1 Rep. max?

[Fast Eddy]

I don't like doing 1 rep. maxes if I can help it because of how it makes my shoulder feel. If my 5 rep. max is approximately 190, what would my 1 rep. max be, approximately?

[HoosierBoy]

250 maybe why does it matter?

[Downsey]

250max for a 190x5? sorry but i doubt that, ide say 225, then again as someone told me earlier it all depends on your CNS and what type of lifting your doing

[swordfish7]

yeah, with 190 for 5 rep, your 1 rm is probably going to be more like 215 -225. At least that was the way it worked for me.

[KopyKat]

It will be a little different for everyone, i think you should just focus on 6-10 reps if your into bodybuilding, anything less is pretty useless in terms of SIZE but will help a little to boost strength for sure.

[determined594]

Originally Posted by KopyKat

It will be a little different for everyone, i think you should just focus on 6-10 reps if your into bodybuilding, anything less is pretty useless in terms of SIZE but will help a little to boost strength for sure.

Strength = Size. They go hand in hand. Thats why routines like 5x5 and Rippetoes are so effective. The stronger you are, the bigger you are going to get. Its almost impossible to keep increasing strength w/o an increase in size.

[gullshockey9]

Originally Posted by Downsey

250max for a 190x5? sorry but i doubt that, ide say 225, then again as someone told me earlier it all depends on your CNS and what type of lifting your doing

YA NO WAY IT IS 250 but man up and max convertions tend to give u more wait

[Fast Eddy]

Originally Posted by HoosierBoy

250 maybe why does it matter?

If you must know, it's helpful when looking at certain programs that talk about percentages of your max and such. And, I'm just starting out after years off and I'm contemplating powerlifting competitively. I'm trying to gauge if I could potentially be competitive at 148 and how far I'd need to go to do so.

[kethnaab]

some 1RM calculators

http://www.strengthcats.com/maxcalculator.htm
http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/sh...&postcount=393
http://www.exrx.net/Calculators/OneRepMax.html
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/1rm.htm
http://www.strengthcats.com/strengthtesting.htm

[HoosierBoy]

Originally Posted by Fast Eddy

If you must know, it's helpful when looking at certain programs that talk about percentages of your max and such. And, I'm just starting out after years off and I'm contemplating powerlifting competitively. I'm trying to gauge if I could potentially be competitive at 148 and how far I'd need to go to do so.

Got it, it's just that there are so many people who NEED to be able to run around saying, "I bench x!", and I love busting their collective balls. My mistake.

Originally Posted by determined594

Strength = Size. They go hand in hand. Thats why routines like 5x5 and Rippetoes are so effective. The stronger you are, the bigger you are going to get. Its almost impossible to keep increasing strength w/o an increase in size.

Wrongo.

[kyledack]

Ok its wierd reading these posts. Because my 8RM for deadlifts is 110kg. But my 1RM is 120kg, not that much more? According to these posts the 1RM should be more like 150kg it seems.

[craqbin]

Originally Posted by kyledack

Ok its wierd reading these posts. Because my 8RM for deadlifts is 110kg. But my 1RM is 120kg, not that much more? According to these posts the 1RM should be more like 150kg it seems.

Yeah good calculations. It should be 150kg.

[_Dominik_]

Originally Posted by HoosierBoy

Wrongo.

You're right that it's more complicated than that, with diet and training volume playing key roles, but I'm still waiting to see a big natural guy who isn't lifting heavy weights.

I've seen plenty of guys on juice who are pretty big and not lifting much for their size, but I keep asking the question: where are all the big natural guys who aren't that strong?

Check out the journals. All the big guys who have gone on the record and said they're natural lift HEAVY weights. All of them are packing enough muscle to make a lot of people think they're on gear.

Hola: Dips +200 for reps, deadlifts over 500, incline DB presses 140's, deep squats a crapload, the list goes on.
Spytech: pulls over 600 for reps, squats a crapload, ****, you name it, he's strong on everything.
Big D: scary weights, an all-round freak.

The point I'm making is anyone who thinks strength isn't critical to naturally building a lot of muscle is living in fantasy land.

[HoosierBoy]

Originally Posted by _Dominik_

You're right that it's more complicated than that, with diet and training volume playing key roles, but I'm still waiting to see a big natural guy who isn't lifting heavy weights.

I've seen plenty of guys on juice who are pretty big and not lifting much for their size, but I keep asking the question: where are all the big natural guys who aren't that strong?

Check out the journals. All the big guys who have gone on the record and said they're natural lift HEAVY weights. All of them are packing enough muscle to make a lot of people think they're on gear.

