05-31-05 10:47 AM - Post#109592    

I mainly use a 5 x 5 routine and was wondering if for this is there an ideal percentage of your 1RM that you should use?
I know the obvious answer is "as much as possible" but I kind of exhausted (and injured - slightly) myself doing that, and I was thinking there may be something more subtle to it.

Re: Percentage of 1RM for rep schemes
05-31-05 11:02 AM - Post#109593    

I would base it on your best set of 5, rather then a 1 rep max. Something like 80%, 85%, 90%.

Mark it Zero.

Re: Percentage of 1RM for rep schemes
05-31-05 01:16 PM - Post#109594    

Martin,

In general, something around 85% of your one-rep max is appropriate for 5x5. However, this depends to a large degree on how experienced you are working with relatively heavy weights, as well as fiber type and certain biomechanical issues. If you're going to increase weight from set to set, do something like easy set, moderately hard set, hard set, hard set, all-out set. If you're going to keep the weight the same for all five sets, choose a weight that will bring you to the brink of failure on the fifth rep of the final set.

The more I eat and the heavier I train, the better my genetics get. If you're not paraplegic and not squatting, please kick your own ass for me." "Do you really think that the reason most guys don't have big arms is purely because of a lack of doing curls?" --Alwyn Cosgrove "There is only one gram of carbs in STFD and no carbs at all in STFU." --Byron Chandler "Use meaningful loads to achieve results." --Big Vic http://www.stoneagefitnessconcepts.com

Re: Percentage of 1RM for rep schemes
06-01-05 11:34 AM - Post#109595    

Hearing you say that you are already doing a 5X5 routine. You might try the 2 for 2 rule which says that as soon as you can get 2 extra reps on your last set for two workouts in a row, it's time to take the weight up by around 10% for beginners and about 5% for more advanced. Just a thought and a gradual slow way to increase weight without the injury or injury aggravation risk of trying a 1 rep max..

Art Hansen ISSA CFT http://www.bwculture.net/?Click=3157 For the USA Suspension training equipment !!

Re: Percentage of 1RM for rep schemes
06-01-05 03:12 PM - Post#109596    

Martin, just a few months ago I ran into the same problem as you are... I started the 8x8 program and had a very tough and humbling time picking what weight to start out with... I too was basing it off of 1RM... I found that for 8x8's the percentage that worked for me was about 45% of 1RM... I calculated 1RM instead of risking practice with an actual 1RM... the chart to calculate it I found somewhere online but can't seem to find it now... this is a tool I found that will accomplish the same thing for you (just remember, it is of course only an estimate): http://www.naturalphysiques.com/tools.php?itemid=18

~ Bane "Whatever doesn't kill you serves only to make you stronger!"