The Rep-Max Test: The Best Way to Measure Your Progress in the Gym

Progress comes easy when you first start lifting weights. You almost appear and get stronger without even trying.

As you get stronger, the smooth sailing turns into choppy waters. Progress ceases to be linear. Some weeks you are a little weaker, and in other weeks you are a little stronger, and over time it becomes difficult to tell if you are really stronger or not.

At this point, the best way to measure your progress is to start tracking a single rep.

The one-time limit is the maximum weight that you can lift for one repetition of a particular exercise through a full range of motion with a suitable technique.

There’s a problem actually testing the maximum one delegate, though:

Maximum one rep tests are time consuming, risky, and cumbersome, and can significantly disrupt a normal workout routine.

Hence, the better alternative is to estimate the maximum one delegate using what is known as Rep Max Exam.

Although the rep-max test is not quite as accurate as the true maximum single actor test, the rep-max test is much less difficult and still accurate enough to track your progress over time.

Let’s get started.

Why You Should Track One-Rep Max

If you have Maximum one delegate Stop going up, this is a red flag that you need to change your training, diet, or lifestyle habits to start progressing again.

It’s so easy to fall into a malicious rut - what I like to call a performance cleanser – where you think you’re getting stronger but really spin your wheels. This usually happens after your on Newbie gains They are over and the new public relations are becoming increasingly elusive.

Here’s how this usually works:

You’re adding weight or reps to a 4 or 5-week workout, on your way to lifting say 315 pounds for 5 reps – progress! Next, you have some workouts that feel “good”. You lowered the weight down to 275, and spent the next few weeks getting your steps back to 315 – more progress!

Then your workouts get challenging again, you drop the weight again, and repeat endlessly. In other words, short bouts of progress followed by regression obscure the fact that you are not getting stronger over time.

It is the training equivalent of the yo-yo diet.

Tracking the cap of a single actor gets the scales out of your eyes and helps you know if you want to really Make progress or not. If not, knowing the maximum 1 rep is also one of the first steps to correcting the problem.

What does that mean exactly?

Assuming you are eating right and getting enough sleep, the most common reason people plateau is that they either don’t train hard enough or they don’t recover effectively from the workouts.

Knowing the maximum number of reps helps you adjust your training weights so that you train hard enough to make progress while allowing the right amount of recovery to become stronger over time. Instead of choosing a weight based on how you feel – a personal and fluctuating number – you can choose weights based on a percentage of a maximum one rep – which is an objective and reliable measure.

Read: Should you organize your workouts? The final answer is based on 26 studies

Why should you take the Rep-Max tests

The real test for one actor involves a maximum of lifting the heaviest weight that you can repeat at once with proper technique – the rep is usually taken timidly. Muscle failure.

While this is the only 100% accurate way to find out how much weight you can lift for a single actor, it is time consuming, risky, and cumbersome:

To test your true maximum, you first need to train with lighter weights and lower volumes for several days to a week before this to make sure you are comfortable.
Then you have to push yourself close to absolute muscle failure, which is where your technique is most likely to break down and accelerate injury.
Finally, the real audition for maximum one actor will leave you feeling fatigued for at least a few days, during which you will need to use lighter or fewer weights. Sizes.

This is where the rep-max test comes into the picture – it’s a much safer, enjoyable, and time-efficient way to estimate a maximum of a single rep. Although the rep-max test is not quite as accurate as the real one-rep test, the rep-max test is close enough to accurately track your progress and make informed decisions about your training.

The Rep-Max test explained

a Rep-max test It works the same way as the max-rep test, except that you lift a slightly lighter weight for as many iterations as possible before your technology starts to fail. The rep-max test usually involves a weight lift of 2 to 6 reps, although it is always more than 1 and can be as many as 10 or 12.

The rep-max test is sometimes referred to as the AMRAP test, Which represents the largest possible number of actors.

The reason you want to shoot 2 to 6 reps on rep-max tests is because this range strikes the best balance between accuracy and difficulty. Lower rep sets (2 to 6) Be More Flour Expecting a maximum of one rep is for higher rep sets (6+), but still not as draining as the true maximum for a single actor.

After running a rep-max test, you can use a formula to predict a maximum of one rep based on the number of iterations you got with weight. Or, you can enter your numbers in a file Calculator with a maximum of one rep This does all the math for you (what I recommend).

