I have finally found a simple equation to help you calculate your 1 rep max (1RM) without having to put your anatomy and joints in danger. This equation was developed by researchers at the University of Mexico (albuquerque), to calculate your 1RM on the bench press with 99% accuracy.

All you need to know is your 5RM, which is the weight that you can lift for 5 total reps without any assistance from a spotter. A safe way to figure out your 5 RM is to do three warm up sets of 5 reps and increase your weight about 15-20% each set until you’re ready to do your 5RM at 95-100%. Here’s a gross example:

135 lbs for 5 reps – warm up at about 50% effort
160 lbs for 5 reps – warm up at about 70% effort
190 lbs for 5 reps – warm up at about 90% effort
200 lbs for 5 reps – 95% effort.  Consider this your 5RM.

Here’s the formula:

(5RM weight x 1.1307) + 0.6998

So if your 5RM is 200 lbs, the 1RM math will look like this:

(200 x 1.1307) + 0.6998 = 226

Your 1RM is  226 lbs.

Want to figure out your working weights at 20%, 40%, 60%, 80% or other percentages, just multiply 226 by 0.2, 0.4 or the percentage you wish to lift for that set.

This formula was conducted using the bench press but it should be fairly accurate for determining your 1RM in other big lifts too.

Post your 1RM for your bench press below!

Serious about packing on quality muscle size with just four 15-minute workouts a week? The 6-12-25 Workout is designed for individuals seeking maximal muscular development by trashing the Type 11b, Type 11a and Type 1 muscle fibers in one giant 43-rep set.

Warning: This is not for anyone with less than one year of consistent weight training experience. Nor is it for anyone not prepared to enter the hurt box, because this workout demands a high level of discomfort, focus and motivation.

The 6-12-25 method was introduced to me while attending Charle’s Poliquin’s 5-Day Hypertrophy Bootcamp, and I provided an extra tough twist to tailor it to any skinny hardgainer who wants to explode new muscle off his frame by exploiting the less-is-often-more training theory.

Today we’re going to share five rare muscle building tips for skinny guys who want to build muscle quickly and naturally.  The information below will require you to read with an open mind.

Muscle Building Tip #1 For Skinny Guys: Train on a stable surface 

Unstable surfaces are more neurologically challenging. Let’s compare a supine dumbbell chest press on a ball versus a dumbbell chest press on a bench.  During a supine dumbbell chest press on a ball, most skinny guys will barely be able to press 50 pounds a side and the unstable surface will result in firing the lateral stabilizer motor units you don’t need (to prevent you from flipping off the ball), so it reduces neural drive from the muscles you do need and are trying to improve (pecs, shoulder flexors and triceps).  Whenever the body recognizes an unstable foundation for force production, its force generating output is orchestrated (down-regulated) accordingly.  In short, overloading the muscle is required to stimulate new muscle growth so why limit the load? There’s no point!  And if you think you’re “core” is getting a workout, it’s not because those muscles are only acting as stabilizer. You’re not overloading your “core” muscles with sufficient stimulus so trying to build your chest up on a stability ball is a big waste of time. 

Skinny guys have been lead to believe they need to train longer to build big muscles. The reality is that skinny guys need to train less and eat more. Skinny guys must approach building muscle the same way they would approach getting a sun tan.

The Sun Tan Analogy Skinny Guys Must Understand Before Working Out

Sunlight to the skin is analogous to stress to the body. Exposure to sunlight does not instantly produce a tan. Exposure to weight training does not instantly produce muscle. The ultraviolet radiation in sunlight stimulates melanocytes in the skin to produce more melanin as a protective mechanism, darkening the skin. The brighter the sun, the more intense the radiation, the stronger the stimulus.

The same situation arises when you expose exercise stress to your body – the greater the exercise stress the greater the stimulus for super compensation (adaptation) to occur.  If you go to the beach while their are clouds covering the sun, you can lay outside all day long and not experience any tanning effects because the radiation of the sun would not be sufficient enough to to stimulate the skin.  Exercise stress is the same. You can spend the entire day in the gym working out and if the stimulus is not sufficient you will not see much if anything in terms of improvements. However, if the exercise stress is sufficient, very little is required to see new gains.

