EditorialCommitteeofJournalofHumanKinetics
109
DeterminationandPredictionofOneRepetition
Maximum(1RM):SafetyConsiderations
by
WiktorNiewiadomski ,DorotaLaskowska1,2,
AnnaGsiorowska1,GerardCybulski1,AnnaStrasz1,
JzefLangfort3
1
Strength training is recommended for slowing age-dependent deterioration of muscular strength and for rehabilitating patients with muscle
weakening illnesses. Reliable assessment of muscle strength is important
for proper design of strength training regimes for prevention, rehabilitation, and sport. One repetition maximum (1RM) is an established measure
of muscular strength and is defined as the value of resistance against
which a given movement can be performed only once. Proper assessment
of 1RM is time consuming, and may lead to muscle soreness as well as
temporary deterioration of the function of the tested muscles. Attempts at
indirect 1RM determination based on the maximum number of repetitions
performed have predicted 1RM with a variable degree of accuracy. Cardiovascular safety has been neglected in 1RM determination, although
arterial blood pressure increases considerably when exercising against
maximal or near maximal resistance. From the perspective of cardiovascular safety, favorable 1RM measurement methods should avoid performance of repetitions until failure; movement against high resistance and
muscle fatigue both increase blood pressure. Although such techniques
are likely less accurate than the current methods, their prediction accuracy be sufficient for therapeutic strength training.
Key words: strength exercise, hemodynamic response, blood pressure
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DeterminationandPredictionofOneRepetitionMaximum(1RM):
Strength training
Theaimofstrengthtrainingistoincreasemusclestrength.Tothisendmus
cleshavetomoveagainstanopposingforceinaprocesscalledresistance,hence
such training is also termed resistance training. The established measure of
resistance or load is one repetition maximum (1RM), defined as the load for
whichonlyonefullrepetition,i.e.,asequenceofmovementsendingbackinthe
startingposition,canbeperformed.Consequently1RMistheupperloadlimit;
if smaller fractions areused, more repetitions can be performed. For example,
an 80% 1RM load typically allows for a maximum of 8 repetitions. The maxi
mum number ofrepetitions performed witha given load canalso be usedfor
notation;thusifwith80%1RMamaximumof8repetitionscanbeperformed,
theloadcanbealsodenotedas8RM.Itshouldbenotedthat1RMreferstothe
current capabilities of a given person; thus the absolute load value of 1RM is
differentfordifferentpersons.
Repetitions performed continuously without stopping are termed a set.
Loads allowing 1 to 6 repetitions most effectively increase strength, whereas
loads allowing more than 25 repetitions are barely effective or not effective at
all (Atha 1981). Increasing muscle strength requires at least 50% 1RM load,
whereas 80% 1RM may be needed to increase bone mineral density (Vincent
andBraith2002).
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111
Strengthtrainingmayalsofavorablyaffectbonedensityandinthisrespect
may be superior to endurance training. However, strength training is likely
inferior in its ability to increase maximal oxygen consumption, lower resting
arterial pressure, improve lipid profile, and reduce hypertension and obesity
(PollockandEvans1999).
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DeterminationandPredictionofOneRepetitionMaximum(1RM):
thefailedliftwheretheoptimalnumberofsinglerepetitionsrangesfrom3to5.
Afterthefailedlift,onemoreattemptshouldbemadewithaloadcalculatedas
thesumoftheheaviestloadliftedplusthehalfofdifferencebetweenthatload
andtheloadwiththefailedlift.
Theoutlinedaboveprocessofdirect1RMdeterminationistimeconsuming,
and may lead to muscle soreness as well as temporary deterioration of the
function of the tested muscles. Chapman et al (1998) reported that 3 testers
neededover6hourstodeterminethebenchpress1RMin98footballplayers.
PloutzSnyder and Giamis (2001) found that the number of sessions necessary to
establishconsistent1RMvaluesforkneeextensionwithaveryhighaccuracy(1kg;
0.71.3%ofmeasurement)betweentestingsessions,was2to5and7to10sessions
inyoungandelderlywomen,respectively.
IthasbeenarguedbyBraithetal.(1993)that1RMevaluationshouldnotbe
performedbynovicelifters,becausemaximumliftingbyapersonwithoutany
previousexperienceinweightliftingmaycausemusclesorenessandevenmore
serious injury. This has been confirmed by Dohoney et al. (2002), who found
that in a group of 34 healthy men, six reported limited exercise ability and 22
noticeablemusclesorenessafterdirect1RMassessment.
