how often to test 1RM to plan next programming block (e.g. GGW)

[jfsully]

OK, I know there is not a single answer to this, but I would appreciate any guidance/observations/experience.

I've run through Andy Baker's GGW a couple times, and then tried another variant of HLM that will be 6-8 weeks, which I'm finishing now. I'd like to give GGW another go, as I have had good success with it, and enjoy the simplicity of it.

I know that testing 1RM is not absolutely required, and that the weights for each session can be planned based on an e1RM, but I kind of like doing the actual test. I have found that e1RM calculators are pretty accurate for me, but I like the actual accomplishment of lifting the weight. I'm a little bit post-novice, and have only been lifting just over a year, so I don't have much experience to draw on. On a recent Barbell Logic Podcast, Scott talked about having his father-in-law pull a 1RM for the first time maybe ever, and said he would not recommend he try it again for many months, if ever.

Aside from the avoidable error of being dumb and overambitious about the weight on the bar and risking injury, is there a reason I should or shouldn't test 1RM every 2-3 months? Any tips (I basically deload before and after testing for a week or so)?

In case it matters, my stats:
48yo male, 5'7", 190 lbs, started as rank novice about 14 months ago
Last 1RM's :
squat 335
DL 360
Press 172.5
Bench 225

thanks

Sully (not that Sully, another Sully)

[stef]

1. If you deload to test, you're losing training time. Is the satisfaction worth the testing cost?
2. Since 1RM performance is variable -- that is, your 1RM on test day depends on a bunch of factors, not just being strong (see Jeff Russell's article on modeling attempt selection ) -- is the data good enough to be worth the cost in training time?

Related article that talks about the points above: Intermediate and Advanced Training: A Few Ideas (Rippetoe, Sullivan, & Baker).

If you're set on getting a performance number, why not do it at a meet? There are many benefits from testing at a meet that offset risks and time costs.

[jfsully]

Thanks for the reply, stef.

I had been deloading the week before testing based on instructions in Andy’s GGW template. This subjectively feels like I am letting fatigue dissipate without getting much weaker. I suppose that this method may not provide optimal 1rm results for everyone, and perhaps not me, but since I am using the results to plan my next training block and doing it the same way each time, the numbers are still meaningful to me. And since they keep going up, I am happy.

And since the pace of my training is entirely up to me (no meet scheduled), I don’t mind sacrificing a week or two of upwardly marching lifts.

I would like to participate in a meet at some point, it looks like a lot of fun. When my schedule and travel budget allow, I will plan for a meet. At that point I will probably look more carefully at how to peak and get a “truer” 1 rm than I am getting at home.

Thanks for the input and the links. These are helpful things to consider.