Guides → 1RM Basics
One Rep Max Basics
Master the fundamentals before you touch a heavy barbell. What a 1RM really is, the safe way to test one, how to warm up for a max attempt, and how much faith to put in the calculators — explained the way a coach would explain it between sets.
The Guides
What Is a One Rep Max?
The foundation: true vs estimated 1RM, why the number drives your entire program, which lifts deserve a max, and the beginner question — should you even test?
Read the guide →How to Test Your 1RM Safely
The exact protocol: attempt selection, rest periods, when to stop, spotters, and the mistakes that turn test day into injury day. For bench, squat, and deadlift.
Read the guide →How to Warm Up for a 1RM Attempt
The full warm-up ladder — sets, reps, percentages, and rest times from empty bar to max attempt. Includes the classic powerlifting ramp lifters actually use.
Read the guide →How Accurate Are 1RM Calculators?
What the research says: which formulas hold up, where estimates break down (high reps, beginners, certain lifts), and how to read a predicted number honestly.
Read the guide →1RM vs e1RM: What’s the Difference?
Tested max vs estimated max — when each one is the right tool, why most programming runs on estimates, and why your e1RM and true 1RM will never match exactly.
Read the guide →How Often Should You Retest Your 1RM?
Retest too often and you never build; too rarely and you program off stale numbers. Timelines for beginners, intermediates, and advanced lifters.
Read the guide →1RM for Beginners
New to lifting? Start here instead of maxing out: what to do in your first 6–12 months, when estimates beat tests, and the milestones that say you’re ready.
Read the guide →Beginner Questions, Answered
I’m new to lifting. Where do I actually start?
Do I need to test a true 1RM to follow a program?
What’s the safest way to find my max?
Next section: ← Back to all guides · 1RM Formulas & Calculations — Epley, Brzycki, and every other equation lifters argue about, compared with the research.