Powerlifters, you can keep scrolling
There’s no denying that having a strong one rep max is incredibly impressive! It can also be fun to test and compare your strength progression over time. HOWEVER, is it really a useful measure for those purely focused on muscle gain (aka bodybuilders)? Ehhh… probably not!
Ultimately, performing a one rep max will be significantly influenced by your skill and execution of that specific lift, not to mention your biomechanics as well. Gains in strength are heavily determined by your proficiency in that movement pattern, not just the amount of muscle that you have. This is why powerlifters and olympic lifters break apart every aspect of their main movements and perform numerous accessory-based lifts as well.
Hopefully it’s becoming clearer why testing your 1RM squat at the end of your 2 hour leg session might not be the best indicator of… well… anything.
We also know that a set of less than 5 reps probably isn’t the most effective hypertrophy stimulus either. Rather than testing your 1RM, try performing a 6, 8 or 10 rep max instead! This is much more translatable to your training for those invested purely in muscle gain as it sets a threshold/baseline for your working sets, similar to an AMRAP. This approach can also be useful if you incorporate percentage based training.
If you test your 1RM out of pure enjoyment or interest, keep it up! However, if your goals are purely hypertrophy focused, then there are arguably better ways of expending your energy.
What is your take on this matter? Let us know in the comments!