Adding Weight to RM

Hey guys i have a question about adding weight to your work sets.

If i gain 10 lbs on my 10 rep max, is that the same as 10 pounds on a 5/6 rep max, and would both those be the same as 10 pounds on a 1 rep max.

For example:

You bench 135 for your 10 rep max.
You add 10 lbs to it, making 145 lbs your 10RM.

Is that the same as 155 being your 5 rep max, and adding 10 lbs would be 165 your new 5 RM.

Now, is that the same as 185 being your 1RM, and you add 10 lbs to that making 195 your new 1RM.

See what im saying?

Just wondering what you guys have to say about this.

Thanks alot

Tom

No, but it’s relatively close, unless you’re lifting like 500 lbs. But, the amount you can lift at the lower rep ranges will increase more, which makes sense.

This isn’t a very good explanation, it’s kind of confusing…but if you think about it more a little while you should be able to figure it out.

If you increase your 10RM from 185 to 195 lbs, and your original 1RM was 245, it won’t necessarily be exactly 255. The 1RM will increase more.

Try plugging in numbers to a 1RM calculator and you should be able to figure out the trends.

e.g. (according to calc @ One-Rep Max Calculator: Target Max Strength Goals):

185x10=247 lb. 1RM
195x10=260 lb. 1 RM

Although your 10RM went up 10 lbs, the 1RM increase by 13 lbs.

It makes sense that as you increase your max a higher rep range that your max at a lower rep range would increase more.

This example explains why it wouldn’t make sense if they increased equally:

Original 10RM: 135 lbs.
Original 1RM: 185 lbs.

New 10RM: 225 lbs.
New 1RM (if they increased equally): 275 lbs.

Someone who can lift 225x10 should be able to lift more than 275x1.

Different people have different carry-over. For me, increasing my 10 rep max, increases my 10 rep max. Usually doesn’t do shit for my 1 rep max.

But if i increase my 1 rep max significantly, I can usually handle more on the rep work as well.

That is me, everyone is different.

Best way to find out is to do it.

I find that the number of reps I can do with a particular weight has no carry over to a ME. I train both independently.
For example-

right now I can raw bench 545 with a pause for a ME.

I can also bench 425 for 10 reps.

If I were to continue to just work for a ME my raw bench will go up but I know for a fact that it won’t help me to get anymore reps with 425. In fact the numbers for 425 will probably drop a little. I do my best to do some high rep stuff every two weeks but my main concern is ME.

meat

Thanks for the help. I guess it depends on the person.

Tom

Take percentages based off Epley or other formulae to calculate how much it would alter your RMs.

Also note that the formulas become less accurate at predictions the further you get from 1RM.