How to Calculate Your One Rep Max
What is a One-Rep Max?
Your 1 rep max is the maximum amount of weight you can lift for a single repetition. Knowing your one-rep max is especially meaningful for the sport of Powerlifting because, in competition, you will do your 1RM for the three lifts:
- Squat, Bench Press, Deadlift
But, you are not in a powerlifting competition, and only want to get stronger. And you know that there are few strength training exercises which will lean out your body faster than the deadlift.
How to Find Your 1RM Without Injury
Attempting a one-rep max on a squat, deadlift, bench press is a terrible idea. Unless you have a deep-seated desire to injure yourself. Instead, here is the formula to calculate your one-rep max for use in a beginner deadlift program:
- 1 RM = weight * reps * 0.0333 + weight
Where:
1RM = the predicted maximum amount of weight you can lift for a single repetition.
Weight = the total weight, including the Olympic barbell and any additional weight lifting plates.
Reps = number of reps or repetitions
This formula is known as the Epley formula. Jim Wendler popularized it in his book 5/3/1: The Simplest and Most Effective Training System to Increase Raw Strength.
As a result, the Epley formula is also known as the Wendler formula. This deadlift 1RM calculator works for the most critical barbell compound lifts; squats, deadlifts, overhead press, bent-over rows. And any other weight lifting exercise like the front squat.
How to Warm Up to Test Your 1RM
To determine your one-rep max deadlift the safe way, do the following:
- Test if you can easily lift two 20 pound kettlebells from the floor.
- Put the kettlebells down on the floor, push your hips back, grip the kettlebell handles, keep your back straight, tighten (brace) your core, and push the floor away with your feet.
- Do not lift the kettlebells with your arms. See the Essential Proper Deadlift Form Checklist for more deadlifts tips.
- Instead, keep your arms long, they are like hooks, only there to grip the handle tightly.
- It is your posterior chain that pulls the bar up.
- Posterior chain refers to the muscles that are on the backside of your body. Those muscles, your glutes, your hamstrings, these are the main muscles that do the deadlift.
If you can easily lift two 20 or 30-pound kettlebells, next move on to an Olympic barbell which has two 10 lb bumper plates on each side.
Bumper Plates
- Bumper Plates are an excellent tool for the deadlift beginner.
- This is because a 5-pound REP bumper plate has the same circumference as a standard 45-pound iron plate.
- But, these REP bumper plates come in 5 lb, 10 lb, 15 lb, 25 lb 35 and 45 pounds.
- This means that you can warm up using bumper plates with the barbell already set at the typical height for a standard deadlift. The proper bar height for a deadlift is 8.75 inches no matter how tall or short you are.
- Always deadlift at the standard bar height. This is better for your safety and if you want to go beyond the deadlift for fitness, and pursue powerlifting.
- Another plus of bumper plates is that they are made out of virgin and recycled rubber with a cast iron core.
- As a result, you will not make as much noise deadlifting with bumper plates as iron plates. This is a welcome feature when you have a home or garage gym.
With a pair of 10 lb bumper plates, the total weight with a 45-pound Olympic barbell is 65 pounds. Attempt to do five repetitions. If it feels comfortable, add another pair of 10-pound iron plates to bring the weight up to 85 pounds. Do five more deadlift repetitions.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how difficult did that last set feel? Use a scale of 1 to 10, with one being the easiest and ten being the hardest. If you felt like it is a level 6 or 7, that is heavy enough to determine your 1RM.
1 Rep Max Calculator Deadlift, Squat, etc
How the Deadlift 1RM Calculator Works
Here is how the deadlift 1RM calculator works: All you have to do is plug in the number 85 lbs and 5 reps to the 1 rep max formula:
- 1 RM = weight * reps * 0.0333 + weight
- 1 RM = 85 * 5 * 0.0333 + weight =
- 85 x 5 = 425
- 425 x 0.0333 = 14.1525
- 14.1525 + the original weight of 85 pounds = 99 or round up to 100 pounds.
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Rich is a Certified Personal Trainer-AAPT and 