Max Testing Week: Bench Press + Deadlift

Today you will test your 1 REP MAX for bench press and deadlift (please read all of this to set you up for success this week) There will be adequate warmups and rest to ensure you safely can test yourself. 👉🏽Testing Protocol if you don’t want to do the 1RM. You will test 2-5 reps to get an estimated 1RM 👉🏽Calculating Your 1RM Using the Brzycki Formula: 1RM = Weight × (36 / (37 - Reps)) Example: If you lifted 200 lbs for 5 reps 1RM = 200 × (36 / (37 - 5)) 1RM = 225 lbs Testing Week is Here! 🎯 We’ve made it 12 weeks of hard work, dedication, and showing up even when it wasn’t easy. This week is about celebrating that effort and seeing what you’re capable of. Here’s the thing about testing week: It’s not just about the numbers on the board. Sometimes you’ll hit massive PRs and surprise yourself. Sometimes the gains will be smaller than expected. And sometimes , even after training your heart out, the numbers might not budge at all. All of these outcomes are completely normal and valid, especially if you’ve been training for years. Progress isn’t always linear. Your body doesn’t read the calendar and decide “week 12, time to peak!” Sometimes strength plateaus right before it breaks through. Sometimes your nervous system needs more time to catch up to the adaptations your muscles have already made. Sometimes life stress, sleep, or recovery factors we can’t see on paper affect performance. What matters most: You showed up. You did the work. You got stronger in ways that might not show up on a single test day, better movement quality, more confidence under the bar, improved work capacity, mental toughness. So test this week with an open mind and zero attachment to outcomes. Give your best effort, trust your training, and know that regardless of what the numbers say, these 12 weeks weren’t wasted. You’re building a foundation that will pay off, whether it’s this week, next cycle, or down the road.