For example, let’s say you want to do a rep-max bench press test. In a recent workout, I did 6 reps weighing 185 pounds.

Since you want to get 2 to 6 reps on the rep-max, you lift the weight up to 195 pounds to ensure you stay in that range.

Then, after warming up, you do as many reps as possible at 195 pounds until your figure starts slipping. You have 5 reps – Hurray!

After that, you can open a file Legion One-Rep Max calculator, Enter your numbers, and review the results:

According to your rep-max test, the expected one-time maximum seat pressure is 219 lbs.

How the Rep-Max test works

Follow this simple eight-step process to run a rep-max test and estimate for a maximum of one rep:

Select the exercise for which you want to grade the maximum 1 Rep, and move it to the beginning of the workout. For example, if you usually tend to exercise bench presses before the flat bench press, and want to test your flat bench, push up one time maximum, and switch around the workout order until you hit the flat seat first.

Do a thorough job Heating.
Once you’re done warming up, rest for at least 3 to 4 minutes.
Load the bar (or pick up dumbbells) with the weight you think you can lift 2 to 6 times.
Accommodation, Preparing properlyDo as many reps as possible before your technique begins to falter or reach muscle failure.
If you get 2 to 6 reps, write how much weight you used and how often you got it. This is “rep max.”
If you get 7 or more reps, add 5 to 10 pounds to the barbell or dumbbell, rest for at least 3 to 5 minutes, and try again. You might be a little tired, but you still have enough gas in the tank to beat your numbers from the first set.
After completing the rep-max test, finish your regular workout.

Then, with the new rep-max results in hand, enter the numbers into a Legion One-Rep Max calculator To estimate a maximum of one delegate!

5 Tips for Taking a Rep-Max Test

Although the rep-max test is not as stressful as the max-rep test, it is not a cakewalk.

Use these five strategies to prepare properly.

1. Get enough sleep beforehand.

Search It demonstrates that sleeping even an hour or two more than usual can significantly increase your athletic performance.

Although the ideal amount of sleep varies from person to person, try to sleep an hour or more earlier than usual in the days leading up to the rep-max test. At the very least, allow yourself to wake up without warning on test day.

Read: 5 evidence-based techniques to sleep better now

2. Reduce the amount of your training in the week before the test.

Strategically reducing the size of your training (the number of sets you do in a given exercise and over the course of the week) is known as DiminishingIt is one of the most effective ways to unleash your strength and endurance.

A good protocol for tapering off before a rep-max test is to halve the number of reps and sets during the week before the test, while using normal training weights. For example, if you typically do 4 sets of 6 reps of the 185-pound bench press, you’ll want to do 2 sets of 3-reps at 185 pounds.

In weightlifting circles, this is often referred to as unloadingYou can learn more about it in this article:

Read: How to use Deloads to gain muscle and strength faster

3. Set a quorum.

Foreman Refers to the practice of watching another weightlifter while they are doing a set to help catch the weight if they start to fail.

This not only makes the rep-max test safer but also helps you lift more weight. When you know someone supports you as you approach muscle failure, you are ready to dig deeper than if you were alone.

The key to working with a spotter is communication. Tell them how many reps you want and when they should or should not touch the bar (or dumbbells). As a general rule, the proctor should never touch the tape unless it stops completely or starts to descend against your will.

Read: How not to suck at spotting in the gym

4. Shoot yourself.

Or, as Theodore Roosevelt puts it, ignite your barbarian virtues.

Play your favorites Workout music.

Imagine yourself Smash the group with energy to spare.

Read some Inspirational quote.

Take a moment to unleash your cultural inclinations and embrace this wild streak buried in your DNA. You know it’s there.

5. Drink a nutritional supplement 30 to 60 minutes before exercise before the test.

There is no shame in drinking some liquid guts.

The right pre-workout supplement can increase energy levels, improve mood, sharpen mental focus, reduce fatigue, and boost your strength and endurance.

And if you want a 100% natural pre-workout beverage with clinically effective dosages of scientifically proven ingredients like caffeine, beta-alanine, betaine and more, try pulse.

You say more than a coffee person? Then stack up the shivering juice Caffeine-free heartbeatWhich contains the same performance-enhancing ingredients, without caffeine.