The Key Is To Understand The Minimum Effective Dose

Our bodies have a limit to how much stress we can handle within a period of time. For example, up to a certain point, a certain amount of ultraviolet radiation will produce a nice looking tan. Beyond a certain point, the skin is damaged and results in a burn.  Up to a certain point in a workout, intense exercise stress will create the potential for new size, strength and stamina but beyond a certain point will lead to exhaustion that can result in overtraining or injury.

Remember, the training effect is the desired goal of the training. The training effect could be anything from increased relative strength, functional hypertrophy, hypertrophy or muscle endurance.  The training effect is not experienced until you recover from the training. In short, if you sun tanned for five minutes, your body needs time to recover (adapt) from that five minutes before you expose it to six minutes.  The same is true for exercise. If you bench pressed 4 sets of 225 lbs with 2 minutes rest, you will need a few days before you can bench press 4 sets of 230 lbs with 2 minutes rest.  Failure to respect these recovery needs can lead to overtraining, plateau or becoming weaker.

Individuality And The Skinny Guy

Just like darker skinned individuals can tolerate a longer duration in the sun compared to someone with lighter skin, some skinny guys can do a higher frequency of training before overtraining.  Determining the optimal training volume, intensity and frequency is a topic covered in depth of Season 3 of Live Large TV and there are many training theories to consider in finding what’s optimal for you. Ultimately, experimentation and accurate records is the only way you will determine how to individualize the different training variables for success.

Here is a sample skinny guy workout erring with lower volume to set up the potential for training at greater intensity.  In short, we’re going to spark our muscles into muscle growth, not force them.

The Skinny Guy Workout

Monday

A. Deadlifts  1 x 12, 1 x 10, 1 x 8, 1 x 6, 1 x 20 — 90 seconds rest between sets — 411 tempo
B. Chin Ups 1 x 30 sec negative, 1 x 20 second negative, 1 x 10 second negative, 1 x bodyweight, 1 x bodyweight
C. Military Press  1 x 12, 1 x 10, 1 x 8, 1 x 6, 1 x 20 — 90 seconds rest between sets — 311 temp

Wednesday

A1. Incline Biceps Curls 1 x 10, 1 x 8, 1 x 6, 1 x 6, 1 x 12 – 90 seconds rest between sets — 411 tempo
A2. Lying Triceps Extension 1 x 10, 1 x 8, 1 x 6, 1 x 6, 1 x 12 – 90 seconds rest between sets — 411 tempo
B1.  Barbell Shrug 1 x 15, 1 x 12, 1 x 1o, 1 x 8, 1 x 15 — 60 seconds rest between sets — 311 tempo
B2. Standing Calve Raise  1 x 10, 1 x 8, 1 x 6, 1 x 6, 1 x 12 — 60 seconds rest between sets — 311 tempo
C. Stability Ball Crunch 5 x 5 — 15 seconds rest between sets – 505 tempo

Friday 

A. Squats   1 x 12, 1 x 10, 1 x 8, 1 x 6, 1 x 20 — 90 seconds rest between sets — 411 tempo
B. Bench Press  1 x 12, 1 x 10, 1 x 8, 1 x 6, 1 x 20 — 90 seconds rest between sets — 311 tempo
C. Seated Row   1 x 12, 1 x 10, 1 x 8, 1 x 6, 1 x 20 — 90 seconds rest between sets — 311 tempo

Why Is This Workout Effective? 

1. Lower volume. Each bodypart gets approximately five sets a week. Classic hypertrophy programs rely on closer to 10-25 sets a bodypart so this allows opportunity to increase the intensity, a variable that can stimulate new muscle if it’s been neglected.

2.  Broad-spectrum of rep ranges. 6-12 reps creates the desire training effect of hypertrophy and by having one back off set in each exercise we ensure we don’t de train the quality, muscular endurance.

3. Longer rest ranges err on the higher side for hypertrophy to ensure you can stimulate the high threshold motor units each set.

4. Balance between all the primary movements of the body. Their is equal volume between horizontal pulling and horizontal pushing moves, vertical pulling and vertical pushing, quad and hip and upper arm.