Hola: Dips +200 for reps, deadlifts over 500, incline DB presses 140's, deep squats a crapload, the list goes on.
Spytech: pulls over 600 for reps, squats a crapload, ****, you name it, he's strong on everything.
Big D: scary weights, an all-round freak.

The point I'm making is anyone who thinks strength isn't critical to naturally building a lot of muscle is living in fantasy land.

Well, how about the opposite? Are you saying that no one is small, yet strong? I personally lift a hell of a lot more weight on many exercises than people much more muscular than I am.

[RU4A69]

Originally Posted by _Dominik_

You're right that it's more complicated than that, with diet and training volume playing key roles, but I'm still waiting to see a big natural guy who isn't lifting heavy weights.

I've seen plenty of guys on juice who are pretty big and not lifting much for their size, but I keep asking the question: where are all the big natural guys who aren't that strong?

Check out the journals. All the big guys who have gone on the record and said they're natural lift HEAVY weights. All of them are packing enough muscle to make a lot of people think they're on gear.

Well Dom, I can't find it right now, but I read an article about how AFTER YOU HAVE TRAINED TO A CERTAIN POINT, it is almost impossible to gain strength without a subsequent increase in muscle mass. I think the rationale is that your force proprioception may start out at a certain point, above or below how much you LOOK like you can lift, but after a while training you will become "equalized": From there on out-you will gain on a balanced level.

I dunno-theoretical.

[squatist_cm]

Originally Posted by Fast Eddy

If my 5 rep. max is approximately 190, what would my 1 rep. max be, approximately?

BTW just wondering what lift is it that your doing that you can do aprox. 190 X 5

[Fast Eddy]

Originally Posted by squatist_cm

BTW just wondering what lift is it that your doing that you can do aprox. 190 X 5

Bench press.

[_Dominik_]

Originally Posted by Fast Eddy

I don't like doing 1 rep. maxes if I can help it because of how it makes my shoulder feel. If my 5 rep. max is approximately 190, what would my 1 rep. max be, approximately?

The only accurate method is to test for it. 1RM calculators like this will only be accurate on certain lifts for people whose muscle fiber ratios, training style, etc. match the sample group used to derive those numbers (Epley, Bryzcki, Lander, NSCA, etc.)

However, if you don't want to be regularly maxing out, you can get away with making your own "1RM calculator" which you can update every few months. Test for a 1RM in the chosen lift, by warming up properly and doing singles with your current 5RM. Increment the weight each set until you find your one rep max. Now take that number and divide it by your known 5RM (or test for it again). This will give you a coefficient.

Here's an example. You bench 190 for 5 reps and with your 1RM test pressed 225 x 1. 225 / 190 = 1.184

Now, months from now when you're pressing 210 x 5, you can take 210, multiply it by 1.184, and get a reasonably accurate 1RM projection. 210 X 1.184 = approx. 250lbs.

Make sense? It will be more accurate because you tested it.

However, training more in a low rep range such as 1-3 reps will improve your neuromuscular coordination which in turn will help your 1RM. That's why powerlifters can lift the weight they do for a single rep. Genetics is a big factor but so is training. Training in a higher rep range and inducing hypertrophy will only take you so far.

Another thing you can do is work off a different RM (rep max) than a 1RM. If all you're interested in is bodybuilding training in the 5-15 rep range, work with a 5RM instead. Like one week you might do 90% of your 5RM, then 95%, and finally test for a new 5RM. Simple. You're still working with percentages, only it's based off a rep max that is more practical since you'll be testing it frequently.

[bigboy15]

Originally Posted by _Dominik_

The only accurate method is to test for it. 1RM calculators like this will only be accurate on certain lifts for people whose muscle fiber ratios, training style, etc. match the sample group used to derive those numbers (Epley, Bryzcki, Lander, NSCA, etc.)

However, if you don't want to be regularly maxing out, you can get away with making your own "1RM calculator" which you can update every few months. Test for a 1RM in the chosen lift, by warming up properly and doing singles with your current 5RM. Increment the weight each set until you find your one rep max. Now take that number and divide it by your known 5RM (or test for it again). This will give you a coefficient.

Here's an example. You bench 190 for 5 reps and with your 1RM test pressed 225 x 1. 225 ÷ 190 = 1.184

Now, months from now when you're pressing 210 x 5, you can take 210, multiply it by 1.184, and get a reasonably accurate 1RM projection. 210 × 1.184 = approx. 250lbs.

Make sense? It will be more accurate because you tested it.

However, training more in a low rep range such as 1-3 reps will improve your neuromuscular coordination which in turn will help your 1RM. That's why powerlifters can lift the weight they do for a single rep. Genetics is a big factor but so is training. Training in a higher rep range and inducing hypertrophy will only take you so far.

