98 Strength Training
Determining Repetition Maximums
The purpose of knowing your RM is to allow you to adjust the exercise intensity.
As a safety measure, it is best to start out by determining your 5RM. To do this, you should
have not had any strenuous activity on the day of the test, and you should be properly
warmed up. A spotter should always be available when conducting this test. Free weights
are the recommended form of weight for this test." Select a weight you know is light enough for 10
repetitions." Perform 10 - 15 repetitions with that weight.
" Rest for two minutes.
" Increase weight 2% - 10%, depending on difficulty of
previous set." Perform 6 - 8 repetitions.
" Rest for two minutes.
" Increase weight 2% - 10%, depending on difficulty of
previous set." Rest for three minutes.
" Perform 5 repetitions - this should be close to your 5RM.
Perform sets with increasing weights and decreasing
repetitions until a weight that can be comfortably
handled for 5 reps is reached.Table 6-3 provides an example of how you might determine your 5RM for the
bench press, starting with a weight of 110 lbs. Typically, your 5RM is 87% of your 1RM,
and your 10RM is 75% of your 1RM. Thus, if your 5RM is 160, your 1RM would be
approximately 184 lbs, and your 10 RM would be about 138 lbs. After determining your
5RM, it will be easy to establish your 1RM and loads for workouts (See Figure 6-2). See
Table 6-4 for intensity as a percent of maximum strength, repetitions, energy systems, and
rest intervals. Remember, the three energy systems are:" ATP-PC System for speed work activities, such as sprinting.
" Lactic Acid and ATP-PC System for all-out exercise that
continues beyond 30 seconds, but lasts less than 3 minutes.