3 sets of 4 reps of front squats, so actually 3 reps of powercleans, spread over the rest of the workout. And usually only the first one really passes as a good lift, the other 2 get a bit rough.
Don't know her 1RMs, we've never tested them. Sometimes when a client is looking a bit unconfident with a new weight, or has stalled, I'll have them add weight to the bar for singles. For example when we hit 100kg with the target 3 sets of 5, she got a bit timid, "oh my god triple figures!" so we went like,
60kg 1x10
70kg 1x5
80kg 1x5
90kg 1x5
110kg 1x1
120kg 1x1
and only then, 100kg 3x5
I find that people do better with a weight if it's not the very first time they've ever lifted it. It's like, "well I did it once, I can do it five times..."
So that's not a 1RM test, just doing singles. I think she could do better with better equipment, I just have standard barbell and plates at home where we work, not even a proper Olympic barbell and squat rack.
I hope to see the Box Hill lifter on Monday night. She's a student so her hours can be unpredictable. I'm just amazed at how much she was lifting despite her form - knees going in on squats, bar travelling towards toes on deadlifts, etc. There's some great raw strength there, I wish she'd been training with me so I could take credit for it, but it's all her own sweat with a new routine every 6 weeks from a gym instructor.
Today at one of the gyms a young woman - year 12 - needed a new routine, she's been training since the beginning of the year, has not pursued strength like the other one, however. Squat, deadlift, overhead press, "is that all?" so I added some fluff to keep her entertained. Good basic strength, squatted below parallel 40kg x10 at 65kg without trouble. Could have squatted more but better to start a bit low than a bit high if she's training mostly on her own. I thought she was only 53kg or so, must have a lot of muscle in there, either that or made of lead.
Probably 40kg x10 at 65kg doesn't impress anyone here, but take some young male and try to get him to squat 2/3 his bodyweight for 10 reps on the first day and see what happens.
From what I've seen, most women with some kind of physical training behind them, even just recreational sports, they'll have quite a bit of strength to begin with. Most vastly underestimate it, for example the woman who I talked about
here. Does this match your experience, Annie?