Thanks to Bob for asking this question in the comments section.

“It sounds like an excellent routine, but in will not allow most people to use heavy weights. If that is true what % on 1RM would you recommend 50%???”
1RM refers to one repetition maximum. This is the heaviest weight you can lift and only complete one rep.

Now Bob refers to 50% 1RM which means that if you can maximally bench press 100kg for one rep then, 50% 1RM would mean you would use 50kg.

For the programme I wrote in this post Super Charge Your Body
Bob is probably not far off with his 50%.

The basis of this programme is that as time passes and you rack up more sets, you will naturally fatigue and the weight will become more fatiguing so that by the end, when you’re doing 8 or 6 reps, it is becoming tough to complete the last few.

Selecting weight for this type of training needs a certain amount of knowledge of your own abilities and I certainly do not recommend testing your 1RM on a lift if you do not have the correct tuition and ‘spotters’.

There are ways of testing yourself with lighter weights and doing something like a 3RM (most weight you can lift for 3 reps and no more) or a 5RM. Again as this is a maximal test it is certainly a no no if you don’t have people to spot and help you should you fail (you are looking to fail when you test a RM).

So if you don’t know what is roughly 50% of your 1RM then I recommend this process.

Select a weight you can definitely do 20 plus reps with. If you complete the whole programme and do not find that the last two reps at each level are challenging (i.e. you feel you are fatiguing quickly), then next time go up.

You will eventually find a level that is probably between 40-60% 1RM but it does not need to be exact, it is just a general way of fitness professional prescribing a load.

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