1RM: the foundation of strength programming
Your one rep max is the heaviest weight you can lift for one full rep. Most programmes set intensity as a % of 1RM (e.g. 5×5 at 80%).
Testing a true 1RM is hard and risky. Submaximal estimation — lifting lighter weights for multiple reps and back-calculating — is safer and almost as accurate within 2–10 reps.
Epley and Brzycki are most popular. Mayhew and Wathan use exponential models and tend to be more accurate at higher rep counts. We average all seven to smooth outliers.