The danger of injuries may be of particular concern in those who benefit
mostfromstrengthtraining,i.e.,theelderly.Injuriesinarangeof2.419%were
reported by Pollock et al. (1999) and Shaw et al. (1995); the latter group also
founda70%incidenceofmusclesoreness.However,Rydwiketal.reporteda
muchlowerrateofadverseeffectsof1RMassessmentinelderly(15%ofsore
nessandnoinjury)(2007).
Prediction of 1RM based on number of repetitions performed with sub
maximalloads
The value of 1RM may be predicted based on the number of repetitions a
subjectcanperformwithasubmaximalload.Typically,1RMpredictionbased
on the number of repetitions performed with submaximal loads has been ap
plied to the bench press. LeSuer et al. (1997) found that two prediction equa
tions of seven evaluated gave relatively low differences between 1RM pre
dictedanddetermineddirectly.Thesewere:1RM=massofsubmaximalload
(100/(52.2+41.9exp[0.055numberofrepetitions]));Mayhewetal.(1992),and
Wathen (1994): 1RM = mass of submaximal load (100/(48.8 + 53.8 exp [0.075
number of repetitions])). These equations were tested in 67 college students
(malesandfemales),andbothwereequallygoodinpredicting1RM:inaverage
they overestimated directly determined bench press 1RM only by 0.5 kg, pre
dictedanddirectlymeasured1RMwerehighlycorrelatedr2=0.98.Thesub
maximalloadsusedallowedformaximally10repetitions.Accuracyofpredic
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113
tionusingWathensequationwasconfirmedbyKnutzenetal.(1999)inelderly
subjects. There was no gender dependent difference in prediction accuracy of
predictionequations(Mayhewetal.(1992).
Using1RMpredictioninsteadofdirectdeterminationsignificantlyshortens
the measurement process: Chapman et al (1998) found that instead of the 18
manhours needed for direct 1RM determination in 98 persons, the same task
could be accomplished in 2.5 manhours when 1RM was predicted using the
numberofsubmaximalloadlifts.Predictionof1RMmayalsobebeneficialfor
exercising the muscles. Dohoney et al. (2002) found no exercise limitation or
musclesorenessafter46RMand710RMstrengthassessmentincontrasttothe
detrimentaleffectsofdirect1RMdetermination.
Cardiovascularsafetyduring1RMdetermination
Avoidanceofmusclesorenessandlimitationofexercisearetypicallyusedto
justify the use of prediction techniques. However, avoidance of the more seri
ousdangerofcardiovasculareventshasremainedrelativelyunnoticed.
Increasedbloodpressureremainsmajorconcernforstrengthtraining,espe
cially in light of the rare but present risk of cerebral aneurysm rupture or su
barachnoidhemorrhage(Haykowskietal.2001,2003).Therapeuticallyefficient
strength training must be performed 23 times per week for about 20 min per
session, thus the exposure to increased cardiovascular load is relatively short.
Highpressureduringexerciseremainsthemainconcernforpotentialadverse
effects.
During strength exercises, dramatic increases in blood pressure and heart
ratehavebeenobserved(,MacDougalletal.1985,FleckandDean1987,Stone
etal.1991,Saleetal.1993,Saleetal.1994,Scharfetal.1994).Thoughdetailed
picture of hemodynamic response to strength exercises remains uncertain, as
well as the underlying mechanisms, some basic features were consistently re
portedbyseveralauthors(Niewiadomskietal.2007).Bothsystolicanddiastolic
arterial pressures changerhythmicallyfromalmostnormal to high levelsdur
ing the phases of exercise; during the doubleleg press, the peak sys
tolic/diastolicpressurehasbeenfoundtoreach320/250mmHginbodybuilders
(MacDougalletal.1985).Thepeakpressuregrowswithsubsequentrepetitions,
andafterthelastrepetitionbloodpressuredeclinesrapidlyevenbelowthepre
exerciselevel.
MacDougall et al. (1992) argued that the magnitude of blood pressure re
sponsedependsmainlyontherelativeintensityoftheeffort;weightliftingper
formedbydifferentpersonsatthesamerelativeintensityproducessimilarin
creasesinbloodpressuredespiteindividualdifferencesinmusclesizeandab
solutestrength.
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Corresponding author:
DrWiktorNiewiadomski
DepartmentofAppliedPhysiology,MedicalResearchCenter,
PolishAcademyofSciences,Warsaw,Poland
02106Warszawa,ul.Pawiskiego5
Email:wiktor@cmdik.pan.pl
Phone:+48226086501
Fax:+48226086476
Authorssubmitedtheircontributionofthearticletotheeditorialboard.
AcceptedforpintinginJournalofHumanKineticsvol.19/2008onMarch2008.
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DeterminationandPredictionofOneRepetitionMaximum(1RM):