5. The Principle of Kaizen can be applied each workout. This is a Japanese way of life that stresses constant and never ending improvement.  Small changes gradually lead to bigger changes long term. The goal of every weight set should be to increase your loads from 2% from set to set and to start each workout 2% heavier than your previous workout. This allows us to experience progressive overload, a critical ingredient for muscle growth.

Even if you’re not a skinny guy, this workout can act as an excellent way to stimulate new gains by dropping the volume and increasing the intensity. Don’t make any assumptions until you’ve given it an honest shot!

Click here if you want to learn how I transformed defeated my skinny genetics in 24 weeks.

Have you ever wondered how Hollywood pip-squeaks transform into big screen powerhouses in what appears to be a matter of months? Or, if you’re a movie buff like me, maybe you’ve recently wondered about the following:

• How did Mark Wahlberg get ripped up to play boxer “Irish” Micky Ward in The Fighter?
• What does Jason Statham do to stay jacked up and stay in top physical condition?
• How did Chris Hemsworth pack on 20 pounds of muscle to get a godlike body to play Marvel’s blockbuster,Thor?
• What did Jason Momoa do to pack on 20 pounds of muscle to replace Arnold Schwartzenegger in the Conan the Barbarian remake?
• How did tiny Taylor Lautner pack on 30 pounds of muscle and carve out a six-pack for Twilight?
• What is Manu Bennett’s secret to a convincing warrior physique for Spartacus?
• How did Chris Evans build the most coveted chest in Hollywood to play the lead role in Captain America: The First Avenger?
• How did Tom Hardy build a brick-house physique for Warrior, Bronson and the upcomingDark Knight Rises? 

As I studied the workouts these actors followed, I did not discover any break-through training protocol or super fancy nutrition formula. The most common workout theme was brief, frequent, and intense workouts from a variety of training styles. Not much was noted about nutrition but I would assume that each meal was protein and vegetable based, with complex carbohydrates tailored around the individual’s metabolism and goal. If the actor was not gaining muscle weight, I would assume that extra tablespoons of healthy fats (like nuts and nut butters) were added to the diet. Overall, I noticed more lessons that are applicable to the majority of us, rather than the minority. I’ve summarized your take home lesson with each point:

1. Actors are highly-motivated – a multi million dollar movie deal works wonders.

Take home point: Put something at stake.  Join a transformation contest. Make a bet. Donate a certain amount of money to an organization you dislike the most if you don’t achieve your goal. Get some blood in the game.

2.  Actors are working against non-negotiable deadlines.  I’ve always preached, “Goals without deadlines are dreams!”

Take home point: Set a deadline and announce it to people you don’t want to disappoint.

3. Actors can recover fasterthan individuals with commanding jobs or those striving for a degree. Actors are paid to know their lines and look the part so their day can revolve around training and eating. They can also take more frequent naps, a key tobody transformation. What a life!

Take home lesson: Plan your more aggressive training cycles during periods of the year when your work is less stressful.

4. Many actors who transform from sissy boys to superheroes are rather thin, carry very little muscle to start with and are blessed with faster-than-average metabolisms. This means they have a greater potential for change compared to an individual who has four years of intense training. If they were to start the same program at the same time, a beginner weightlifter will always gain more muscle than an advanced weightlifter. Beginners almost always gain twice as much muscle as experienced lifters in the same time period. This happens because their bodies tend to adapt and respond efficiently to a brand new stimulus since they are starting further from their genetic ceiling. The more your muscles are forced to adapt, the more they grow. Think Taylor Lautner.

Take home lesson: Don’t compare your results to others. Let your training age keep your progress in perspective.

5. Actors typically have a generous 12 to 16 weeks to build muscle and burn fat. Over a course of 16 weeks it’s not uncommon to burn at least 30 or more pounds of blubber to create the illusion they’ve gained 20 or more pounds of muscle if everything isdone effectively.

Take home lesson:Give yourself enough time to transform! Drop the “get rich quick” fitness mentality.

