Finding your 5 rep max

[ryno9000]

I don't know if any of you caught my thread in the anabolic forum, but without getting long winded, I am back to basics in the gym, starting over after losing a years worth of training and eating. I am also coming back completely natural.

Anyway - I need help with the best way to find my true 5 rep max. I always have trouble with this. I never know exactly how to find it. It gets tricky for me as far as warm up sets and how much to increase by. Too many warm up sets - you are just taxing your energy. Not enough, you arent warmed up enough. Increase by too much weight and end up only getting 3 or 4 reps and then you are not able to accurately find your true 5RM. How do you guys find the best method on maxing? I'm embarrassed to ask such a beginner question but then again I am beginning all over and want to do everything right, not make mistakes like I have in the past so swallow my pride and just ask right? Thanks fellas.

Also - let's say I'm on my second total set, obviously not trying to max yet but warming up. Should I do 5 reps? or only 3? Or more than 5?

I've never run a 5x5. God this is embarrassing!

 

[squats3xWeek]

I remember seeing a mathematical formula that helped people find their 1 rep max by calculating their 5 rep max. Maybe theres a formula out there that can take your 1 rep max to calculate what your 5 rep max should look like.

 

[miked8c]

Take 85% of your 1RM and shoot to get 5 reps with that. That percentage is around where your 5RM should be.

 

[ghettostudmuffin]

That sounds about right.

My 5 rep max is about 25-30 pounds under my max bench.

 

[the.gladiator1987]

I know, you go in the gym and lift something 5 times and the 5th rep should be pretty much failure.