Procedure:
(1) The person warms up thoroughly with light weights, calisthenics and stretching exercises.
(2) A weight is selected that is expected to result in failure with 8 to 20 repetitions.
(3) The reps are performed in a slow, continuous manner with no more than 2 seconds rest between lifts.
(4) If the person reps to failure in the 8 to 20 range (usually 10 to 15), then calculate the predicted 1 repetition maximum.
(5) If the person does not rep to failure within the 8 to 20 repetition range, let the person recover then try with a lighter or heavier weight as needed.
percent of 1 repetition maximum (as a number from 0 to 100) =
= 52.2 + (41.9 * EXP((-1) * 0.055 * (number of repetitions with that weight)))
where:
• Mayhew et al (1993) the number 53.3 is used rather than 52.2.
• The best results are achieved with 8 to 15 repetitions. The use of a higher number (up to 20) of repetitions does not diminish the accuracy of the equation (some of the other equations using for estimating 1-RM are less accurate if the number of repetitions is greater than 10).
predicted 1 repetition maximum =
= (weight used for repetition) * 100 / (percent of 1 RM)
Limitations:
• Strict adherence to the protocol is required to achieve consistent results.