6. Most of our superheroes are not wearing a Speedo so they can prioritize their training to the muscle groups that give the illusion of size and power. For example, the upper clavicular area such as the upper chest, traps and shoulders gives the appearance of size and power. Other body parts that impress strength and confidence are biceps, upper back and ripped abs. So throughout our contest prep, these areas should be prioritized. Since the body has a limited capacity to adapt to stress, our actor’s recovery resources can be dedicated to these body parts of priority so that he will look more muscular in those desired areas. Although this is not an ideal long term plan, volume could be reduced in the lower body to set up the potential for more upper body mass.

Why is it so important to focus on the illusion muscles? Consider a fitness model show. Do you ever wonder why professional fitness models look so big on stage (or on covers) but when they stand beside you they resemble a rather average looking individual? It’s because most male fitness models have 31-32 inch waists (and weigh between 170-190 pounds) that create the illusion of broad shoulders. When competing at the 2011 WBFF World Championships I couldn’t compete with the top competitors because I have a 34 inch waist, making it harder for my shoulders to jump at you. In short, if I was casting for the next Hollywood action hero, I would cast an individual with a tiny waist.

Take home lesson: Dedicate periods of the year to your slow-to-grow body parts to improve your body’s symmetry and proportion.

7. Our superheroes are lean enough. I say enough because none of them are boasting body fat percentages (i.e. 4-5 percent) to grace a stage. That’s not necessary for our movie star’s role. Going much lower than 10 percent can lead to muscle loss, drop in performance and a gaunt look. My definition of lean is 10 percent body fat.  At six to nine percent you’re ripped. At five percent or less you’re shredded. So why 10 percent and not 13 percent?Enter The Lean Threshold, which applies to men and women but we’ll use a man for this example. The Lean Threshold suggests that at certain body fat levels a man will look the same. This means that if a man is 13-18 percent body fat then you will not be able to distinguish the difference. Ten percent body fat for a man is very lean. Eighteen percent or more of fat for a man is fat. If a man is under 10 percent fat or over 18 percent fat then you’ll clearly be able to tell if he’s “lean” or “fat.” Anything in between is very vague and it is very hard to notice the differences. So what does this mean for you? If you truly want your physique to stand out, you need to get out of the “vague” zone and dial in 10 percent body fat. The equivalent of 10 percent body fat for a male is about 15 percent fat for a female.

Take home lesson: Give yourself permission to be light. If your goal is to be 200 pounds but you look better at 190 pounds, who cares?

8. The Law of Specificity!  This law states that the specific nature of a training load produces its own specific response adaptations.  The training load must be specific to both the individual and to the demands of their chosen event.  In short, this concept basically enforces this: “You get what you train for.”  Another way to say this is: If you want to become a better boxer, box. If you want to become a better cyclist, cycle. If you want to look more like a power lifter, train like a power lifter. If you study Mark Wahlberg’s workout in prep for The Fighter you’ll see that his coach, Bo Cleary has him doing three-minute rounds of shadow boxing, punching the speedball, pad work, rope skipping and speed bag. Emulate Taylor Launter’s six-pack ab workout that personal trainer Jordan Yuam designed and you’ll be doing a lot of direct ab work like a freaky looking fitness model. Looking to become another gladiator in Spartacus? Get ready to spend four hours every day training like a gladiator: weapon moves, combat skills, circuit training, sprints and team games like tug-of-war. It’s neat to see how this group training reinforces a pack mentality, which is necessary to survive in the brutal Coliseum! The gladiators don’t train just for size and power but for agility, speed and strength and a mindset to win. In short, if you train like a gladiator, you’re going to look like a gladiator.

Take home lesson: Is your workout designed to help you in the field you’re in or achieve the look you’re after?

Conclusion

The biggest lesson we can learn is that actors know their end outcome whether it be a gladiator, boxer, superhero or tough guy. They have a crystal clear vision of how they must look, feel and perform, and their training is dedicated to that end outcome. They avoid goal high-jacking and program hopping and are able to dedicate themselves to the goal at hand which reminds us of the popular quote, “The best program is the one that you follow.”Now it’s your turn. Comments and questions are welcomed below. What was your big take home lesson?

Click here to learn how to eat and train to get bigger and leaner in less time