Is it necessary to know your 1 rep max in order to build strength?

So, a 1RM is something that most gym goers and people who weight train care about.

“How much do you bench bro?” is a question that I am sure you have been asked!

Obviously in sports like Olympic Lifting and Powerlifting it is essential to be familiar with, and training close to a 1RM in order to do well in the sport and deliver in competition.

However, is it essential to know a 1RM in order to increase your strength? And what is its impact on developing a training programme?

Well, according to Carpenelli (2011) it isn’t. The authors systematic review concludes that the evidence strongly suggests that neither a 1RM nor a predicted 1RM is required to assess progressive strength gains.

Carpenelli (2011) suggests that all that is needed to stimulate strength gains is to select a load that requires a reasonable effort on the final repetition of the set and gradually increase the resistance when the stimulus reduces, or an individual finds it easy.

If this is the case then, it can be argued that knowing a 1RM for lifts will allow for more accurate training, periodisation and de-loads to be accounted for, and that final repetition to be performed with reasonable effort.

If you want to increase strength, training closer to your 1RM at around 3–5 RM, with lower volume may lead to, short-term at least, greater strength gains over higher volume training with a lower percentage of 1RM (Mangine et al., 2015). This is supported by Mattocks et al. (2017) who found greater improvements in muscular strength when regular 1RM tests were completed, compared to a higher volume hypertrophy program, albeit in untrained participants.

Therefore, it can be argued that knowing your 1RM may be advantageous to those looking for fast strength gains.

Seems sensible right?

Although, Schoenfeld et al. (2017) indicate that low load training increases isotonic and isometric maximal strength, with similar increases in muscle hypertrophy. Suggesting that there is significant flexibility in ranges of loading that can be prescribed to promote increases in strength and muscle mass.

Can this be achieved without knowing a 1, 3 even 5RM? Yes.

Will it be easier to prescribe these loads if you know a 1, 3 even 5RM? Yes.

Will it be easier to design an effective training program if you know a 1, 3 even 5RM? Most probably.

Why?

· It allows resistance to be prescribed. Meaning, that there is more control of the load being prescribed.

· It allows you to be able to periodise the programme and account for peaks and de-loads.

· It allows for more accurate focused training such as max strength, strength-speed, power, speed-strength, or speed training.

· Progression can be more visible which can increase motivation and adherence to the programme.

Does designing and prescribing resistance training based off 1RM work for you?

Be smart,

Joe

References

Carpenelli, R. N. (2011). Assessment of one repetition maximum (1RM) and 1RM prediction equations: are they really necessary? Medicina Sportiva. 15 (2).

Magine, G.T., Hoffman, J. R., Gonzalez, A. M., Townsend, J. R., Wells, A. J., Jajtner, A.R., Beyer, K. S., Boone, C. H., Miramonti, A. A., Wang, R., LaMonica, M. B., Fukuda, D. H., Ratamess, N. A., & Stout, J. R. (2015). The effect of training volume and intensity on improvements in muscular strength and size in resistance-trained men. Physiological Reports. 3 (8).

Mattocks, K.T., Buckner, S.L., Jessee, M.B., Dankel, S.J., Mouser, J.G., & Loenneke, J.P. (2017). Practicing the test produces strength equivalent to higher volume training. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 49 (9).

Schoenfeld, B. J., Grgic, J., Ogborn, D., & Krieger, J. W. (2017) Strength and hypertrophy adaptations between low- vs. high-load resistance training: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 31 (12).