Attn: people who have done1RMs: HELP!!

rose2boys

rose2boys

Cathlete
Ok, so I'm really really behind! I was doing a P90X rotation for the last 12 weeks & haven't even thought about my 1RMs.

Now that it getting close, I guess I should get going. But, I feel SOOO overwhelmed every time i think about it!

Please help me get started. Please share your 1RM workout schedule. Have you been just doing a coulpe here & there OR made an actual 2,3, or 4 day split workout of it? Plus, how did you determine what weight to even begin with?

Sorry for the frantic post, but I'm just confused. Any advice is appreciated!
 
Hi Karen,

What I did was just do a couple of test 3 times a week and then the last day spent about an hour doing the rest of it which took me about an hour to do. it took 2 weeks to complete. I did all of the upper body test even the ones that had 1 or 2 stars but for the lower body and just did the ones that had 3 or 4 stars. Usally I do my exercise in the morning so in the afternoon I would do my test. It really wasn't bad at all. I was like you overwelmed before I started but once I did it was easy:). Don't sweat it you'll do fine. Just do what you can.

Edit to add just pick the heaviest weight you think you can do 8 to 12 reps with good form. Their was some that I did way over 12 maybe like 15 or 20 but I just added that as a total rep. I guess we are stronger than we think we are:)
 
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I totally agree. I only did the upper body ones and focused on completing one page of upper body on one day then skip a day, do another page, etc. and it really isn't bad at all once you get started. And I totally agree with the comment about being much stronger than we thought we were.
 
I just finished up last week. I would do one test for each muscle group and repeat the cycle with different tests. I started with the 5 star rated tests first and worked down from there. For example I would do:

Chest/bench press, back/db rows, shoulders/overhead press, biceps/bb curls, triceps/overhead extension then repeat the muscle groups doing different moves. I only did the leg tests that used the squat rack.

I became pretty fatigued after 4-5 rounds so I would stop, rest one day then pick up where I left off. I picked a weight that was heavier than I normally use for a particular exercise and tried to get in 10 reps. Sometimes I could only do 7-8 reps other times I got in 12+. There is some trial and error and once I start STS, the numbers will be a guideline and I'll adjust as I go.

HTH:)

JJ
 
I completed mine in about 5 or 6 sessions, each session lasting around 2 - 2.5 hours, but I wasn't moving with much urgency either. The printout they have now is priceless, it was my push to finally get them done. I would just pick different body parts, do a test, wait a couple of minutes, then pick another one. I generally alternated upper and lower body, I did just fill in weights for some of the similar exercises after I started to find certain exercises were almost always the same weight/reps for me. If I needed a longer rest, I would go do a quick thing like throw out some junk mail, scoop kitty litter, load the dishwasher, etc.

I wish I could have just done them while watching tv, but with my set up it wasn't possible.
 
rose2boys said:
Ok, so I'm really really behind! I was doing a P90X rotation for the last 12 weeks & haven't even thought about my 1RMs.

Now that it getting close, I guess I should get going. But, I feel SOOO overwhelmed every time i think about it!

Please help me get started. Please share your 1RM workout schedule. Have you been just doing a coulpe here & there OR made an actual 2,3, or 4 day split workout of it? Plus, how did you determine what weight to even begin with?

Sorry for the frantic post, but I'm just confused. Any advice is appreciated!
Click to expand...

I did the 5 & 4 star exercises this past week I made that my workout for my weights days (MWF). Just kept alternating muscle groups so I felt I had a total body workout. Quit after 60-70 minutes. It got harder as the minutes passed, but that's true with any workout. I chose weights heavier than I normally use, and if I could only do 2 reps, that what I entered in the 1RM calculator--it worked :) Told me that was my 1RM! I plan to do the 3 star exercises next week.

I felt overwhelmed too, but once I got started (the exercise charts helped tremendously!!) it was fine. You'll do great, no worries.
 
