How to Calculate Your One-Rep Max (Without Actually Maxing Out)
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AFTER BUILDING UP your strength over a dedicated training split, you might be tempted to put as many plates on the bar as you can to see just how much you can handle in the heavyweight lifts. The pecking order in the gym can sometimes be dictated by how much you can move, and the way most trainees gauge that is in a single maximal effort, a.k.a. a one-rep max (or 1RM).
Testing to find your-rep max might be nice for an ego boost—but it's not exactly the safest practice and doesn't do a whole lot for your overall gains. You'll push your body to its furthest limits. This can increase your chance of injury by wreaking havoc on both your central nervous system and your joints. That's especially dangerous if you don't have a spotter to act as a safeguard as you attempt these high intensity lifts. Unless you're training for a powerlifting or strongman competition, there are not many reasons to subject your body to that level of strain.
However, knowing your 1RM may help you formulate your loads to efficiently train for your goals. The 1RM number can be a "good measure of maximal strength," says Eric Sung, C.S.C.S. Understanding that level of maximal strength can be a useful tool when determining appropriate training loads when you're following a program and progressively building toward a goal.
Luckily, there are ways to calculate your 1RM without maxing out the bar and putting yourself at risk. Here's how to calculate your one-rep max safely, and how to use those calculations in your training.
How to Calculate One-Rep Max
To calculate your 1RM, find out your five-rep max load first, Sung says. "This way, you're still working at a pretty high intensity, but you reduce the risk of of injuries."
Find the max load you can maintain good form through a full range of motion for five repetitions. Once you have that number, plug it into a one-rep max calculator (like this one from Bodybuilding.com). The calculator will spits out an estimate of what your one-rep max should be, along with calculations for the various percentages of that load (which will come in handy later).
But, assume your actual one-rep max number is somewhere between 10 and 15 pounds lighter than what the calculation actually reads, Men's Health fitness director Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S. says. These calculators are helpful, but definitely not 100 percent accurate, so it's better to be safe than sorry.
How to Use One-Rep Max
Knowing your one-rep max can help you efficiently program what load you should be using during your workouts. These numbers will be dependent on your training goals. For example, someone looking to work on building strength will do fewer reps than someone looking to build as much muscle as possible. Follow these National Strength and Conditioning Association's guidelines on best practices for each, depending on your goal.
Strength
If your main goal is to build strength, a.k.a. lift as much weight as you can, you'll want to work at a higher intensity for a shorter duration. That means sticking to 85 percent or more of your 1RM number for about six repetitions (or fewer), for about three to five sets.
Power
Muscular power is characterized by moving extremely heavy load as fast as possible. If you remember back to high school physics class, the formula for power is work divided by time—the more weight you can move fast, the higher the power. It's a feat that requires a lot of energy from the body, meaning you'll probably be able to do less reps. So, stick to medium to high intensity for very short duration—between 75 percent to 90 percent of your 1RM for about three to five sets of one to five repetitions.
Muscle Building
Muscle hypertrophy occurs when your already existing muscle fibers increase in size as a response to resistance training. If bulking up is your goal, you'll want to be working at medium to high intensity for a longer duration. Aim for three to four sets of six to 12 reps between 65 and 85 percent of your 1RM.
Muscular Endurance
Muscular endurance involves contracting your muscle against an external resistance for an extended period of time. Improved muscular endurance can help better performance in activities such as long distance running, biking, and walking. If your goal is to improve endurance, you'll want to train at lower intensity for longer durations. That means aiming for 2 to 3 sets of 12 to 20 reps, at or under 65 percent of your 1RM.
How to Improve One-Rep Max
Both building muscle and improving your strength will help better your 1RM. One way is to incorporate progressive overload to slowly and safely build your way up to heavier weight Sung says. Progressive overload is the practice of steadily increasing your load, reps, sets, time under tension, and training frequency to continue to challenge your muscles as they get stronger.
One way to gauge when to increase load is to use the "two for two" method: If you're able to hit two extra reps than what was prescribed in your final set of an exercise for two workouts in a row without breaking form, you're ready increase the weight. When you do add more load, think about increasing 2.5 to five percent of the total for upper body exercises, and five to 10 percent for lower body exercises.
Start anywhere from 70 to 85 percent intensity for three to four sets of six to 10 reps, Sung says—and progress from there.
What's a Good One-Rep Max?
Don't get so bogged down by your one-rep max numbers. This will be dependent on so many things, including your anatomy, training age, and even energy levels.
How much you can squat may be very different than what your gym partner who's six inches taller and 50 pounds heavier than you can squat, even if you're working through the same reps and sets every day. If you're feeling fatigued one day, you might be surprised at how little you're able to lift compared to your normal numbers. "As long as we focus on getting stronger, then the numbers don't really matter because we're all different," Sung says.
That said, if you're really looking for a number to compare to, think about your load relative to your bodyweight, Sung says. The NSCA standard goals for strength in athletes is to bench press their body weight, and squat 1.5 times their body weight. We've also discussed what guys should be aiming for in the bench press and back squat.
Alternatives to the One-Rep Max
There are also ways to gauge strength that don't involve your one-rep max at all. One of those ways is to work on maxing out reps instead of weight, Samuel says. Work on finding a weight with which you can hit three to four clean reps, and try to increase those reps while maintaining strict form.
“Now you're maxing out the reps, instead of maxing out the weight. It's gonna be a little bit safer but still pushing your limits,” Samuel says. Plus, you're maximizing your time under tension while doing so, which is the key to building greater muscle and strength gains.
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