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33 STRENGTHENING THE NATION RESISTANCE: A NECESSITY (PART 2) possible load you can lift in a given exercise. It is neither advisable nor necessary for beginners to attempt a true 1RM. This is more for intermediate to advanced lifters with previous knowledge of their 1RMs for specific exercises, or for powerlifters who need to know their exact 1RM in competition exercises. You don't just get under a bar and attempt to lift a 1RM without preparing your body for what is to come. Example: Having warmed up fully, work up to your maximal attempt as follows: -1 x 5 @ 60% -1 x 4 @70% -1 x 3 @ 80% -1 x 2 @ 90% -1 x 1 @ 95% -New 1RM attempt. Rest 3-5 mins between sets or attempts. If you fail at a certain weight, reduce the load by 2.5-5%, rest for sufficient time and attempt again. • Reps to Fatigue (RTF): A number of studies, including two by Dan Baker, have shown that RTF tests are reliable for estimating 1RM performance at submaximal intensities. They can be used to estimate 1RM in a few ways. 1. 5RM or 3RM test: Similar to 1RM test but less intense and placing less stress on the body. The aim is again to perform the prescribed number of reps with the maximum possible load. Once you know your 5RM for a given exercise you can then use a reconversion table to estimate your 1RM. 2. Plus sets: Again similar to the above test, however their isn't a specific rep prescription, just a minimum number of reps. Plus sets are used at the end of your prescribed sets, e.g., 3 x 5 @ 80% 1 x 5+ The final set is a plus set which means you perform at least five, and as many reps with good technique as possible at a given load. Once again you can use the rep total from your plus set to estimate a 1RM using a reconversion table. Boyle (2016) compares desirable strength standards in relation to 1RM between a number of exercises following a balanced resistance training program. Bench Press = Front Squat= Split Squat = Chin up. This basically means that if your bench press 1RM is 100kg, then your front squat 1RM should be at least 100kg also. Like-wise if you can bench 100kg, and you weigh 80kg then you should be able to complete at least one weighted chin-up with an added resistance of 20kg. He also compares desirable minimum strength relationships between upper body pressing variations. • Incline bench press: 80% of bench press 1RM • Dumbbell bench press: 64% of bench press 1RM (32% per dumbbell). • Dumbbell incline bench press: 80% of Dumbbell bench press (40% per dumbbell). Prilepins chart: How do I know exactly how many reps, sets, or reps per set to use at a particular intensity? Load (%1RM) Reps per Set Optimal Total Reps Rep Range 55-65% 3-6 24 18-30 70-80% 3-6 18 12-24 80-90% 2-4 15 10-20 90% + 1-2 7 4-10 1RM 2RM 3RM 4RM 5RM 6RM 7RM 8RM 9RM 10RM 100% 95% 92% 89% 86% 83% 81% 79% 77% 75% Always use a spotter when attempting RM tests or reps to fatigue under heavy load, as the potential for failure while performing the exercise is high. Reconversion Table: 3. Epley Formula: Estimated 1RM = (Weight x Reps x .0333) + Weight For this method, you multiply the weight you have just lifted, by the number of reps completed, and multiply again by .0333. You then add your answer to the weight you have just lifted, e.g. You perform 5 reps with a load of 160kg in the deadlift: (160 x 5 x .0333) + 160 = 1RM 26.64 + 160 = 186.64 (186.5kg) 1RM. Using the above reconversion table for the same figures, we get an estimated 1RM of 186kg (5RM of 160kg being equal to 86%). Strength Standards Between Exercises: A general rule of thumb is, as intensity (load) increases, volume (total reps) should decrease. Prilepins chart is a handy guide for prescribing sets and reps for strength training. A.S. Prilepin was a Soviet national weightlifting coach in the seventies and eighties who found that there was an optimal rep number per set at given 1RM percentages. Likewise, he found that there was also an optimal total rep range for each exercise at a given percentage. Below the optimal range or number, athletes didn't get sufficient stimulus to increase strength. Once they went beyond the optimal amount, bar speed slowed too much, and technique began to falter. Which end of the rep range athletes aimed for, depended on how they felt on a given training day. Bar speed and power output was always emphasised. Mladen Jovanovic (2013) has created an intensity-effort table by combining his load-exertion table with Prilepins chart: As a team, combined strength can make a daunting task more manageable and easier to carry out, as shown in the picture above, being able to move a casualty and ammunition to another location

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