Another thing you can do is work off a different RM (rep max) than a 1RM. If all you're interested in is bodybuilding training in the 5-15 rep range, work with a 5RM instead. Like one week you might do 90% of your 5RM, then 95%, and finally test for a new 5RM. Simple. You're still working with percentages, only it's based off a rep max that is more practical since you'll be testing it frequently.

That's a pretty good idea! May not be quite as accurate as finding your 1rm, but I'm sure it's not far enough off to be a servere interference.

[DoubleWide]

Dominik, Best idea on the calculations I've seen.

One problem with calculations is that it doesn't take into account the weak body parts that can make an individual 1RM closer to their 5RM than normal. Dominik's way limits that though as long as 1RM is occasionally tested.

[JOHN GARGANI]

Domenick, the patient one, as usual, comes on with a factual excellent dissection of the situation.....

I, on the other hand, the disgruntled old nasty man, looks at it from a different perspective:

OP: you say you don't want to do singles, and you don't like what it feels like to your shoulder, but then later, you come on and tell us that you want to do competitive powerlifting......


HELLOOOOOO........out there in TV land........what do you think you will be doing in competitive powerlifting?????????????????


there is NO WAY, that you are going to train for competitive power lifting and not do singles.......period......

what , are you going to "estimate" up to the day of the competition and then do a single only on that day???

and in competitions, you will be doing a SERIES OF SINGLES....not just one......

you start with the opening weight and if you make it, you then have to lift the next weight and so on....all of them singles.....

[_Dominik_]

Originally Posted by JOHN GARGANI

Domenick, the patient one, as usual, comes on with a factual excellent dissection of the situation.....

I, on the other hand, the disgruntled old nasty man, looks at it from a different perspective:

OP: you say you don't want to do singles, and you don't like what it feels like to your shoulder, but then later, you come on and tell us that you want to do competitive powerlifting......


HELLOOOOOO........out there in TV land........what do you think you will be doing in competitive powerlifting?????????????????


there is NO WAY, that you are going to train for competitive power lifting and not do singles.......period......

what , are you going to "estimate" up to the day of the competition and then do a single only on that day???

and in competitions, you will be doing a SERIES OF SINGLES....not just one......

you start with the opening weight and if you make it, you then have to lift the next weight and so on....all of them singles.....

John, I missed his comments about having powerlifting ambitions. I totally agree with you, powerlifting is all about demonstrating your 1RM and there's no substitute for doing heavy singles in your training if that's your goal.

To the thread starter, it's one of those things you've got to work up to gradually, you can't just go from the comfort of higher reps on everything to going for broke maxing out, but once you're ready for that style of training it is reasonably safe provided you always warm up properly, don't be unrealistic with your weight progression, and try to maintain perfect form and total concentration.

What I do on squats and deadlifts is warm up with reps to around 3-5RM, or 85-90%, and then start doing singles. On most exercises I prefer to work up to a 3-5RM instead and use that as a benchmark rather than a 1RM and I base my percentages off of that.

[Fast Eddy]

Originally Posted by JOHN GARGANI

Domenick, the patient one, as usual, comes on with a factual excellent dissection of the situation.....

I, on the other hand, the disgruntled old nasty man, looks at it from a different perspective:

OP: you say you don't want to do singles, and you don't like what it feels like to your shoulder, but then later, you come on and tell us that you want to do competitive powerlifting......


HELLOOOOOO........out there in TV land........what do you think you will be doing in competitive powerlifting?????????????????


there is NO WAY, that you are going to train for competitive power lifting and not do singles.......period......

what , are you going to "estimate" up to the day of the competition and then do a single only on that day???

and in competitions, you will be doing a SERIES OF SINGLES....not just one......

you start with the opening weight and if you make it, you then have to lift the next weight and so on....all of them singles.....

Thanks for all the helpful responses.

I'm always amused at how any and every post, regardless of intentions, will have someone who will want to jump all over it to show how stupid you are. It's a fun game to try to anticipate how a quesion will be twisted to reveal a posters true intentions. I hadn't anticipated this one.

Do you really think you're adding any content by informing me that competing in powerlifting will require one rep maxes? Again, if you have to know, I had the same shoulder pain when I began my last program. I took two long breaks because of the pain and I want to avoid it this time, if possible. After I built my shoulder strength last time, I didn't have the shoulder pain any more. Last time I very rarely if ever did low reps as I was more into body building. I think I've learned some things and some of the problems were caused by training improperly. I may not be able to do any serious power lifting because of this problem (ignoring a potential lack of proper genetics)but I'm going to keep making progress and see where it goes. As it is, I'm making tremendous gains doing 5 rep maxes because I'm still basically just staring out. I guess I'll have to wait and see.