Alright, let’s talk about figuring out how much weight you should actually be pushing around in the gym. I hit this point myself not too long ago. I was going consistently, felt like I was getting stronger, but then I started wondering, you know, ‘stronger’ compared to what? Am I actually lifting decent weight for my size, or am I still just warming up?
My First Steps: Looking for Answers
So, I did what most folks do, I started digging around online. Typed in stuff like “how much weight should I lift”. Lots of articles popped up, of course. Some were talking about general fitness goals, but what caught my eye were these benchmark things.
I saw numbers like:
- Bench Press: Aim for maybe 1.2 times your body weight.
- Deadlift: Heard numbers around 2 times your body weight.
- Overhead Press: Something like 0.8 times your body weight.
- Pull-ups: Being able to do 8 clean reps with just your bodyweight, or one rep with extra weight strapped on.
Okay, cool. Benchmarks. Gave me something to think about. But then I thought, okay, two times my bodyweight for a deadlift… is that for one rep? Five reps? How does that actually translate to my training today?
Finding the Calculators
That led me down another rabbit hole: the “1 Rep Max” or 1RM calculator. The idea seemed pretty simple. You tell it a weight you can lift and how many times you can lift it (your reps), and it spits out an estimate of the absolute maximum weight you could lift just once. Sounds useful, right?
I found a bunch of these online. Most ask for the same things: weight lifted, reps completed. Some even let you pick a formula they use behind the scenes, like Epley or Lander – fancy names, but basically just different math equations to guess your max.
Trying It Out: My Experience
So I gave it a whirl. I remembered my last bench press session, maybe I did, let’s say, 150 pounds for 6 reps feeling pretty solid. Plugged that into one of the calculators.
Boom. It told me my estimated 1RM was something like 175 pounds.
Okay, interesting. It gives you a number, a target maybe. I tried it for my squat too, using a weight and rep count from a recent workout. Got another estimated max.
The Reality Check: Just an Estimate
But here’s the thing I quickly realized. These calculators are giving you a rough guess. A ballpark figure. They seem okay-ish if you’re plugging in numbers from sets where you did maybe 5 reps or fewer. Even then, it’s not perfect. My bench press max estimate felt different than my squat estimate, even using the same calculator.
And if you try to estimate your max based on a set where you did like, 10 or 12 reps? Forget about it. Feels pretty random at that point. The connection between high reps and a true one-rep max gets fuzzy.
How I Used It (And What I Think Now)
So, did I just blindly trust the calculator? Nah. Here’s what I did:
I took the estimated 1RM number as a starting point. A suggestion. For example, with that estimated 175lb bench max, I didn’t immediately try to lift 175. Instead, I used it to structure my next few workouts. Maybe I aimed for sets using 85-90% of that estimated max for fewer reps.
It helped me push myself a bit more strategically instead of just guessing what weight to try next. It was a tool to inform my training, not dictate it.
Honestly, these calculators are handy for getting a rough idea, especially if you don’t want to actually test your true one-rep max often (which can be super taxing). But they aren’t magic. The benchmarks I found earlier? Also just general guidelines.
At the end of the day, the best approach for me has been using these tools for a bit of guidance, but mostly focusing on consistent training, gradually adding weight or reps over time, and really listening to my body. Some days you feel strong, some days you don’t, and no calculator knows that.
So yeah, that was my little journey into the world of lifting calculators. Worth checking out, just keep it in perspective.