One-rep max
A one-rep max is the heaviest weight you can lift once with acceptable form; it can be tested directly or estimated from a set of several repetitions, and it is the standard reference for training loads.
The one-rep max is strength expressed as a single number. Programmes prescribe loads as percentages of it, and progress over months is easiest to see as a change in it.
Estimating instead of testing
Testing a true maximum is tiring, requires a spotter for some lifts, and is unnecessary most of the time. An estimate from a set of two to six repetitions is accurate enough for programming. Several formulas exist; they all give similar answers in that range and all become unreliable above roughly ten repetitions.
An estimated maximum from a set of five is usually within a couple of per cent of the tested figure, which is well inside the day-to-day variation in strength anyway.
Why an estimate from a log is better than a test
Because your log already contains it. Every heavy set you record is a data point, and the best estimate across recent sessions is a smoother, more honest measure of strength than a single maximal attempt on one particular day when you might have slept badly.
What it does not measure
Muscle size, work capacity, or whether you can repeat the effort. A lifter can add 10 kg to a maximum through better technique and neural adaptation without adding any tissue, which is real progress but not the same progress.
स्रोत
- 1.Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans — US Department of Health and Human Services
- 2.Evidence-based recommendations for natural bodybuilding contest preparation — Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition
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