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(The only all-encompassing 1rep maximum software available)

You may do 10reps with 120kg (benchpress) in one set, without being able to press the theorical 160kg because you haven't been used to go heavy...

Using formulae and coefficients expressed by Brzycki, Epley, Lander et the like (NSCA, Maurice and Rydin, Berger), one can get an approximate enough view of the current state of one's performances in a scale of reps ranging from one to ten. To do so, one only has to use one single personal perforamence as a calculation basis, and the calculations will do the rest.

These calculations would be time-consuming to do if excel spreadsheets and litle softwares had not been programmed to make them more user-friendly. One of the most famous 1rep max software today is called "I lift weights" (Iliftw8.exe). This software's great credit lies in its being available online on the smart-weight-training website, and has been so for quite a long time. It has personally been the webmaster's secret friend for long years. At first, reluctant to believe in its results, we all checked out the figures it gave at the gym, and it happened not to get it wrong, within a few hundred grams margin. It took us time to understand that the calculation tables it used were those found by the NSCA for benchpress, deadlift and squat, and the Brzycki formulae for the other types of workout exercices.

Willing to go further, the webmaster of Club150kg and his "technical adviser" (Alain Lhermite) had the idea of creating a freeware that would be the first in the world to provide benchers with the results given by absolutely all calculation methods and equivalent tables (Bryzcki, Epley, Lander, NSCA for squat, NSCA for benchpress, NSCA for deadlift, Thimonier, Maurice and & Rydin for the upper part of the body, and another one for the lower part, Berger, one taken from TargetWeight.com, and two unknown one we called "pessimistic" and "dedicated to long sets"). This software would provide all results at first glance from all these methods. This would enable benchers to tell which calculation method corresponds best to their own performance domain (in other words, the table that corresponds best to the intrinsic share of fast and slow-twitch fibres proper to each one of us, and partly responsible for variations in results) and then concentrate on that one.

A very simple interface asks the user to fill in two blanks: weight used and number of reps.

... and automatically displays results based on a large range of calculations: it is now up to you ! you only then have to find, as time goes by, the calculation method that corresponds best to your own performance, and then you'll be able to use that one as a precious ally to know if you've improved or not at the gym.

This software also provides a graphic view of one's sets, which draws what we once refered to as the "power domain"

The background logo is that of the webmaster powerlifting team in Soissons, and can be either displayed or hidden, and the background color can be changed as well.

Weights rise up to 650kg because some formulae (non-related to benchpress) can be used for quadriceps workout on machines for instance, and God know how powerful some of us can be at that little game...

As to the curve displayed, it can either appear thick or thin.


DISCLAIMER: Warning, these calculations are to be understood as sheer rough estimates, and their worth lies in its use as objective guidelines only. They are a precious help for powerlifters, but must not, in any case, be considered as 100% reliable. Apart if you are a top-level athlete, itis very important to use it cautiously, or injuries may happen. Based on statistical studies lead by researchers, the results provided by P.E.C.S. can not, in any case, be considered responsible for injuries and risks taken occuring during attempts. Remember that you must always have a skilled spotter to provide safety.

Caution : first find the type of calculation method that corresponds to your power domain
Let us take a basic example: In Nov.2006, the webmaster had reached two raw benchpress performances (they are what they are ...): 10x122,5kg and 5x135kg.
10x122,5kg gives us this type of power range:
One can see that the calculations methods sometimes give very ambitious results, but reality is sometimes much different, especially if you are, as I am, more powerful in long reps than in semi-long or short ones. At that stage, you must check which 1rep maximum corresponds best to your real one: in my case, this would rather tend to be the one provided by either Berger or Thimonier calculations. But you must not stop there, you need to check that out again thanks to another performance of the same periord from another rep range to be sure that Berger is your method.
5x135kg now gives us this type of power range::
In that case one realises that, comparatively speaking, one is less powerful in semi-long reps than in long ones. Whereas 10reps with 122,5kg gave us a 154kg 1rep maximum according to Berger, this time the Berger formula gives us only 149kg. More interesting still, if we look at the results derived from a 10x122,5kg set we find that Thimonier's method is the one getting closest to that result. Conclusion: in that software providing results from all 1rep maximum calculation methods (found in the last 40 years), one finds that only those of Berger and Thimonier are personally relevant.
Do the same expericence with your own performances, and chose the method which in both cases gets closest to your real level. This formula will then be the basis of your future calculations.

Caution : be careful with results only derived from either long or very short rep sets...
Another calculation limit to be taken into account is related to the intrinsic ability of each one of us to prompt our muscle thanks to influx. For instance, if we compare results given by Berger and Thimonier methods for a 10x122,5kg set, one realises that Berger gave us a theoretical 3-rep set at 147kg whereas Thimonier says 140kg only. This difference is far from being negligeable. The reason liest in the fact that the Berger's method is more adapted to those among us who have a very good ability at neuro-muscular recruitment on heavy sets, whereas that of Thimonier corresponds mor to those of us who are less efficient at recruiting the maximum of muscle fibres during a heavy effort.
As a conclusion, before determining which calculation method corresponds best to your own real power domain, test them with three different types of performances from the same period (for instance, a 2rep set, a 5rep set, and a 10rep set - each done up to concentric failure of course. This will help you determining which calculation method is yours, and then help you avoid makng errors.