

Is it normal not to care?

3 months isn't very long to have to test or re-test already, even if you did care...and that's for experienced folks.

If you are just now 3 months into it you pretty much have no business going for a 1 rep max anyway.

Not a clue what my 1RM is.

Lift alone crew.


I do 5 sets of 8-10 reps of 100kg, that rep calculator says I should 1 rep 130kg

I probably couldn’t move 130

Rep calculators are worthless for high rep sets of 8+.

I don't think you can really even guestimate at a 1RM until you are using a single heavy set of 5 (~5RM), and really, a set of 3 would be that much more accurate of a guess.

For example, I just pressed 145x12 which the linked calculator claims is a 1RM of 207. It's not, though, and I know it.

[melDorado]

1RM for lyfe

[Jtbny]

I usually test to start new programming. If I'm running my numbers based off a % of my max lift it's helpful to know.

Rep calculators past 5 reps get really distorted and some people (like me) can hit tons of rep with a high weight but it doesnt translate to a 1rm.

[Farley1324]

I usually test to start new programming. If I'm running my numbers based off a % of my max lift it's helpful to know.

Rep calculators past 5 reps get really distorted and some people (like me) can hit tons of rep with a high weight but it doesnt translate to a 1rm.

That is a very good reason for many people to have a good idea what their 1RM probably is. It's more commonly a strength or performance training angle, though. People just interested in looks are less concerned with numbers or strength or quantifiable progress with the bar and may not need or even benefit from knowing their 1RM. They are also probably more interested, if interested in any max, something like their 10RM.

I think most people get distorted results from those calculators at higher reps (over 5), and shouldn't even be used in that manner, but rather, at most, just to compare two different sets to see which is 'better'....like you did 250x6 one day and a couple weeks later you did 235x9 and you want to see how they supposedly compare.

[itsagoodday]

3 months isn't very long to have to test or re-test already, even if you did care...and that's for experienced folks.

If you are just now 3 months into it you pretty much have no business going for a 1 rep max anyway.

Bingo. I scrolled down hoping to find somebody had said this.

For me, as long as I'm hitting my reps and increasing weight each week, I consider that a win.

That's called being a n00b. There's a limited time frame where it will be easy to hit your reps and increase weight each week. Enjoy it while it lasts. After that, you'll have to redefine winning.

Rep calculators past 5 reps get really distorted and some people (like me) can hit tons of rep with a high weight but it doesnt translate to a 1rm.

Or they're the opposite like me, who can do heavy singles all day e'ery day, but can't do rep work for crap.

[metalbabble]

Bingo. I scrolled down hoping to find somebody had said this.



That's called being a n00b. There's a limited time frame where it will be easy to hit your reps and increase weight each week. Enjoy it while it lasts. After that, you'll have to redefine winning.



Or they're the opposite like me, who can do heavy singles all day e'ery day, but can't do rep work for crap.

I'm already hitting a wall on some of my exercises. It's starting to get to the point where I'm struggling on the last few reps and I'm scared of setting off the lunk alarm.

I do 8-9-10-11-12 reps over a 5 week span and I dread that 5th week. Squatting 12x3 feels like punching yourself in the dick repeatedly.

[Farley1324]

I'm already hitting a wall on some of my exercises. It's starting to get to the point where I'm struggling on the last few reps and I'm scared of setting off the lunk alarm.

I do 8-9-10-11-12 reps over a 5 week span and I dread that 5th week. Squatting 12x3 feels like punching yourself in the dick repeatedly.

FYI, almost universally, 12x3 means 12 sets of 3

[drkelly74]

I'm already hitting a wall on some of my exercises. It's starting to get to the point where I'm struggling on the last few reps and I'm scared of setting off the lunk alarm.

I do 8-9-10-11-12 reps over a 5 week span and I dread that 5th week. Squatting 12x3 feels like punching yourself in the dick repeatedly.

If your progress is stalling doing 8-12 reps, switch it up for 2-3 months and do 5-8 reps per set. Then go back to your existing program if you want and see if you are stronger.

[Jtbny]

That is a very good reason for many people to have a good idea what their 1RM probably is. It's more commonly a strength or performance training angle, though. People just interested in looks are less concerned with numbers or strength or quantifiable progress with the bar and may not need or even benefit from knowing their 1RM. They are also probably more interested, if interested in any max, something like their 10RM.

I think most people get distorted results from those calculators at higher reps (over 5), and shouldn't even be used in that manner, but rather, at most, just to compare two different sets to see which is 'better'....like you did 250x6 one day and a couple weeks later you did 235x9 and you want to see how they supposedly compare.

The bold could be true for some but I personally know IFBB pros who test their 1rm for exactly this reason, too. At the end of the day if you're making progress, even if starting too light, you're moving in the right direction. Testing 1rm, for me, benefits both aesthetics and strength. If I know my 1rm on bench is 355 I then can use 80% (285) to bang out reps in the higher range (6-12) and have a reasonable expectation of how many reps I can get when using %'s below my 1rm.

From what I'm seeing the line between strength/looks is blurred and continues.