Measuring Personal Training Results – Testing the One Rep Max

Procedure for Testing the One Rep Max

The following protocol is the method to test the one rep max that we use at Physiqology in New York City. For the purposes of the article, we’ll use the bench press and the Close Supinated Grip EZ Bar Scott Curl as the examples, but any two antagonistic lifts – lifts that require the use of muscles from the opposite sides of the joint – can be tested using this method.

Set 1
40% of 1RM in the Close Grip Bench Press for 4 reps on a 4010 tempo. No rest.
40% of 1RM in the Close Supinated Grip EZ Bar Scott Curl for 4 reps on a 4010 tempo. No rest.

Set 2
50% of 1RM in the Close Grip Bench Press for 4 reps on a 4010 tempo. No rest.
50% of 1RM in the Close Supinated Grip EZ Bar Scott Curl for 4 reps on a 4010 tempo. No rest.

Set 3
60% of your 1RM in the Close Grip Bench Press for 2 reps on a 4010 tempo, rest 90 seconds (s).
60% of your 1RM in the Close Supinated Grip EZ Bar Scott Curl for 2 reps on a 4010 tempo, rest 90 seconds.

Set 4
70% of 1RM in the Close Grip Bench Press for 1 rep on a 40X0 tempo; rest 120s.
70% of 1RM in the Close Supinated Grip EZ Bar Scott Curl for 1 rep on a 40X0 tempo; rest 120s.

Set 5
75% of 1RM in the Close Grip Bench Press for 1 rep on a 40X0 tempo; rest 120s.
75% of 1RM in the Close Supinated Grip EZ Bar Scott Curl for 1 rep on a 40X0 tempo; rest 120s.

Set 6
80% of 1RM in the Close Grip Bench Press for 1 rep on a 40X0 tempo; rest 120s.
80% of 1RM in the Close Supinated Grip EZ Bar Scott Curl for 1 rep on a 40X0 tempo; rest 120s.

Set 7
85% of 1RM in the Close Grip Bench Press for 1 rep on a 40X0 tempo; rest 120s.
85% of 1RM in the Close Supinated Grip EZ Bar Scott Curl for 1 rep on a 40X0 tempo; rest 120s.

Set 8
90% of 1RM in the Close Grip Bench Press for 1 rep on a 40X0 tempo; rest 120s.
90% of 1RM in the Close Supinated Grip EZ Bar Scott Curl for 1 rep on a 40X0 tempo; rest 120s.

Set 9
95% of 1RM in the Close Grip Bench Press for 1 rep on a 40X0 tempo; rest 120s.
95% of 1RM in the Close Supinated Grip EZ Bar Scott Curl for 1 rep on a 40X0 tempo; rest 120s.

Set 10
97.5 % of 1RM in the Close Grip Bench Press for 1 rep on a 40X0 tempo; rest 120s.
97.5 % of 1RM in the Close Supinated Grip EZ Bar Scott Curl for 1 rep on a 40X0 tempo; rest 120s

Set 11
100% of 1RM in the Close Grip Bench Press for 1 rep on a 40X0 tempo.
100% of 1RM in the Close Supinated Grip EZ Bar Scott Curl for 1 rep on a 40X0 tempo.

Page 4 explains the importance of tempo in 1-RM testing.

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