Scary Things in the Gym!
By: Aram Kumar, BA Exercise Science, CSCS
In the spirit of Halloween, we have decided to blog about “Scary Things” this week. For many people, the gym itself can be a scary place, but it doesn’t need to be! Today, we are talking about attempting a new maximum effort lift. This can be a daunting task, especially for people who have never performed a maximum effort set before. Many people shy away from attempting to max out when weightlifting because they are afraid of straining too hard or hurting themselves. These fears are understandable, but maximum effort training is a huge part of muscle growth. If you are a beginner to weightlifting, then maximum effort sets may not be necessary, but your progress will quickly plateau until you start to push yourself adequately. Testing for maximum effort strength gives us a much better idea of what we are capable of and can be a great indicator of progress after a training phase. Having an idea of how strong we are is also crucial for exercise intensity prescriptions going forward. In other words, “knowledge is power,” and knowing what your max is for an exercise gives you the ability to make your training program that much better.
Testing a new maximum effort lift is associated with risks, which can be scary, but these risks should not deter you from reaping the benefits of max effort testing. There are precautions that you can take and procedures that you can follow to protect yourself during maximal effort testing. Make sure to follow these guidelines so you can have more confidence in your ability to perform a maximal effort lift safely.
- Select the correct test for yourself
As stated previously, maximum effort tests should usually not be done by beginners, especially a 1-rep maximum (1RM) lift. Even intermediate lifters should try to stay away from performing a 1RM. Absolute strength can be estimated through other means such as a 3-rep maximum (3RM) or even a 5RM. These are much safer assessments because they do not load the lifter quite as much and there is more room for error without injury. Make a max effort test selection based on your realistic experience level. If you are not used to lifting weights at high loads, then don’t use those loads to test your max strength. A good option for a beginner is to perform an 8 or 10 rep maximum test. These tests can still be used to assess absolute strength but are much safer for beginners.
- Select the proper weight for yourself
Going along with the above recommendation, don’t select a weight that is unrealistic when performing a max effort lift. This only increases the chances of injury. Put your ego aside and select a realistic weight. If you are successful, then attempt to increase it.
- Warm Up!
Maximum effort testing is very intense and a proper warm up prepares you to perform to your fullest potential and it protects you from injury. You can find the the National Strength and Conditioning Association’s (NSCA) recommended warm up protocol for a 1RM here. This protocol can be modified for another rep scheme (e.g., 3RM, 5RM etc). This should be done after a general dynamic warm-up.
- Always use safety pins and spotters
Self-explanatory! Always use the safety equipment properly, even if you have a spotter. Some lifts do not require any safety equipment (e.g., barbell deadlift). In these cases, understand how to bail out properly if the weight is too heavy. For example, in a barbell deadlift, if your back begins to round, then immediately drop the bar. Do not try to fight through.
- Never allow your form to break down
Another self-explanatory one! Once your form begins to break down, then you should immediately stop the lift. The spotter should begin assisting you at this point or you should bail out properly. Remember: every repetition should look the exact same, from the warm-up to the max attempt.
If all safety mechanisms are in place and you follow these guidelines, then you do not need to fear a maximum effort lift. You can approach your strength training with confidence going forward and push yourself outside of your comfort zone while remaining safe.