How exactly figuring out the RM?

H

HST Forumite

New Member
Hi,

when figuring out the RM in the beginning, how should this be done?
I have no idea how much weight i can lift in the leg press for example.
And in which order should i test for the 5, 10, 15 RM?
I wonder how the results can be accurate, because when i finished the first test for lets say the 15 RM, the muscle has lost power. And the following test for the 5 RM brings not the same result, as i would have started with a fresh muscle the 5 RM test.
I know there is a calculator here for the RM.

Thanks.
 
I usually would just only test for my 5 rep max. For the 10s and 15s I would just use an estimated guess and look at past cycles and add 5 lbs or so.

Also, something i do is i plan my work outs so the 5th and 6th workout of each mini cycle are using the same weight. This allows "wiggle room". If i do my 5th workout and see that i can increase the weight for the 6th workout then i do that. If not, I end up using the same weight twice (for my 5th and 6th workout), which isn't a big deal.

So for example my 15's in a certain exercise would be:

Workout 1: 40 lbs
Workout 2: 45 lbs
Workout 3: 50 lbs
Workout 4: 55 lbs
Workout 5: 60 lbs
Workout 6: 60 lbs or more if i can do more
 
Last edited:
^^^

Though I'm guilty of guessing, guessing can put you in a bad place because of a tendency to overestimate.

To answer the OP's question, you can test your rep maxes by giving yourself as much rest as possible between the test sets. You're not training on the days you test your rep maxes so you can give yourself as much rest as you need.

Alternatively, you can test 15s one day, 10s one day, and 5s one day. Just make sure you test your rep maxes before you SD - not after.
 
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