Character of Effort Calculator
Enter one test set and get your estimated max and the load for each rep range.
Force First · Est. 2012
It's not what you
It's not what you
can do.
It's what you can adapt to.
Strength and performance training built on peer-reviewed research and more than a decade of field work. For athletes who need force fast, and for adults who want to stay strong for life.
Powered by science. Driven by force.
Philosophy
Strength builds capacity. Nothing else does it for you.
There are no special exercises that protect you. There is strength, and the capacity it builds: bone, tendon and muscle that can tolerate more load, for longer.
01
Adapt, don't survive
Your body doesn't adapt to what you survive. It adapts to what you can recover from. We program for the dose you can absorb, not for the session you can endure.
02
Intent beats ego
Every rep is an all-out attempt to move the weight fast, however slow the bar ends up. Quality of each repetition over the number of repetitions.
03
Evidence first
Every claim traces back to a peer-reviewed study. When the evidence is limited, we say so. We'd rather be honest than impressive.
The method
The character of effort
An idea from Spanish strength-training research (González-Badillo): compare the reps you do with the reps you could do. We write it as sets × reps done (reps possible).
4×4(8)
4 sets of 4 reps, with a weight you could lift 8 times.
4 reps done, 4 left in the tank.
Rule one: maximal intent
Lift every rep as fast as you possibly can. In a six-week bench press study, the group that lifted at maximal intended velocity gained almost twice as much strength as the group that lifted at half speed.
Rule two: the goal sets the dose
For maximal strength, speed and jump, we use about half your reps in reserve as a reference. When the goal is muscle size, you work closer to failure. A reference, not a law.
Programs
Free
Coming soon
Coming soon
Train the method, week by week
Every session planned, every set already calculated. Each program starts with a calibration protocol so your sense of effort gets sharper from week one.
Speed-Strength for Athletes
8 weeks to move more force, faster. For field and court athletes, sprinters and lifters with at least six months of lifting experience. Squat, bench and hinge progressions with jump and sprint quality work.
Strength for Life, 40+
8 weeks of full-body strength for adults who want to stay independent and capable. Beginner-friendly, no impact jumps, with controlled intent and loaded carries.
Program names are working titles. Join the list below to be first to know when each one opens.
The method & the mind
Coach Clemente
Head of Performance at Force First. Coaching athletes since 2012, with a degree in Physical Activity and Sport Sciences and a Master's in High Performance Sport trained in the González-Badillo velocity-based school.
Force First is built on field experience and mechanical tension: the load the tissue feels, and can recover from.
Built on field experience & mechanical tension.
Stay in the loop
Get the free 1RM Protocol
The step-by-step test to find your max without going to failure, as a one-page PDF, plus an email when the programs open. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.