One rep max is short for one repetition maximum lift. What it represents is the most weight that a person can lift for just one repetition. If they were to try a second rep they would not be able to lift it. You can have a 1 rep max in any lift but people usually refer to the bench press, deadlift and squat when talking about how much they can lift for a max rep.
In order to max out or test yourself there are several ways to go about it. You can use the calculator we’ll be posting shortly to estimate. For example, if you can bench press 185 pounds for 8-reps you can enter that in the calculator and it will project what your max might be. Keep in mind these numbers are not completely accurate. The only way to really know is to test yourself. Some coaches and lifters don’t want to risk the injury so they just refer to the calculators or even charts.
Is maxing out dangerous? If you haven’t learned the proper form or you don’t warm up enough there’s a greater chance of getting hurt. You always want to practice with lighter weight and make sure you are completely warm before attempting a one rep max. Always work up to your max attempt. You never want to go right to it, that will almost always cause a strain or worse. We’ll go over some warm up techniques in a follow up article.
Once you know your 1RM you’ll want to start working on increasing it. And that’s why I put this blog up. I’m going to be sharing with you a lot of bench charts and lifting charts that you can follow to get stronger. My favorite lift is the bench press but we’ll touch on some other lifts as well. Thanks for reading, stay tuned for more.
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