How do I gauge numbers for the last week of Strength I?

Training Q&A [Moderated]
1

Dear Dr. Feigenbaum and Dr. Baraki,

I am testing my 1RMs in the squat, bench, and the deadlift this Saturday, and I was wondering if you could give me some pointers on how to pick my numbers for each event.

During Strength I, I accidentally peaked out my squat at 132.5 on week 5 (now I can do 125kg @~8.5.)

Last week, I hit an 90@8 for my bench and a 92.5kg@9.

Also last week, I hit a 155@8~8.5 but when I tried 157.5kg after 5 minutes of rest, it was a 0@10.

My game plan going in is as follows:

Squat: 120kg, 127.5kg, 135kg
Bench: 77.5kg, 85kg, 92.5kg
Deadlift: 140kg, 147.5kg, 157.5kg

Does this seem viable?

Sincerely,

Eddie

P.S The smallest plates at my gym are 1.25kg plates. I really want to try 95kg for the bench, but seeing as how I hit 92.5kg @9, I dunno if this is a good idea :-\

2

Eddie,

Thanks for the post. The plan doesn’t look bad at all, but a few suggestions. Ideally, we’d like to see you hit a single at RPE 8, 9, and 10 for your 1st, 2nd, and 3rd attempts, respectively. To me, it looks like your squat is fine, but both your deadlift and bench seem a bit conservative.

I’d do something like:

Squat -122.5, 130, 135
Bench - 85, 90, 95
Deadlift- 142.5, 152.5, 157.5-160

3

Thank you very much for the pointers!

4

Actually, could you please tell me how long I can/should rest between the attempts?

5

As the spreadsheet advises, I would rest as needed. This is more personal preference than anything. So, whatever you would like to rest between reps is probably fine. Don’t overthink this stuff, my friend.