Lifting Percentage?

[Etana]

I was glad to lift weights again this week, but hadn't lifted for 6 weeks
My legs were wobbly on way out of the gym, from the walking lunges; and I was sweating. I would say it was a moderate, not light workout.

I was supposed to be doing a light workout.

I used fitness machines to find my Lifting Percentage 1 rep maximum, and then took 60% of that, and divided by 2 to find the dumbbell pounds, but even though I conservatively lowered the pounds, I think it was still too heavy for this first week or two back lifting. Maybe during Turbulence Training I hadn't been lifting as heavy as I could, but I'm trying also to avoid injury.

Could you talk a bit about lifting percentage 1Rep? It seemed that I could 50 pounds chest press total to reach almost failure, 3 sets of 12 reps for a good hard workout, but my maximum 1 rep on a machine was about 70 pounds. So when I took 60% of 70, I got 42pounds, or 20# per hand. When I did this, it was NOT a "light" workout for me.

Likewise bent over row, on the machines I could do 96 pounds 1 rep. What used to be a hard workout for me was 25-30 pounds in 1 hand. 60% of 96 pounds is 58pounds, or 28pounds in each hand. I found that even 20 poounds was not really a "light" workout for me..

Is this all subjective?
I decide what's light.
Each workout day or week I try to increase my numbers as I can, keeping my form good, and not working quite to failure?

That would be my advice to myself, but this Lifting Percentage really threw me off, and why is it so much higher than what I'm was lifting?

thanks,

[missjane]

You can't go by your max 1RM on a machine and try to translate it to DB's. Kinda like apples to oranges.....

[StuWard]

Although machines work the same primary muscles as free weights, they don't engage all the stabilizer muscles. Barbells and dumbbells do. As you get better with free weights you may find that they start to even out as your stabilizers get stronger. I find rowing exercises to be closer than with presses. My 1 armed row is not a lot lighter than half my machine row, but my BD Press is well below my chest press.

[Etana]

Originally Posted by missjane

You can't go by your max 1RM on a machine and try to translate it to DB's. Kinda like apples to oranges.....

Originally Posted by StuWard

Although machines work the same primary muscles as free weights, they don't engage all the stabilizer muscles. Barbells and dumbbells do. As you get better with free weights you may find that they start to even out as your stabilizers get stronger. I find rowing exercises to be closer than with presses. My 1 armed row is not a lot lighter than half my machine row, but my BD Press is well below my chest press.

I know that using dumbbells is "harder" (requires balance etc) than the machines. So if I'm using dumbbells, how would I find my max 1RM?
thanks,

[jenofthemountain]

Originally Posted by Etana

I know that using dumbbells is "harder" (requires balance etc) than the machines. So if I'm using dumbbells, how would I find my max 1RM?
thanks,

Somewhere in Leigh's books she has a formula for translating reps to 1RM without actual doing a 1RM. Use that.

At the moment I can't remember if was in FLTS or MRM.

[Leigh P.]

Correct it is in the FLTS.

I would re-read chapter 9.

[StuWard]

Powerlifting Heads-Up 1 Rep Max Calculator