Lark's Mom I really loved your approach so much that I'm going to incorporate it myself. Thanks so much for posting it!

larks mom said:
I did the 5 & 4 star exercises this past week I made that my workout for my weights days (MWF). Just kept alternating muscle groups so I felt I had a total body workout. Quit after 60-70 minutes. It got harder as the minutes passed, but that's true with any workout. I chose weights heavier than I normally use, and if I could only do 2 reps, that what I entered in the 1RM calculator--it worked :) Told me that was my 1RM! I plan to do the 3 star exercises next week.

I felt overwhelmed too, but once I got started (the exercise charts helped tremendously!!) it was fine. You'll do great, no worries.
Click to expand...
 
Another poster had previously suggested doing the 1RMs like a circuit workout. I did that and really knocked them out pretty quickly. I put all of the exercises into groups (chest, back, biceps, etc.) and picked 4 or 5 exercises for each body part that I would do that day. I would then do some type of cardio (usually I just did my treadill) for about 5 minutes (doing interval sprints) and then do one 1RM from each of the groups, then I would repeat the sequence. The cardio portion gave my muscles time to relax between each set. It may not work for everyone, but it worked for me and I got them done very quickly this way.

Good luck!! Julie
 
OK, I finally got started today! I made a lot of progress, esp. since i'm just concerned w/upper body. I don't like to lift heavy legs since my thighs tend to get thicker, so i may not even do legs 1rm at all...

Anyway, one more dumb ? for you guys. How do I enter the weight used in the calculator, if I used 2 -20# dbs, do I enter 20 or 40? AND if you went over 10 reps did you actually retest or guesstimate. Thanks so much!
 
Hi, Karen.

On exercises that have you using two dummbells, record the weight of just one of those dumbbells.

And by all means, if you go beyond 10 reps, keep track and then record the total number of reps. For bench presses, I went past 10 reps so I just entered the weight I used and the amount of reps I did and the Workout Manager caculator figured out the weight I should/could have used.

Did you see the tutorial posted by SNM? I found it most helpful:

http://www.thecathenation.com/tutorials/one_rep_max/

(Hope the link works!)
 
Thanks so much, jillybean. The link works, but the calculator shown on the tutorial is not the same as the WM - mine doesn't show the still picture & list of equip., etc. Am i missing something?
 
Hi, Karen. Perhaps somebody else can chime-in, but I'm pretty sure that the calculator shown in the tutorial is from the new version of the Workout Manager (that is set to be released very soon). The calculator part should still work.

Doing the 1RM tests is fun! I was blown away at how much I've been cheating myself. I've been lifting far too light for almost all exercises!!
 
yes, the calculator part worked, I just wanted to make sure I was using the most up to date page. I only entered a few, I think I'll wait until the new version comes out.
Thnaks for all the info!
 
These are all good, creative suggestions!

I did mine like a circuit. Focusing first on the 4 and 5-star exercises for each body part, in this sequence: Chest, back, shoulders, legs (thighs, hamstrings), bicepts, tricepts. It took 1.5 hrs to get thru 21 of the exercises. If I do this every other day, I estimate it will take me 2 more sessions to get through the 3, 4 & 5-star exercises.

Thanks so much you all!
 
me too

i am so with you karen, i am still so overwhelmed w/this. i haven't even started. i just don't understand it all. and i have dial-up which makes it very hard to do stuff, cuz my computer is so slow. i gotta do something tho, cuz i know it is comin. is meso-cycle 1 just upper body? so, i could just do upper body right now?
cathy
 
ok, now i'm really scared

there are SOOOO many excercises, where do i start?
I'M SOOO CONFUSED!!!
sorry to whine so much
cathy
 
Another idea....I started by doing the 4 & 5 star exercises, then switched to printing out the Workout Manager Cards for JUST the first three workouts (a week's worth). Then, I went thru and made sure to do those exercises first. As I go along, I am just filling in others. At least you'll be ready for the first week w/o feeling too overwhelmed.
 
I'm embarrassed to say I can't get started. I'm totally overwhelmed and don't know how to make a workout out of the 1Rs. I feel like crying. I waited so long for my STS and now it's just sitting there.
Colleen
 
Collen, what part don't you understand? How to make the Workout Manager Card? There is one card for EACH workout. I can email you the info for the first week to get you started if that helps? just let me know...
 
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