How do you set your personal bests

[frozensparky]

I would like to know how everybody goes about attempting to lift new personal bests. I'm just finishing up a Deload week and wouldn't mind trying a few PR's next week now that my body's feeling a lot better. Guess I'd just like to know your processes. Do you do a few light sets to warmup and then pile on the goal weight and go for it or do you add weight in increments. Just wondering how anybody else does it.


This time next week you'll either see me in "this week in the o35" or "the fail thread" with a new video

[-=FLEX=-]

Do you do a few light sets to warmup and then pile on the goal weight and go for it or do you add weight in increments. Just wondering how anybody else does it.

I really only go for PB's on Bench, Squats, Deads.

Nothing sophisticated about my approach.

I do my usual progression and just try to add a little more weight on the top set.

[ilovethe80s]

I do several very light warmup sets ( with like 30% of my max) at a speedy pace. Works out the kinks and gives me some confidence of having the bar fly up with good form. Even though the weight is light, sets are short. Usually 5 reps or so per set, triples if deadlifts, but several sets. As many as needed till it feels right and ready to go.

After that, take 1 set at around 50% of my max. Triples at the most. Maybe 2 sets if something felt off or not quite there.

From then on, it is singles all the way up if deadlifting. Bench I might take 1 or 2 more doubles or triples on the way up before going to weight acclimation singles. But I don't rep anything over 60% of my max deadlift or 75% max bench when trying for a PR, it is singles from there on out.

Deadlifts I can take 50lb jumps till i'm around 85% of my max. Bench I need smaller jumps. Sorry that all looks a bit confusing on paper, haha but works for me

[Bando]

I do it incrementally. I keep my reps at 6 on all the sets leading up to the attempt as I want plenty of gas in the tank for the PR.

[Getsum]

I do a warm up set, light weight, for about 5 reps and then just do singles up to my max attempt.

Bench would look something like: 135x5, 205x1, 255x1, 305x1 and then 330 for my max attempts. I'll take a 10 to 15 minute rest between the last single and the max. I do the same thing for deadlifts and squats.

[m314]

I used to do something similar. To get the highest max possible, I'd conserve my energy by keeping the warmup sets short. For deadlifts I'd do something like 225x2, 315x1, 405x1, and then the max attempt (495 or 500 the last few times). I'd lower the weight and do a few working sets afterwards whether I got the max attempt or not.

After my injury, I decided to stop going for one rep maxes. Now I'm more interested in an 8 or 10 rep max, which doesn't feel different from my regular workouts.

[Bando]

I do a warm up set, light weight, for about 5 reps and then just do singles up to my max attempt.

Bench would look something like: 135x5, 205x1, 255x1, 305x1 and then 330 for my max attempts. I'll take a 10 to 15 minute rest between the last single and the max. I do the same thing for deadlifts and squats.

I used to do something similar. To get the highest max possible, I'd conserve my energy by keeping the warmup sets short. For deadlifts I'd do something like 225x2, 315x1, 405x1, and then the max attempt (495 or 500 the last few times). I'd lower the weight and do a few working sets afterwards whether I got the max attempt or not.

.

Both of you guys had some pretty serious injuries as I recall.

I would advise a lot more warmup than that.

[m314]

Both of you guys had some pretty serious injuries as I recall.

I would advise a lot more warmup than that.

I don't know if warming up more would have made my biceps tendon able to pull more weight. It would have lowered my one rep max a little, so I guess that would have been safer. Ultimately I think the injury came from lifting heavy with a mixed grip when my tendons weren't used to that much weight. My max jumped up 65 pounds in a couple months when I switched from double overhand to a mixed grip.

[Bando]

I don't know if warming up more would have made my biceps tendon able to pull more weight. It would have lowered my one rep max a little, so I guess that would have been safer. Ultimately I think the injury came from lifting heavy with a mixed grip when my tendons weren't used to that much weight. My max jumped up 65 pounds in a couple months when I switched from double overhand to a mixed grip.

Looks like about 5 pulls before a PB attempt? I'm still pretty cold after 5 pulls. Not an expert by any means but when I pulled 420 it was like:

135 x 6
225 x 6
275 x 6
315 x 3
365 x 1
420 x 1

pretty warm and ready by the time the 4th wheel goes on.

[m314]

Looks like about 5 pulls before a PB attempt? I'm still pretty cold after 5 pulls. Not an expert by any means but when I pulled 420 it was like:

135 x 6
225 x 6
275 x 6
315 x 3
365 x 1
420 x 1

pretty warm and ready by the time the 4th wheel goes on.

That's probably safer. I wasn't doing that because all those warmup reps would have lowered my one rep max. Live and learn, I guess. I'll do a workout more like this in the future.

225 - 10
315 - 10
365 - 8, 8, 8, 7

That's after I get back to my old strength. I haven't even deadlifted 225 yet since the injury. I'll stick with a higher rep range like that for all my lifts.

[Bando]

I haven't even deadlifted 225 yet since the injury. I'll stick with a higher rep range like that for all my lifts.

You'll get there Bro, I'm subbed to your journal, progress is being made.

[Getsum]

Both of you guys had some pretty serious injuries as I recall.

I would advise a lot more warmup than that.

My injury happened at work.

I've never injured myself on a max attempt. I pulled my trap muscle setting the weight down on the last rep of a set deadlifts and I thought I had a stroke doing high rep squats for the widowmaker comp.

[frozensparky]

Thanks guys a lot of good ideas in here. I know that I don't let myself warm up near enough.