How to find my 70% of max one rep

S

sovereign

0
How do I find out what 70% of my max one rep is?

I was in the gym the other day on a weight machine, the chest press. I was able to one rep 110lbs. I waited a bit then I was able to one rep 130lbs. I waited a tad longer and was able to one rep 150lbs, but it was hard. It felt like it was my top. 70% of that is 105lbs. So I waited a bit and did 9 reps of 105lbs for one set, but I could only do 7 for my second set, and three for the third set.

Shouldn't I be able to do three full sets with my 70%? Was I using too much weight for my normal sets?

S-
 
For one 70% is just a guideline, it doesnt have to be exact. Id just use a weight that you can pump out like 3-4 reps out with. I recon that should match roughly 70%.
 
I don't see much wrong with 9 in a set, I usually try for 8.

Personally, I'd probably go for the slightly lower weight and get more reps out. I'd think doing 9 reps with 100lb is better than doing 6 with 130lb. I'm hardly the most experienced person around here though so.
 
yep, use that calculator. there are also math formulas too...I used to have it in a spreadsheet, and it worked exactly how that calculator works.

You just need to make sure you are honest about the figures you put in. If you only got 5 reps at a given weight and just couldn't do any more without assistance or failure, then that's the right weight to use.
ideally you'd have gone for the 6th rep and failed so you'd know without doubt that 5 was all you could do.

do keep in mind that due to diet, sleep habits and stress, some days you're just not as strong as you could be, since strength has a lot to do with how well your brain can control the muscle.
if you're tired or starved, the brain may not fire the maximum amount of muscle fibers, resulting in reduced force, and thus reduced strength.
 
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