Measuring Personal Training Results – Testing the One Rep Max
Guidelines for Testing the One Rep Max
There are several sports that use 1 rep max lifts to qualify their competitors. Most notable in this category are powerlifting and Olympic Weightlifting. Other sports that commonly use the one rep max to rank or qualify their athletes are:
- American football
- Bobsleigh
- Luge
- Track & Field, most specifically sprinting, jumping and throwing events.
Parameters for Testing One Rep Max
Once you have determined that you want to test the one rep max, the next obvious question is, “Which lifts should I test?” The answer depends upon your sport – if you compete – and your aesthetic goal – if you are testing for the purpose of marking a milestone. Whatever your reasons for testing, ensure that the lifts you evaluate follow these guidelines:
- Success in the lifts must transfer to the sport or event that you compete in.
- The lifts should give you some information as to the structural integrity of the joints that they involve.
- Test no more than two lifts per day.
- Do not test for the sake of testing. This rule applies to how many lifts you choose to test, as well as how often you test them.
In the first case, this means that if you are a lineman in American football, do not test rotator cuff strength for a one rep max– test Power Snatch and Front Squat; Flat Bench Press and Mid Parallel Grip Chins.
Structural Balance
In terms of structural balance, if a lineman tested the above lifts, he would have a very good idea of what his strength imbalances were, provided he knows what the proper ratios of Power Snatch : Front Squat and Flat Bench Press : Mid Parallel Grip Chins were supposed to be. If you are looking to test your one rep max for the purposes of this type of evaluation, rather than the purpose of determining merely your maximums, consult a qualified coach to help you.
The next page describes the procedure of testing 1RM used by the personal trainers at Physiqology.
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