The other day I received a message from a new strength client asking about testing strength since my style of programming rarely, if ever, calls for one rep maxes. He was quite confused as to how I could guarantee he was getting stronger if he didn't test his maximal strength every few weeks. As a newer lifter, he was seeing quick gains in strength as his body adapted and he wanted the undeniable feedback of pushing a one rep max every few weeks. I understood his concerns because I made the same mistakes before I knew any better, before I really understood Personal Records (PR's). There's a secret in strength training that isn't very secret; strength doesn't come from a one rep max. Strength comes from the accumulation of our efforts and there are many ways to demonstrate the gains we make.
I understand the desire to say "I squat xxx" or "I bench yyy" and I know the high you get from nailing a new PR, limiting progress with the idea that increases in maximal strength progress comes only from a one rep max is erroneous thinking. Simply, one rep max tests take a lot out of the body, can be dangerous without proper spotters, and can actually hinder progress if done too often. At minimum, I have 12 weeks of training before scheduling a test week. If I can move a weight faster, if I can do more reps, if the weight feels lighter, or if I can recover faster, I have demonstrated increased strength expect some impact in my 1 RM as well. More and more people are catching on to the idea that a PR is a PR, whether it's a 5 RM, a 3 RM, or a 1 RM. Strength isn't just one all out effort, but is defined by how we use it. Think of a mover; they may not have a tremendous squat max, but they can run up and down stairs with furniture all day long. Or consider a warehouse employee that is shifting, lifting, and moving boxes eight hours a day. We would all agree they are strong, but their 1 RM means nothing.
Instead of programming one rep max tests during cycles, I use two elements to measure progress and strength gains with my clients and myself. The first element is the repetition max. The second element is an indicator lift. The combination of rep maxes and indicator lifts provides valuable information about your training, your progress, and ultimately, your strength. Because both of these occur over time, a good workout log is essential in recognizing the changes.
Repetition Maxes - By now, most people understand rep maxes. Briefly, a rep max can be either the most weight you can do for a set number of reps (2, 3, 5, etc.) or it can be a weight done as many times as possible. The first option is primarily used by self-regulating programs that allow you to push as hard as you can for that training session as long as you don't miss. The second option is seen in programs like Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 series. Either version can indicate strength increases. Think about it for a minute; if you benched 225 pounds for 6 and then a month later later hit 225 pounds for 8, you got stronger! Or maybe you're doing 3 sets of 5 and last month you did it with 315 but this month you just did it with 340. You'd agree you got stronger, wouldn't you? And if you want to relate back to a one rep max, it can be done. With repetition maxes of eight or fewer, we can estimate our 1 RM using a simple formula: weight x reps x .0333 + weight. Example: 225 x 5 x .0333 + 225 estimates a 265 pound max.
Indicator Lifts - These take some experience to identify, but everybody has them for each major lift. An indicator lift is another lift that correlates to your "tested" movement. Sometimes they are trained in place of the actual lift or they are done as the first assistance lift. The indicator lift uses many of the same muscles as the main lift, which is why the two are related. For me, when my Incline Bench increases, so does my Flat Bench. For some, it may be Front Squat indicating Squat increase. Whether you are aware of it or not, we all have them. This is where the workout log is so important. The longer you have been training, the easier they are to find. Go back and look at how you were training when you were getting stronger. Find the assistance lift that you were doing that also got stronger. That's your indicator. If you're newer to lifting, this may be harder, but it certainly is possible as long as you keep records of everything.
So if you find yourself always testing your one rep max and never making progress, maybe it's time to step back from test mode and start looking at other PR's using the rep max and indicator lift method of analyzing your strength gains. Your body will thank you for it and I'm willing to bet that you will see more from it in the long run.
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