1RM ATTEMPT TIPS

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

  • Introduction
  • Tip 1: Reduce Training Volume a Few Days Out
  • Tip 2: Prioritize Sleep
  • Tip 3: Fuel Up with Carbs
  • Tip 4: Stick to Your Normal Workout Time
  • Tip 5: Take Your Time with Warm-Up
  • Tip 6: Pyramid Up to Max Weight
  • Tip 7: The Attempt
  • Tip 7: Evaluate Your Attempts
  • Tip 8: Cool Down Properly
  • Tip 9: Record Your Results
  • Tip 10: Remember the Purpose of a 1RM
  • Conclusion

INTRODUCTION

Are you ready to put your strength to the ultimate test?  You’ve been training, you think you have what it takes, but you still need to prove it!  

It’s time for the  1 rep max (1RM) attempt! After weeks or even months of progressive overload training, you’ve built up your strength and now it’s time to see just how far you can push yourself for real.

But before you step up to the bar, there are some crucial steps to ensure you get the most out of your 1RM attempt.

Here are 11 tips to help you achieve the best 1RM possible!

TIP #1

REDUCE TRAINING VOLUME A FEW DAYS OUT:

As your 1RM attempt approaches, it’s essential to give your body adequate time to recover from your regular training routine.

Reduce the volume of your training sessions a few days before the big day to allow your muscles to fully recover and recharge.  This ensures they are at full strength for the 1RM attempt.  This ensures you’ll get the most out of them and also helps reduce injury risks due to fatique.  

You don’t want to take too many days off in a row or you’ll feel sluggish and the weights will feel heavier than they usually do to you.  But 2-3 days before you should scale back your number of sets, and total reps in workouts.   This is especially true if you’ve been on a heavy program grinding away.  As much as you want to be you are not a robot and need time to fully recover.  

Ideally you won’t skip any days but will do about half the normal reps at moderate loads leading up to the day of your 1RM.  Save the heavy stuff for the actual max effort attempt.  

TIP #2

PRIORITIZE SLEEP:

Quality sleep is crucial for optimal performance in the gym.   Especially when you are trying to do a maximal effort lift of any kind.

Aim for at least 7-9 hours of uninterrupted sleep the night before your 1RM attempt to ensure your body and mind are well rested and ready to tackle the challenge ahead.  

Studies have shown that athletes who get good sleep, especially the night before a big event have improved strength and endurance, along with improved muscle coordination.  Good sleep even reduces your chances of experiencing a serous injury!  

Good sleep is important and its benefits can not be over stated.  

TIP #3

FUEL UP WITH CARBS:

It can take 48 hours for your body to replenish glycogen stores once fully depleted.  If you’ve been working out hard to grow it’s very likely you need to up your carb intake the 1-2 days before your 1 Rep Max attempt to ensure your Glycogen stores are full giving you the maximal energy level possible headed into the 1RM attempt.  

In addition to glycogen increasing your carb intake will improve the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels in your muscle tissues.  This is the sole fuel for muscle contractions and is especially important for maximal effort attempts such as sprinting and 1 rep max attempts where ATP levels will be depleted quickly (as fast as <1 second).  

Since ATP is synthesized by your body by metabolizing glycogen you can see why eating plenty of carbs to top off your bodies glycogen stores during the 48 hour period leading up to your max lift attempt is so important.  

So go ahead and indulge in a carb-heavy meal or 2 to replenish glycogen stores and provide your body with the energy it needs for a maximum effort lift. Try to include plenty of complex carbohydrates like whole grains, brown rice, fruits, and vegetables to sustain your energy levels throughout the lift.  Complex carbs will also minimize the affect  of increased carb intake on your blood sugar levels preventing any spikes or crashes you’re not used to which may affect performance.  

Any diet or weight loss plan will need to take a break during a max effort attempt, if you skip this step you’ll feel drained and lack that extra deep down push to set new personal records. Avoid highly processed sugars and other junk foods.

TIP #4

STICK TO YOUR NORMAL WORKOUT TIME:

Schedule your 1RM attempt during your usual workout time to ensure your body is accustomed to the time and environment.  Sticking to your regular schedule also makes it easier for you to get into the mindset needed to put in a truly maximal effort for your lift. Consistency is key to maximizing performance, so stick to your routine to minimize any potential disruptions.  

The less things you can change from your normal routine the better. This will also help you evaluate the lift, if it goes well or is a disappointment you’ll be better able to identify what factors are having the most impact on your performance.  If you have a particularly poor or good lift for your 1RM attempt you don’t need to consider the time of day as a variable.  

TIP #5

TAKE YOUR TIME WITH WARM-UP:

A thorough warm-up is crucial to prepare your body for the intense effort of a 1RM attempt. You’re not in the gym to get a “good workout” today. You’re there for one reason, to lift as much weight as possible.

Take your time warming up and getting stretched out, you want to feel energized and ready to attack the weights, not tired and depleted from too many sets.

Focus on dynamic stretches, mobility exercises, and foam rolling to loosen up any tight muscles and improve range of motion. Pay special attention to form during warm-up sets to ingrain proper technique.

A 1RM attempt increases your chances of injury.  Warming up has also been shown to reduce your risk of injury  so make sure you’re feeling loose and your technique is dialed in before proceeding.

