When someone asks, “How do I safely build to a 1RM?” what they’re really asking is how to avoid the two traps:
Taking so many preparation sets that you dull performance before the attempt.
Skipping preparation entirely, jumping straight to heavy weight, and missing.
To avoid both traps, we use the RAMP protocol at Modern Athlete, our standard warm up model, which when applied with precision governs how we build to a 1RM.
RAMP = Raise, Activate, Mobilize, Potentiate.
The first three get you ready. The last one answers the actual question: how to build to the max under the bar.
R — Raise
Goal: increase temperature and “readiness” without draining yourself.
5–8 min light cyclical work (row, bike, incline walk). Warm, not smoked.
Don’t do a conditioning session and then decide to max. You just cashed out the performance currency you needed for the lift.
Time of day matters too. Most people express peak power/strength better later in the day when body temperature and performance readiness are higher. If you must max early, be more intentional with Raise, and accept you might not match your best afternoon numbers.
Practical workaround options:
Sauna first (then 2–4 min light cyclical work).
Hot environment or heavy sweatsuit: you may need less Raise, not more. If you’re already overheated, cool down first, then Raise lightly.
A — Activate
Goal: wake up the muscles you need for the lift.
Keep it simple and low fatigue.
Examples:
Bench 1RM: shoulders, upper back, lats, triceps
1–2 sets: band pull-aparts or rows; 6–10 reps
1–2 sets: push-ups or light DB press; 5–8 reps
Squat 1RM: glutes, trunk, adductors
1–2 sets: bodyweight squat + pause; 5 reps
1–2 sets: glute bridge; 6–10 reps
Deadlift 1RM: posterior chain, lats, brace
1–2 sets: RDL patterning; 5 reps
1–2 sets: lat engagement (straight-arm pulldown); 6–10 reps
If you’re getting a pump, you’re doing too much.
M — Mobilize
Goal: open the positions you must hit under load.
Pick 2–4 movements that matter for your lift (hips/ankles for squat; t-spine/shoulders for bench; hips/hamstrings for deadlift). Controlled movement, not a 20-min yoga class.
Now you’re physically ready. Next is what most people misunderstand.
P — Potentiate
This is the heart of the question.
A lot of people think “potentiation” means clap push-ups or jumps. Sometimes it can. But when you’re maxing, your preparation sets under the bar ARE the potentiation.
This phase must do two things at once:
Turn on the turbo (high-power effort), and
Avoid wasting fuel (fatiguing yourself before the attempt).
That’s why we use a progressive ramp and why rest matters.
Quick energy system explanation (why rest matters)
All work runs on ATP (fuel). Different systems supply it differently:
Easy aerobic work = efficient “cruise control.”
Hard intervals = stop-and-go.
Max singles = the turbo button (ATP-PC). Turbo is powerful, but it needs time to recharge.
That’s why heavy singles require 3–6 min rest. If you rush, you’re hitting turbo with an empty tank.
Potentiation sets: Two practical models (pick one)
Model 1: Dialed-in lifter (knows his numbers)
Bar × 5
40% × 5
60% × 3
70% × 2
80% × 1
90% × 1
Then choose one:
95% × 1 → 100% × 1, or
92.5% × 1 → 97.5% × 1 → 100% × 1
If 100% moves like you had more (not a grind), take a small PR jump:
Upper: +5 lb (sometimes +2.5)
Lower: +10 lb (sometimes +5)
Model 2: Hunting (uncertain max, needs more “range finding”)
Bar × 5
50% × 3
65% × 3
75% × 2
80% × 1
90% × 1
95% × 1
100% × 1
Then small PR jumps as above.
Rules that don’t change
Reps drop as intensity climbs.
Above ~80%, it’s mostly singles.
You should reach your first true max attempt within 6–8 meaningful potentiation sets.
If it takes 15–20, you’re bleeding performance.
If it takes 2–3, you’re skipping preparation.
“I got interrupted” (the real-life problem)
If you step away between sets, don’t automatically restart.
If the gap is short (a few minutes), pick up where you left off.
If the gap is long enough that you feel cooled down (you’re no longer warm and ready), do 1–2 quick bridge sets (lighter single or triple) and continue.
Potentiation and readiness last longer than most people think, but if you’re fully cold again, you need a small re-ramp—not a full redo.
Attempts and discipline: leave meat on the bone
After your last heavy potentiation single (~90–100%), limit yourself to 3–5 true attempts total, and often fewer.
Hit your top clean set and shut it down—even if you suspect there was more there.
Leave meat on the bone.
Why:
Frequent failure trains failure. If you regularly push into collapse, you build a habit of hesitation, grindy technique, and bad decision-making. We want a habit of execution.
It keeps you hungry for the next training cycle. Walking away disciplined creates momentum instead of emotional burnout.
Long game. This is one day out of hundreds. Your next cycle needs a clean, believable max—not an inflated number built on ugly reps and broken confidence.
You should PR, but you don’t need to gamble every last ounce of the day to prove it.
Multiple maxes in one session (general rule)
When you max a second lift in the same session, you’re usually more “online” systemically.
Two common patterns:
Lower → lower (squat → deadlift): you can use bigger jumps and fewer potentiation sets (often ~25% jumps early).
Lower → upper (squat → bench): many lifters also need fewer early sets than usual.
Upper → lower tends to carry over less reliably than lower → upper (often anecdotal, but commonly observed). The principle is simple: if you’re already warm, activated, and focused, you don’t need to repeat the early steps. You still potentiate. You just skip the redundant parts.
Putting it all together
· Avoid the two traps: too many sets or no preparation.
· Use RAMP. Treat bar preparation as Potentiation, not “warm-up fluff.”
· Rest long enough to recharge the turbo (3–6 min for heavy singles).
· Choose a ramp model that matches how dialed-in you are.
· Take small PR jumps.
· Leave meat on the bone and play the long game.
Good article and coverage of this in the coaching call.