---
title: What causes an e1RM to go up or down?
description: An e1RM can go up or down based on factors like improvements in strength, fatigue, training load, or changes in exercise technique. If athletes are lifting heavier weights for higher reps, their e1RM will likely increase. Conversely, if they struggle with their lifts or decrease training intensity, it may drop.
---

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# What causes an e1RM to go up or down?

### For Coaches

### Increases and decreases in e1RM

During a Volt workout, the Smart Sets feature (which is powered by Cortex, Volt's AI) works to adjust the recommended loading for a movement from set to set, based on the athlete’s feedback on a scale of 1 to 10 RPE (rate of perceived exertion). Behind the scenes, Cortex knows what RPE rating we are *expecting* for any given set -- for example, Cortex might recommend 75% of the athlete’s e1RM for 8 reps, with an expected RPE of 6. These recommendations are based on the underlying exercise science behind each phase, training block, week, movement, and set in your athletes’ Volt workouts.

Using the example above, if the athlete’s *actual* RPE rating for that movement is *higher* than Cortex expected -- say a 10 instead of 6 -- Cortex will adjust their e1RM down, in order to keep the athlete working at the appropriate exertion level for their workout. Similarly, if the athlete’s *actual* RPE is *lower* than the expected RPE -- a 1 instead of a 6, for example -- Cortex will adjust their e1RM up, to ensure the athlete is being challenged enough to see progress. 

Even though this relationship between *expected* and *actual*  RPE might sound complex, our data science team has found that this process of auto-regulation -- the athlete’s ability to go outside of Cortex’s originally recommended loading and reps for a movement, based on how they are feeling -- results in greater overall strength gains over time.

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