This really depends depends on your training experience, goals, and recovery ability.
Beginner lifters: These lifters can usually recover from a training session within 24 to 72 hours and should be seeing some good progress in their lifts. They can test their 1RM every 8 to 10 weeks, and they probably should to make sure the weights they're using are the right % of their 1RM.
Intermediate lifters: These lifters may need up to 7 days to recover from a heavy training session and progress is likely to be slower than beginner lifters. They can test their 1RM every 12 to 16 weeks.
Advanced lifters: These lifters may need up to 14 days to recover from a training session, if pushing themselves, they probably need to allow their central nervous system, as well as their body, recover. They can test their 1RM every 16 to 20 weeks.
It is important to note that testing your 1RM is a stressful activity that can increase your risk of injury. It is not necessary to test your 1RM very often. In fact, some experts recommend only testing it once or twice a year.
If you are new to lifting weights, it is best to start by testing your 1RM every 12 weeks. As you become more experienced, you can gradually increase the frequency of your 1RM tests.
Here are some other factors to consider when deciding how often to test your 1RM:
Your goals: If you are primarily interested in strength gains, you may want to test your 1RM more often. However, if you are also interested in muscle hypertrophy, you may want to focus on training with higher reps and lower weights, and test your 1RM less often.
Your recovery ability: If you have a hard time recovering from training, you should test your 1RM less often.
Your risk of injury: If you are prone to injuries, you should test your 1RM less often.
Ultimately, the best way to determine how often to test your 1RM is to listen to your body and adjust the frequency as needed. If you feel pain or fatigue, it is best to wait until you are fully recovered before testing your 1RM again.
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