Body by Science

2 ways:

1) try this link

[url=http://www.strstd.com/]Strength Standards[/url]

Find a weight you know you can handle for each. Either the bar or 10lbs on each end. Then input your numbers. It will give you a VERY ROUGH ESTIMATE for you max.

For example, you do benchpress, 80lbs x 17 (on the last rep you struggle but not completely fail). according to the calc, your 1 rep max is 117lbs. 80% of that is ~90lbs.

or

2) Start with a low weight for 5 reps then increase 10lbs until the 5 reps become hard. For example:

Start with an empty barbell on bench press (45lb bar). Do 5 reps at an even and controlled pace. 1 sec up, 1 sec down.

Keep adding 10lbs (5lbs on each side) and continue to do reps until the rate at which you press up has significantly changed (slowed down, sticking points etc). I would start with that weight. Write it down.


I'm not sure but does Body by Science have a progression scheme?

[QUOTE=Raiken3712;947818]Just about shift as in almost lift but not quite? So that would be a weight above my max. That's why you said 75-80 instead of 80....that makes sense. If I understand you correctly.[/QUOTE]I obviously didn't word that properly. Find the weight that you can just about manage to lift, then go to 75-80% to do repetitions in good form while continuing to breath.

Gotcha makes sense....just being dumb I think. Me that is not you :)

[url=http://www.timinvermont.com/fitness/orm.htm]One Rep Max Calculator[/url]

Just used this and plugged in 23 reps at 50 pounds for a one rep max of 129 seated row, 120 pounds at 65 reps one rep max -154 legpress...confused, and 10 reps at 70 pounds for a one rep max pulldown.

Does this not work if you use rep numbers that are too high? I guess I just don't understand the tool I'm using.

96.75 Seated Row, 115.5 Leg Press???, 69.75 Pulldown.

Pulldown seems quite a bit less than Seated Row...does this make any sense? Maybe its because I already did Seated row and Pulldown uses some of the same muscles? Maybe I didn't really go to muscular failure...hmm

Oh well its a starting point I guess I can refine it as time goes on.

It shouldn't be that hard to find your 1 rep max. Just start by seeing what you can lift (start high and work low). Try a weight that you're not sure if you can lift, and if it's too heavy to do a single rep, then go to the next lowest weight etc. Then, once you've got that, calculate 80% of it.

Different exercises you'll need to do at different weights.

It's not actually possible to tell by looking at someone what sort of weight they can lift, either! Looks can be deceiving. Some really skinny guys can lift surprising amounts (and girls too!). Some bigger guys have a lot less strength than it looks like they should have.

[QUOTE=Iron Fireling;949068]It shouldn't be that hard to find your 1 rep max. Just start by seeing what you can lift (start high and work low). Try a weight that you're not sure if you can lift, and if it's too heavy to do a single rep, then go to the next lowest weight etc. Then, once you've got that, calculate 80% of it.

Different exercises you'll need to do at different weights.

It's not actually possible to tell by looking at someone what sort of weight they can lift, either! Looks can be deceiving. Some really skinny guys can lift surprising amounts (and girls too!). Some bigger guys have a lot less strength than it looks like they should have.[/QUOTE]

Makes sense thanks for the input. I think I have my starting points...see how this works next week. I understand why once a week is supposed to be all that's necessary but waiting for next time is hard lol. I've heard about people starting with twice a week I think I'll try that for now since I'm probably not working efficiently yet anyway. See what I feel like after.

With a twice a week schedule what makes the most sense? Sunday and Wednesday? Or Sunday and Thursday?

[QUOTE=Raiken3712;949178]With a twice a week schedule what makes the most sense? Sunday and Wednesday? Or Sunday and Thursday?[/QUOTE]Nope. The body takes five to fifteen days to fully recover depending on your genes. If you try a five day interlude and do not get any/much improvement, you are training too often and should leave a longer rest period. It takes between one and three months for the body to start losing muscle mass. The only reason to have reasonably frequent sessions is to increase the muscle mass at the fastest possible rate. The fastest possible is to train every five days. IF your body is of the type to allow that frequency.

Once I'm a s strong as I am going to be I shall drop the frequency to as long as I can make it without losing strength. I do however enjoy my short HIT rowing sessions and intersperse them with BBS at the rate of two a week. I leave three days after a BBS session before doing the first rowing one. Then the second is two days before my next BBS bout.

I've been weight training on HIT since the late 1970's and never paid any attention to 1 rep max unless I wanted to see how much I could bench. I'd set a goal of 10-12 rep (15-20 reps for deep squats). If I got 12 reps it was time to increase the weight for the next workout. Time under tension is 60-90 seconds.

If you are just starting out lifting and your trying to find your workout weight per exercise I wouldn't worry about lifting 2-3 times per week...at first. Beginners can actually tolerate lifting more often. As you get stronger and bigger over time you body will be able to increase (and handle) higher intensity loading. It's that ability to up the intensity that's going to require you to take more time between workouts. That and aging.

If you really want to have a HIT workout get about 10-12 people, a rope, and have a tug-of-war match in sand (something where you have good footing). 3-5 minutes of that will wipe you out. That is by far the most intense exercise I've ever done. I've run 15ks and came away feeling hypoglycemic for the rest of the day. 5-10 minutes of tug-of-war will make you feel just as depleted.

Yeah I only thought that two workouts a week would be fine because I'm not sure I did the exercise properly and reached positive failure. Considering how new to this I am I think I probably stopped short. If I feel anything lingering maybe I'll skip it but I want to see if I can tell anything.

Supposedly if you get to failure your at the point where your actually a bit weaker until you recover. If I haven't recovered by Wednesday or Thursday I'll have my answer. I'm only planning on twice a week for a few times...if I think I'm fully recovered.

If I do the exact same amount than I think that will be a sign that I was fully recovered...or if I do more.