Bench press velocity loss needs sex-aware cutoffs
In short
At 60% 1RM in the bench press, men used a larger share of available reps than women at the same velocity loss. Across 30 participants, prior fatigue preserved the relationship, but women may need a higher cutoff for equivalent relative effort.
A shared stopping threshold can hide a different amount of work left. In a bench press experiment with 15 men and 15 women, men completed a greater percentage of their maximum possible repetitions at a given velocity loss. The gap was clearest at low-to-moderate loss thresholds. High prior fatigue narrowed the sex difference, so the meaning of a cutoff also depended on the work that came before it.
Did previous fatigue break the relationship?
Each participant completed four protocols one week apart. A preliminary effort consisted of three sets at 60% 1RM, terminated at a velocity loss of 0%, 20%, 40% or 60%, depending on the protocol. A subsequent set at 60% 1RM continued to failure. The researchers related velocity loss, or VL, to the percentage of maximum possible repetitions already completed, or %Rep. The ranges below span the tested fatigue conditions; they are not individual estimates assigned to each preliminary cutoff.
| VL–%Rep finding | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| R² across fatigue levels | 0.94–0.93 | 0.92–0.90 |
| %Rep at the same VL | Higher | Lower |
| Standard error of estimate | Overall range 7–9% | Overall range 7–9% |
The stable R² values support using slowdown as an effort indicator even after previous work. They do not establish an exact countdown to failure: the standard error of estimate was 7–9%. Nor does a strong relationship make the same numerical cutoff interchangeable between sexes. The abstract suggests a higher threshold may be needed for women to reach equivalent relative effort, but supplies no universal adjustment to add to a training plan.
How can a lifter use this in a bench log?
- Record load, sets, completed repetitions and estimated reps in reserve at termination.
- If measuring bar velocity, attach the stopping VL and the preceding sets to the entry.
- Compare repeated entries under similar conditions before adjusting the cutoff; a group average cannot choose an individual's threshold.
Those logging steps are an application of the finding, rather than an intervention tested by this experiment. Keep fairlift Big 3 1RM records and Muscle Index, its relative strength score, separate from within-set effort. A VL reading is not a new strength score. The related article on practising RIR estimates offers another way to think about tracking perceived effort. Evidence here concerns bench pressing at 60% 1RM; it does not establish cutoffs for every lift or load.
Frequently asked questions
How much higher should women set the velocity loss cutoff?
The bench press experiment in 30 participants suggests women may need a higher VL threshold for equivalent relative effort. Its abstract gives no universal percentage adjustment for women.
Does fatigue from earlier sets make velocity loss unusable?
At 60% 1RM in the bench press, the VL–%Rep relationship stayed stable across prior fatigue conditions. R² ranged from 0.94–0.93 in men and 0.92–0.90 in women.
Can velocity loss identify exactly how many reps remain?
The standard error of estimate for the VL–%Rep relationship was 7–9%. Recording load, repetitions, RIR and preceding work alongside VL provides context, but VL alone cannot establish an exact number of remaining reps.
Source: PubMed (published )