Stat Tracking-- 1RM

Seven weeks ago, I began training to regain my strength that I had lost from losing almost 40 lbs. I was excited that I had lost a great amount of body fat, but I not that I was losing strength.

There are hundreds of strength training programs out there that can help you achieve your goals but one thing will always remain constant: DOCUMENTATION. How can you know how far you have come if you never knew where you started??

When I started my strength program I performed a "true" 1RM for bench and squat. "True" meaning I used proper form and didn't cheat... after all, you're only cheating yourself. I was able to manage 345lbs on bench and 515lbs on squat weighing 251.

I worked out with low rep schemes at 85-95+% of my 1RM and always increased 5lbs each week on every set. The 5lb/wk increase was the most important part for me that I never really have carried out all the way through.... because it gets super heavy. Then again if you never overload your muscles, you will never get stronger. Make sure to have a spotter, because chances are you will not be able to push the weight for all the reps.

After 6 weeks I retested my maxes and was up to 365 lbs bench and 545 squat weighing 260. I feel pretty good about this being the strongest I have ever been pound for pound. (When I weighed 295lbs I maxed out at 375 on bench.)

Since the program I am doing is 12 weeks I will then readjust my percentages to meet my new 1 RMs. This way my muscles won't adapt to working off weaker percentages and will put me on the plane to make great gains. I will keep remaxing and working off my percentages until I meet my goal of benching over 400lbs and squatting 600.