My 1 Rep Maxes Do Not Qualify As Heavy Weights

[jumphigher123]

Dear Cathe,
I am very excited about receiving my STS DVD's, but I am also confused about how they will help me to lose weight and become stronger. You have stressed how important it is to use heavy weights. But, my 1 rep max calculations do not seem to fall in the heavy weight category. My muscle failure comes with much lighter weights. I want to go heavy, but I can't. I suppose that over a period of time I will get stronger, but that period of time seems to me to be composed of many years of weight training. This thought discourages me. Will there be any changes toward weight loss and muscle strentgh during the first time I do the 3 month program?
I think I am also confused about when you encourage us to push ourselves. For example, in MIS, you use a 35 pound barbell for overhead tricep extensions. I try to do that, because I want to push myself and get stronger. But I can only do partial reps (high ends) and I cannot complete the set. If I want good form and the ability to complete the set, I have to go down to 20 pounds. I want to push myself. I don't know which way to do the tricep extensions. I am confused.
Thank-You so much for all your wonderful DVD's and all of your wonderful work!!!
Susan

 

[SNM Videos]

STS 1RM

What is considered a heavy weight to one person might not be to another. A world class Power lifter might have a Squat 1RM of 1000 lbs, while another person, call him Bob, might have a Squat 1RM of 50 lbs. We’re not concerned with how heavy of a weight you can lift in STS, but instead we want you to know your 1RM so we can instruct you on what weight we want you to do during the various weeks of the STS program. For Example, let’s say we wanted you train this week at 60% of your 1RM. In the above example the Power Lifter should train using a weight of 600 lb’s while Bob should only use 30 lb’s.

Without knowing your 1RM it would be impossible to tell you what weight you should use to do a certain amount of reps for an exercise. However , once a person knows there 1RM for an exercise we can tell them the correct weight we want them to use to do a certain amount of reps. For Example, if we want a person to be able to do 15 reps we would tell them to use about 70% of their 1RM for that exercise. If we wanted them to only do about 6 reps we would tell them to use about 85% of their 1RM. It does not matter if you’re the world class power lifter or Bob. You are both using a weight that is the same percentage of your 1RM and both will be able to do the correct number of desired reps for their fitness level.

Just because Bob in our above example can’t lift as heavy of a weight as the Power Lifter, does not mean that Bob will not see results. Ever since the 6th century BC when Milo of Croton , a wrestler, trained by carrying a calf on his back every day until it was fully grown… strength training has worked by applying an ever increasing small load to your body and then having your body adapt by becoming stronger. This is why in STS we increase your intensity in small increments almost every week. It does not matter what your 1RM is today, only that you strive to improve step by step.

 

[krassymira]

Wow, that was inspiring! Thanks, SNM!

 

[RapidBreath]

neat info

And don't feel badly about it taking time to build up strength, that training period with his calf was about four years. So it really is ok to have time factor into one's training and strength gains. I know how you feel but in a different aspect, it always takes me longer to improve my cardiovascular endurance whereas strength gains came easier. But, what seems to work best is to not focus on the outcome but the form and just having fun.

(just putting my two cents in.)

 

[princessbear]

Susan:

Just fyi - I plan on doing STS beginning in Feb/March and am going to be doing the first cyle of it much lighter than I normally would since I am recovering from shoulder surgery. I'm not even going to start my 1RM testing until at least early February, after I re-condition my upper body to some weight training (which I hope to begin upper body in the next week or two) ... I think SNMs description was right on! It is the % of 1RM that EACH INDIVIDUAL would do, which is why they aren't giving us the weights that Cathe and her crew will be using - this is a more personalized program.

I can't wait for the DVDs to arrive to at least preview them in their entirety!