How to Determine Your One Rep Max

Here's how to determine your 1RM:
1. Warm up with a light weight for four to five reps. (Doing too many warm-up reps might generate too much lactic acid and screw up your 1 1RM.) Repeat twice.
2. Rest two minutes after your final warm-up set.
3. Increase the weight to one you can handle for eight reps.
4. Rest three minutes.
5. Increase the weight to one you can handle for three to four reps.
6. Rest three minutes.
7. Add weight, and attempt to lift the weight once.
8. If you failed, rest three minutes, reduce the weight, and try again. If you succeeded in lifting the weight, rest three minutes, add some weight, and try again. Repeat steps six and seven until you fail at lifting the weight.