Calculating 1 RM

[JohnRoman]

Yeah, I know it is better to actually max out but what do you use for projecting 1RM from 2-5 rep sets?

1RMa = ( (reps / 30) + 1) * wt Formula 1
1RMb = ( (wt * (reps / 30)) + wt Epley
1RMw = (wt * reps * 0.0333) + wt Wendler
Mathematically, 1RMa = 1RMb = 1RMw (0.0333 ~= 1/30)

1RMc = wt * (36 / (37 - reps)) Brzycki 1
1RMd = wt * (1 + (0.025 * reps)) O'Conner
Equivalent when reps = 5 ==> wt * 1.125

1RMe = wt / (1.0278 - (0.0278 * reps)) Brzycki 2
1RMf = (100 * wt) / (101.3 - (2.67123 * reps)) Lander
1RMg = wt * (reps ^ 0.1) Lombardi
1RMh = (100 * wt) / (52.2 + (41.9 * e^(-0.055 * reps))) Mayhew
1RMj = (100 * wt) / (48.8 + (53.8 * e^(-0.075 * reps))) Wathan

Do you have a different formula? Do you find 1 works better for squats and another works better deads or bench or press?

[Shaun]

I just lift the weight and see how much I can get.

[Meshuggah]

There is no formula, some people are good at doing reps, others are better at max efforts.
It's all about your muscle fibers.

[Jimmy Tereyla]

Whoa man, I think you're over-analyzing this shit.

[Oldster]

I just lift the weight and see how much I can get.

There is no formula, some people are good at doing reps, others are better at max efforts.
It's all about your muscle fibers.

Whoa man, I think you're over-analyzing this shit.

Not much to add to what these three already said. Formulas are formulas. A one rep max is what you can actually do.

[Jimmy Tereyla]

I'll give a more constructive answer this time... When I do calculate, I use the one you have down as Wendlers.

[JohnRoman]

Whoa man, I think you're over-analyzing this shit.

LOL! Not really. I don't really use them and I think most of them are not very accurate. Just reading up on stuff and I didn't know if I agreed with the opinions of what I read. So I was wanting to know other opinions.

Not much to add to what these three already said. Formulas are formulas. A one rep max is what you can actually do.

Agreed!

There is no formula, some people are good at doing reps, others are better at max efforts.
It's all about your muscle fibers.

My personal experience matches that. Except that I would say on some exercises I can do reps and others I can do the max effort.


Just for giggles I feed my TM ID numbers into the formulas. As my actual numbers go up the variance on the projections have grown larger.