Local muscular endurance and prediction of 1 repetition maximum for bench in 4 athletic populations

François-Denis Desgorces (1, 2, 3) , Geoffroy C.B. Berthelot (1, 2) , Gilles Dietrich (3) , Marc S A Testa (3)

1 INSEP - Institut national du sport, de l'expertise et de la performance
2 IRMES - EA 7329 - Institut de recherche biomédicale et d’épidémiologie du sport
3 UPD5 - Université Paris Descartes - Paris 5

The aim of this study was to determine a predictive equation of 1 repetition maximum (1 RM) from local muscular endurance. Different athletic male populations were assessed: racket/ball games players (n = 31), power lifters (n = 22), swimmers (n = 28), and rowers (n = 29). After the 1 RM assessment for the bench press, the maximum number of repetitions (MNR) relative to the 1 RM (85%, 75%, 60%, 40%, and 20%) was tested. No significant differences in strength evolution from 20% to 100% of the 1 RM was found between power lifters and racket/ball games players and between swimmers and rowers. However, differences in the strength evolution appeared between these 2 mixed groups (p < 0.01), with differences appearing from 75% of 1RM to lesser relative strength (p < 0.05). Nonlinear equations fitted best with the actual data for the capacity to repeat lifts. The evolution of strength from 100% to 20% of 1 RM was better described when the groups' specific equations were used as demonstrated by r 2 , and residuals range between the predicted minus the measured 1 RM. The strength endurance competences for high loads (100%-75%) were adequately modeled by the equation based on the total population. The accuracy of the 1 RM prediction was better when a reduced number of lifts was performed. For untrained or novice subjects, the use of group-specific equations for the all evolutionary profile of strength allows a good estimate of 1 RM and provides adequate numbers of lifts for all levels of strength, thus optimizing the training programs.

Mots clés: prediction equation; maximal strength; training adaptations

Domaines: Physiologie du sport

François-Denis Desgorces, Geoffroy C.B. Berthelot, Gilles Dietrich, Marc S A Testa. Local muscular endurance and prediction of 1 repetition maximum for bench in 4 athletic populations. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 2010, 24 (2), pp.394-400. ⟨10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181c7c72d⟩. ⟨hal-01727397⟩