1 Rep Max – How to use this to maximise my results

Why Knowing Your 1 Rep Max Can Transform Your Training When it comes to reaching your fitness goals—whether that’s losing fat, building muscle, or gaining strength—knowing your 1 rep max (1RM) can be a game changer. Your 1RM is the maximum amount of weight you can lift for one full repetition of a given exercise, like a squat, deadlift, or bench press. But why does this number matter? Because it gives you a personalized strength benchmark. Once you know your 1RM, you can train with greater precision by using percentages of that number to guide your workouts. Instead of guessing how much weight to lift, you’ll know exactly what intensity is right for your goals—whether it's 70% for fat-burning circuits, 80% for muscle building, or 90%+ for strength training. Not only does it help prevent undertraining or overtraining, but it also gives you a clear metric to track progress over time. Strength increases mean you're getting fitter, even if the scale doesn’t move immediately. And here’s the good news: you don’t always have to test your true 1RM. You can estimate it safely using submaximal lifts, making it a smart tool for beginners and advanced lifters alike.