TIP #6

PYRAMID UP TO MAX WEIGHT:

Instead of jumping straight to your max weight, gradually pyramid up using progressively heavier weights. This is essentially a warmup system specifically that ensures the best 1RM lift possible.  Avoid max rep efforts for each set to conserve energy and prevent fatigue. The goal is to ease your body into the max effort lift, making the weight feel lighter and reducing the risk of injury.

Lets say your normal training weight is around 225lbs for sets of 10 and you want to attempt a 1RM of 330lbs your Pyramid might looks something like this.  

  • 135 x 10 x 2

  • 185 x 8 x 1

  • 225 x 5 x 1

  • 255 x 3 x 1

  • 285 x 2 x 1

  • 315 x 1 x 1

  • 330 x 1 x 1

Notice that we kept the number of reps down once you hit your normal training weight (in this case 225lbs). Also the weights were increased around 40lbs or less than 15% of the max weight to be attempted.  This is to ensure the weight doesn’t feel too “heavy” if you jump up too quick it’s going to feel like you’re trying to move a brick wall, vs just another set to attack.

TIP #7

THE ATTEMPT

After you’ve progressed thru the pyramid the moment has come!  

It’s time to attempt a 1 Rep Max. 

  1. Ensure you’ve allowed enough rest to recover from the prevous set but not too much as to get stiff. 

  2. Make sure the weights are secure, centered on the stand/ rack, and where you normally like to see it. 

  3. Pack some air in your lungs, make sure to really breath deap and get those lungs full of as much air as possible.

  4. Keep the core tight, this is going to be a lot of weight make sure you keep things tight and you are in control. Keep those feet plated for bench presses, shoulders back and tight with your head up for deadlift and squats.

  5. Keep your grip tight.  Even on a squat or bench where you’re not pulling the weight a tight grip will help give you that locked in feeling of being connected to the weights and ensure the power is going where it needs to go for an optimal lift. 

  6. Focus on technique. If there was ever a time to keep your technique on point this is it!  Don’t compromise technique to try and get a bigger lift, it will lead to injuries.  Even at the top level of powerlifting the judges will flag a lift for poor technique.  It’s that important. 

  7. Inhale right before the lift and exhale as you execute the lift. 

  8. Execute the lift.  Be smooth, never jerk the weight or try to pull your body out of form to try to get it.  Stay in control and dominate the move.  Make the weight go where you tell it to go.  

    Give yourself a minute after the lift.  It will take the wind out of you, you might feel lightheaded or wobbly.  This should pass but give your body a second to recover from what was truly a maximum effort. 

TIP #8

EVALUATE YOUR ATTEMPTS:

If your first attempt isn’t successful, take a moment to evaluate what went wrong. Was it a true max effort? How do you feel? Could you try for a slightly lower weight? Conversely, if your attempt is successful, assess how it felt. Could you push for a little more weight? If trainng has been going well maybe youre stronger than you thought. Give it a go!

Oh and make sure to write down your results!  What is measured can be improved.  Your current 1 rep max will be very important for setting weights in any good training program.  

TIP #9

COOL DOWN PROPERLY:

There are many benefits of a good cool down routine after any workout and I would encourage you to encourage you to include it as part of your regular routine.  But it is especially important after a 1RM attempt.  

After completing your 1RM attempt, cool down with some light weight sets to promote blood flow and aid in recovery. Finish with a few sets of 20 reps using very light weights to help keep your muscles loose and prevent stiffness.

Make sure to incorporate some stretched in the muscle groups that were worked the hardest in your attempt such as the chest and shoulders for a bench attempt or your hamstrings, glutes, and quads for squat and deadlift attempts.  

TIP #10

RECORD YOUR RESULTS:

Document your 1RM results, comparing them to your expectations and previous lifts. Reflect on your performance and consider areas for improvement in your routine and training program to get to where you want to go next with your lifting journey.  

Did you feel the lift was a good maximum effort? What went well? What could have gone better? These notes will be usefule for the next time you want to attempt a 1RM.

Also it can help guide your training. Did the lift feel shaky? you may need to work on stability work. Did you stall at the bottom of the lift? That’s a hint to where some training needs to be focused. A 1RM will highlight where you are weakest in a lift, use that info to improve your trading for the next 1RM attempt.

Keeping track of your progress will help you set future goals and track your strength gains over time.

Generally Speaking if the lift went well it probably means you’re doing what you need to be doing during your training sessions!  If it didn’t go as well as you had hoped or your progress has stalled out take a look at our guides and tips to help you get back on track.  

Guides To Troubleshoot Your Training:

 
Tips & Best Practices For Success: 

TIP #11

REMEMBER THE PURPOSE OF A 1RM:

While 1RM attempts can be exhilarating, they come with increased risk of injury and shouldn’t be attempted too frequently. Treat it as a test of your current strength levels rather than a regular training method. Frequent 1RM attempts disrupt a structured training program, and if you get injured you’ll be set back Months or even years depending on how serous the injury is.  

Most lifters only need to test their 1RM once or twice a year, with longer intervals recommended for optimal safety and progress tracking.

One of the reasons 1RM calculators exists is to let you track your strength progress on between physical 1RM attempts to reduce injury risks and optimize your training routine for muscle and strength building.  

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, preparing for a successful 1RM attempt requires careful planning, attention to detail, and respect for your body’s limits. 

By following these 11 tips, you’ll be well-equipped to push your strength to new heights and achieve your best 1RM yet. 

Remember to train smart, listen to your body, and celebrate your progress along the way. Happy lifting!