What is a one rep max? A one rep max shows the maximum weight you can lift for one repetition for an exercise. This will show how strong you are in a respective exercise. It shows 100% of your maximum strength in one repetition.
What is a one rep max? iStock-photo credit: Lyndon Stratford
If you are ever going to perform one rep max, you should always have a spotter for safety purposes. Having a spotter can prevent serious injuries, especially when you are lifting your maximum weight for your bodyweight.
If you lift that and you can’t move the weight for that one rep someone has to catch the weight, so you don’t get injured. And this is why having a spotter is so important. The biggest thing that will get any fitness enthusiast injured is ego. Having an ego thinking you must prove to the whole gym how strong you are. And having an ego that you feel you must prove you can do a 1 rep max without a spotter is dangerous and stupid.
Before you attempt to do a 1 rep maximum it is so important to warm up and get blood flowing through the muscles. You can warm up about 30 to 40% of your 1 rep maximum at 8 to 10 reps for a set or two.
After you do a warmup increase the weight from 40% to 60% and then to 80% and then up to 100% for that one rep maximum. A good example is seeing how much you can lift at 7 reps to 5 reps. And then how much you can lift at 4 reps. And then after that how much you can lift at 1 rep at your maximum weight.
The most common exercises that people try at the 1 rep maximum are bench press, squat and deadlift. If you max out too often it can be damaging to your joints and muscle tissues. You are at a higher risk of injury if you do this too often.
And the fitness enthusiasts that seem to want to push the envelope are the ones that are amateur or experienced powerlifters. They want to know how strong they are every week, so they push the envelope.
The Bottom Line is a one rep max is when you are lifting your maximum weight for an exercise for just one repetition. It measures how strong you are in a specific exercise. It is not advisable to do this often as you can increase the risk of a potential major injury.
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References
1) Grgic J, Lazinica B, Schoenfeld BJ, Pedisic Z. Test-Retest Reliability of the One-Repetition Maximum (1RM) Strength Assessment: a Systematic Review. Sports Med Open. 2020 Jul 17;6(1):31. doi: 10.1186/s40798-020-00260-z. PMID: 32681399; PMCID: PMC7367986.
2) Yoo J, Kim J, Hwang B, Shim G, Kim J. Estimation of 1-Repetition Maximum Using a Hydraulic Bench Press Machine Based on User’s Lifting Speed and Load Weight. Sensors (Basel). 2022 Jan 17;22(2):698. doi: 10.3390/s22020698. PMID: 35062659; PMCID: PMC8778367.
3) Grgic J, Lazinica B, Schoenfeld BJ, Pedisic Z. Test-Retest Reliability of the One-Repetition Maximum (1RM) Strength Assessment: a Systematic Review. Sports Med Open. 2020 Jul 17;6(1):31. doi: 10.1186/s40798-020-00260-z. PMID: 32681399; PMCID: PMC7367986.
4) Faigenbaum AD, Milliken LA, Westcott WL. Maximal strength testing in healthy children. J Strength Cond Res. 2003 Feb;17(1):162-6. doi: 10.1519/1533-4287(2003)017<0162:mstihc>2.0.co;2. PMID: 12580672.
