At Eastside Athletics, we often (but not always) use percentages to establish loading parameters. Essentially, your one-rep max (the maximal weight you can lift for a single repetition) is used to determine the amount of weight we put on the bar.
This method is generally reserved for the “big” lifts like the Squat, Bench Press, Deadlift or Olympic lifts.
Let’s use the Back Squat as an example. Say your Back Squat one-rep max is 300lbs. The first week of a percentage based program might look something like this:
Week 1: 4 sets of 6 reps at 70% (210lbs)
If you don’t know your one-rep max, one option is to use a calculator like the one below and plug in the weight and reps of your most recent session for a specific lift. This will produce an estimated one rep max that you can base your percentages off of. The fewer reps completed, the more accurate this number will be.
Here is why I like working with percentages:
1. It holds you accountable. This is probably the biggest benefit to percentage based training in my opinion. There are many strength training programs where the instructions are to work up to a maximum weight at a prescribed rep range. An example of this is a Conjugate Method “Max Effort Day” where you work up to a five, three, or one-rep max on one of the “big” lifts. Without prescibed percentages, we are typically relying on auto-regulation or a subjective Rate of Percieved Exertion (RPE). Honestly, I think there is a time and place for both methods. That said, our feelings aren’t always a reflection of our true capacity. In this case, having expected numbers to hit is a great tool to get a little more out of your training.
2. Especially for less experienced athletes, percentage based training takes a lot of guesswork out of the equation and provides direction to those who might otherwise be confused about how much weight they should put on the bar, as well as those who might undershoot themselves.
3. For me, the introduction to percentage based training was a game-changer. It gave me a sense of purpose and direction with my training — a goal to chase.
4. “What gets measured gets managaed”. This isn’t to say you can’t objectively measure progress without percentages, but they certainly provide more concrete data. Percentage based training makes it much easier for me as both a coach and athlete to go back and audit a programs effectiveness and/or limitations.
As with everything, training is nuanced and percentage based training certainly isn’t the best approach for everyone.
An educated and experienced personal trainer or strength coach should be able to help you understand if percentage-based training is the right approach for you. And if it is, they should also be able to help you find a one-rep max on your lifts and assign a program with prescribed percentages to ensure you reach your goals.