Every time weightlifting comes up amongst a bunch of dudes, somebody will finally ask a query like, “How a lot ya bench?”

We all know what the interrogator desires to know with this query: What’s the heaviest weight you possibly can elevate on the bench press for a single repetition?

He’s asking about your one-rep max. 

Whereas not the one measure of power, the one-rep max is a reasonably good gauge of it. It’s additionally useful for different issues: It may be used to fine-tune your programming; in the event you plan on competing, testing your one-rep max can assist you observe the talent of lifting a very heavy weight a single time; and, let’s face it, testing your one-rep max can merely be quite a lot of enjoyable. 

However the one-rep max isn’t one thing it is best to do that usually. You enhance your possibilities of harm whenever you elevate as heavy as attainable, and testing your one-rep max might be actually fatiguing. Harm and extreme fatigue are not any bueno for positive factors. 

So how typically must you check your one-rep max so that you get the advantages whereas minimizing the downsides? 

To reply that query, I requested my power coach, Matt Reynolds, for recommendation. Right here’s what he advised me. 

How Usually Ought to You Take a look at Your One-Rep Max?

If you happen to resolve to check your one-rep max, how typically must you do it?

Nicely, it is determined by whether or not you’re a novice, intermediate, or superior lifter.

Novice to Early-Intermediate Lifters

Based on Matt, novice to early-intermediate lifters ought to check their one-rep max each 8 to 10 weeks. 

Whether or not you’re a novice, intermediate, or superior lifter isn’t decided by how lengthy you’ve been coaching however how lengthy it takes to totally get well from a coaching session. A novice to early-intermediate lifter can often get well from a coaching session inside 24 to 72 hours. Usually, novice and early-intermediate lifters are on some type of linear development program the place they’re including weight to the bar every exercise. 

If that describes you, shoot to do your one-rep max each two months or so. 

“One-rep maxes are one of many largest motivators for my novice lifters,” Matt advised me. “They supply a pleasant dopamine hit which can assist early lifters proceed to coach commonly.”

Matt additionally thinks testing one-rep maxes can assist drive adaptation in new lifters; that’s, they can assist you get stronger.

“There’s an argument on the market that testing your one-rep max doesn’t do something to drive adaptation within the power growth course of, however after teaching hundreds of purchasers, our group has seen that testing one-rep max does certainly assist our athletes get stronger,” Matt stated. 

How must you check your one-rep max as a novice or early-intermediate lifter?

Right here’s what Matt recommends: Deal with your one-rep max try like an everyday exercise. However as a substitute of doing all of your scheduled working units, you’re going to work as much as your one-rep max doing heavy singles. When you hit your one-rep max, you’ll do a back-off set of 5 reps at mild weight.

The weights you’ll use will rely upon the place you might be strength-wise. However right here’s a tough instance: let’s say that in an everyday exercise, you’re presently lifting 405 for a set of 5 reps; in that case, right here’s what a units x reps scheme for a work-up to a one-rep max would possibly appear to be for you:

Heat-up:

• 1×5 @ 135 lbs
• 1×3 @ 225 lbs
• 1×2 @ 315 lbs
• 1×1 @ 415 lbs

One rep max makes an attempt:

• 1 @ 425 lbs (Raise felt actually quick; could make a reasonably respectable bounce in weight)
• 1 @ 445 lbs (Beginning to really feel a bit grindy; go up however simply 10 lbs)
• 1 @ 455 lbs (Slowing down extra, however you continue to really feel like you can also make another 10-pound bounce)
• 1 @ 465 lbs (That was a grind, however you bought it! New PR!)

As you possibly can see, determining methods to make your jumps in weight will go by really feel. Utilizing a price of perceived exertion (RPE) scale can assist you determine methods to make your jumps in weight. 

RPE 1 is principally no effort, and RPE 10 is full effort. When a elevate looks like RPE 10, it feels such as you couldn’t do one other rep after that elevate. 

If a elevate looks like RPE 7, you can also make fairly large jumps in weight. As you get to RPE 8, begin making smaller jumps in weight.

The objective for testing your one-rep max is to hit a elevate that looks like RPE ~9.5 to 10. That’s your one-rep max. 

After you’ve hit your one-rep max, do a back-off set of 5 reps at a lighter weight. 

Late-Intermediate to Superior Lifters

If you’re a late-intermediate to superior lifter, it will possibly take a number of days to every week to get well between exercises.

If you happen to fall into this class, how typically it is best to check your one-rep max will rely upon in the event you’re coaching for a contest or not. 

If you happen to’re coaching for a contest, you’ll doubtless have programming designed to assist you to peak on the time of your competitors, the place you’ll hopefully hit a one-rep max on all of the lifts through which you’re competing.

If you happen to’re not coaching for a contest, Matt says when it is best to attempt for a one-rep PR must be extra intuitive. “In case you have a day the place you stroll into the gymnasium and all of your warm-up units are feeling nice, and the bar is feeling mild, go for the PR,” Matt advised me. “As you get alongside in your lifting profession, you don’t know what number of extra alternatives you need to hit a one-rep max PR, so if a PR is there for the taking, take it.”

However Matt warns that with this extra intuitive method to testing one-rep maxes, you possibly can’t get grasping with it: “You may’t be making an attempt to hit one-rep max PRs each week and even each different week. That can simply disrupt your coaching.” 

If you do resolve to go for a one-rep max, deal with that day like every other exercise. Work as much as your heavy rep, and when you make the try, observe it up with two to 3 back-off units of three to 5 reps at a lighter weight.