Sad lige og læste lidt om 1 repetition max, og faldt over denne post på et udenlandsk forum...let at forstå, og med en god portion humor synes jeg...undskylder hvis det er Repost....

Why Test Your One Rep Max?

Knowing your 1 rep max means knowing one of the most valuable statistics that can be utilized in your strength training. Many programs, among them, Starr's 5x5, The Texas Method and Westside, call for a rep max or a percentage of that rep max. Not only is this useful for programming, but it is also the most objective measure of strength imaginable. The 1RM is your final limit, and knowing your limits are essential if your ultimate goal is to exceed them.

When it comes to actually determining your 1RM, the only sure way of knowing it is to get out there and do it for yourself. Above all this must be done efficiently and safely for maximal results and minimal risk of injury. This article will take you through those steps and hopefully aid you in avoiding the pitfalls that come with standing at, and breaking through, the threshold of ultimate strength.

Who Should Test Their One Rep Max

Experienced trainees. Experienced means at least six months of training in the lift being tested if not more. Testing your 1RM requires observing impeccable technique and proficiency dumping the bar, because your form WILL eventually break down and you WILL eventually need to evacuate yourself when it does. This is an unavoidable consequence. A 1RM only counts when the form is "passable" and only an experienced lifter will have the appropriate skills to make it such. Passable form means, squatting below parallel, deadlifting to full lockout, and pressing without using any leg drive, among other parameters. An inexperienced lifter will [unconsciously] cheat, and just maybe break their ass off.

Who Shouldn't Test Their One Rep Max

Novices/Newbs. You have no business getting anywhere near a one rep max. The notion of a rep max doesn't even exist for you. Every time a newb gets under the bar they will increase their strength, so in other words, just by testing your 1/3/5 rep max, you would essentially be increasing your 1/3/5 rep max. There is no point in measuring something when the very act of taking the measurement changes its' measurement. Totally pointless. Plus your form probably sucks major ass and you'll injure yourself by either a) using poor technique and spraining/straining/breaking something important, or, b) crushing yourself to death under the barbell. If you don't believe me, go look on YouTube. If you still don't believe me, make sure to film yourself so you can post it on YouTube.

Figuring (or Guessing) Your One Rep Max

To test or re-test your 1RM you will need to either already know your 1RM and 3RM or have an estimate. If you already know your 1RM and your 3RM, disregard this portion. If you don't already know your 1RM or 3RM, you'll need to be aware of at least some repetition maximum that you already possess. If you've never maxed out on a lift before, you probably shouldn't be testing anything as strenuous as a 1RM anyway. Ideally you would have a pretty good idea what your 3-5 rep max is, but anything up to (and in some cases beyond) your 10 rep max is useful for estimating your 1 and 3 rep max, and that's what we'll need to do first.

There are several websites that have 1RM calculators. If you already have one that you like, feel free to use it. They're all ball park estimates anyways. I personally like this one: One Rep Max Calculator. I like it because it has a calculator that can estimate your 1RM by any number up to your 20RM and it also has a selection of formulas for the Squat, Bench, and Deadlift. Some of these formulas are more conservative than others and I would recommend erring on the side of less weight, rather than more, when determining a weight that could potentially be too much to support.

I'll use the calculator from that website in my example.

(Again, remember the closer to your 1RM that you know, the more accurate your estimate for your 1RM will be.)

Example:

Your 5RM in the Squat is 315.

To Find Your 1RM: Easy enough, based on your 5RM of 315 the calculator tells you that your 1RM is 354.
Round that up to 355. 355 is your estimated 1RM.
To Find Your 3RM: Multiply your 1RM by .944.
355*.944=335 lbs. 335 is your estmated 3RM.

Now to put it to the test.

Testing Your One Rep Max

By now you know your 1RM and 3RM, or at least have a pretty good estimate, and it's time to test it out. After a general warm-up (5 min. on the bike or whatever), you'll slowly work your way up to your estimated/actual 1RM before attempting new PRs. For the first warm-up set you'll do 5 reps with 33% of your 3RM, and 90% of your 3RM for the last warm-up, with four relatively even increments in between these two. Then you'll attempt your 3RM for one rep and then your 1RM. Based on your performance in the 3RM and 1RM you'll determine whether or not to attempt a PR and with how much. After you perform your 3RM, rest upwards of 7 minutes between attempts. Give yourself time to fully rest for maximum strength recovery. Test up to 4 lifts in one training period.

As follows:

REPS x WEIGHT
5 x .33*3RM (5 reps with 33% of your 3RM)
3 x .45*3RM (3 reps with 45% of your 3RM)
2 x .55*3RM (2 reps with 55% of your 3RM)
1 x .70*3RM (1 rep with 70% of your 3RM)
1 x .80*3RM (1 rep with 80% of your 3RM)
1 x .90*3RM (1 rep with 90% of your 3RM)
1 x 3RM (1 rep with your actual/estimated 3RM)
1 x 1RM (Based on your performance with your actual/estimated 3RM, attempt 1 rep with your actual/estimated 1RM)
1 x PR (Based on your performance with your actual/estimated 1RM, attempt a new PR)
Followed by additional PR's if you feel confident.


Example:

For the back squat, your estimated 3RM is 335 and your estimated 1RM is 355

REPS x WEIGHT
5x110 (33% of 3RM (335) is 110)
3x150 (45% of 3RM)
2x185
1x235
1x270
1x300 (90% of 3RM)
1x335 (3RM, your estimated 3RM)
1x355 (1RM, the estimated 3RM felt strong, so after a 5 minute rest an attempt with the estimated 1RM is made)
1x360 (PR, the estimated 1RM felt strong, so after a 7 minute rest, an attempt is made with a new PR)
1x365 (2nd PR, the 1st PR felt strong, so after a 7 minute rest, an attempt is made with a 2nd PR)
The attempt at 365 failed, so no further attempts are made.


Here are some basic precautions that need to be followed for safety: (care of Mark Rippetoe)
1) Don't be stupid.
Don't total if you're injured to the extent that a total will aggravate the problem. This will cost you in at least training time, and possibly time off of work if you're ultra-stupid.
2) Don't be greedy.
Learn to recognize the difference between greed and ambition, and be merely ambitious.
3) Don't be pig-headed.
If your first attempt tells you that you need to lower your second, do so, without a misplaced sense of diminished self-worth. It's a test, and it's designed to measure what's there, not create something that's not. That's what training is for.

A Few More Recommendations:
1) Use a power cage/squat rack/safety bars
2) Use bumper plates.
3) Use chalk.
4) Use a belt/wraps.
5) Have a spotter (who won't screw you up).
6) Videotape it.

Further Reading:
The Crossfit Total by Mark Rippetoe

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthrea ... 271&page=1