One rep max calculator
Enter a weight and the reps you completed, and this 1 rep max calculator estimates your one rep max (1RM) as the average of the Epley, Brzycki and Wathen formulas. A set of 225 lb for 5 reps estimates a 1RM of about 260 lb; 100 kg for 5 estimates about 115 kg.
Estimate your one rep max
Enter the weight and the reps you completed with good form, to failure or close to it.
This is the same estimate the full athleticism calculator uses when you enter a lift as weight × reps, so the number and the percentiles here match it exactly. Add your lift, sex, age and bodyweight under "How does it rank?" to see where your max sits among all adults your age and among NCAA Division I athletes. To combine several lifts into one strength score, use thestrength calculator.
How to calculate your one rep max
Warm up, then take a weight you can lift for roughly 3 to 10 reps and do as many clean reps as you can, stopping when the next rep would break form. Enter the weight and the reps. Each formula turns that set into a predicted single:
- Epley: 1RM = weight × (1 + reps / 30)
- Brzycki: 1RM = weight × 36 / (37 − reps)
- Wathen: 1RM = 100 × weight / (48.8 + 53.8 × e−0.075 × reps)
The three disagree by a few percent at low rep counts, so the calculator reports their average. A single counts as your max. Past 10 reps the calculator warns, and past 12 it shows no estimate.
One rep max chart: percentage of 1RM by reps
The share of your one rep max the averaged formula expects you to lift for an all-out set of each rep count. Use it to pick working weights: for sets of 5, start a little under the 5-rep figure.
| Reps | % of 1RM | If your 1RM is 225 lb | If your 1RM is 100 kg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 100.0% | 225 lb | 100 kg |
| 2 | 95.3% | 215 lb | 95 kg |
| 3 | 92.3% | 210 lb | 92.5 kg |
| 4 | 89.5% | 200 lb | 90 kg |
| 5 | 86.8% | 195 lb | 87.5 kg |
| 6 | 84.2% | 190 lb | 85 kg |
| 7 | 81.7% | 185 lb | 82.5 kg |
| 8 | 79.3% | 180 lb | 80 kg |
| 9 | 77.0% | 175 lb | 77.5 kg |
| 10 | 74.7% | 170 lb | 75 kg |
| 11 | 72.6% | 165 lb | 72.5 kg |
| 12 | 70.5% | 160 lb | 70 kg |
1RM from common sets
Estimated one rep max for common weight and rep combinations, in pounds, rounded to 5 lb.
| Weight | 2 reps | 3 reps | 5 reps | 8 reps | 10 reps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 95 lb | 100 lb | 105 lb | 110 lb | 120 lb | 125 lb |
| 135 lb | 140 lb | 145 lb | 155 lb | 170 lb | 180 lb |
| 185 lb | 195 lb | 200 lb | 215 lb | 235 lb | 250 lb |
| 225 lb | 235 lb | 245 lb | 260 lb | 285 lb | 300 lb |
| 275 lb | 290 lb | 300 lb | 315 lb | 345 lb | 370 lb |
| 315 lb | 330 lb | 340 lb | 365 lb | 395 lb | 420 lb |
Max squat calculator: estimate your squat 1RM from a set
The calculator above works for the back squat. Squat to your usual depth, take a weight you can move for 3 to 10 clean reps, and enter the weight and the reps you completed. A set of 225 lb for 5 estimates a squat one rep max of about 260 lb.
To rank it, choose Back squat under "How does it rank?" and add your sex, age and bodyweight. The percentile uses the same squat norms as the main calculator: a 179 lb man aged 24 who squats 225 lb for 5 reps sits at the 79th percentile of all men his age and at the 20th percentile of NCAA Division I men. The median one rep max squat for that man is about 190 lb. See the average squat by age for every age band, and the squat standards by bodyweight for your size.
How accurate is a one rep max calculator?
Close for a group, less exact for one person, and better from fewer reps. In Reynolds and colleagues (2006), 70 adults aged 18 to 69 were tested for their 1-, 5-, 10- and 20-rep maxes on the bench press and leg press. The 5-rep max predicted the true max best, prediction got worse at 10 and 20 reps, and the authors advise using no more than 10 reps.
The lift matters too. A 2024 meta-regression of 269 studies found people get more reps at a given percentage on the leg press than on the bench press, so one formula cannot fit every lift equally well. For the most reliable number, use a set of 3 to 5 reps taken close to failure with consistent form.
Is my one rep max good?
One rep max needed to reach the median, 75th and 90th percentile among all adults aged 18-29, at the US median bodyweight (179 lb for men, 153 lb for women). Modeled — estimated from indirect evidence; treat every number here as an informed estimate, not a measurement.
Men, 18-29
| Lift | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bench press | 155 lb (72.5 kg) | 190 lb (87.5 kg) | 230 lb (102.5 kg) |
| Back squat | 190 lb (87.5 kg) | 245 lb (112.5 kg) | 305 lb (140 kg) |
| Deadlift | 245 lb (110 kg) | 305 lb (137.5 kg) | 370 lb (167.5 kg) |
| Overhead press | 100 lb (45 kg) | 125 lb (55 kg) | 150 lb (67.5 kg) |
Women, 18-29
| Lift | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bench press | 70 lb (32.5 kg) | 85 lb (40 kg) | 100 lb (47.5 kg) |
| Back squat | 110 lb (50 kg) | 135 lb (62.5 kg) | 170 lb (77.5 kg) |
| Deadlift | 150 lb (67.5 kg) | 180 lb (82.5 kg) | 215 lb (97.5 kg) |
| Overhead press | 45 lb (20 kg) | 55 lb (25 kg) | 65 lb (30 kg) |
Every age and bodyweight is on the lift pages: bench for your bodyweight, squat for your bodyweight, deadlift for your bodyweight and overhead press for your bodyweight. To compare a squat, bench and deadlift total across bodyweights, use the DOTS calculator.
How this is calculated
The estimate is the mean of three published equations: Epley (1985), Brzycki (1993) and Wathen (1994). The ranking uses the site's strength reference distributions, adjusted for age and bodyweight, exactly as the methodology describes. Automated tests check that this page and the main calculator give the same one rep max and the same percentiles for the same set.
One rep max questions
How do you calculate your one rep max?
Lift a weight for as many clean reps as you can, up to 10, then plug the weight and reps into a formula. This calculator averages the Epley, Brzycki and Wathen formulas. For example, 225 lb for 5 reps estimates a one rep max of about 260 lb, and 100 kg for 5 reps about 115 kg.
How accurate is a one rep max calculator?
Most accurate from sets of 10 reps or fewer. In a study of 70 adults tested at 1, 5, 10 and 20 reps, the 5-rep max predicted the true max best and accuracy fell as reps rose, so the authors advise using no more than 10 reps. An individual estimate can still miss by several percent. Past 12 reps this calculator shows no estimate.
What percentage of my 1RM can I lift for 5 reps?
About 86.8% under the averaged formula, 92.3% for 3 reps, 79.3% for 8 and 74.7% for 10. These are averages. A 2024 review of 269 studies found people get more reps at a given percentage on the leg press than on the bench press.
What does a max rep calculator do?
A max rep calculator works in both directions between a set and your max. Enter a weight and the reps you managed, and it estimates the heaviest single you could lift. Read the chart from your max, and it gives the weight you should manage for 1 to 12 reps: about 86.8% of your 1RM for 5 reps and 74.7% for 10. Both directions use the same averaged formula.
Is it safe to test a true one rep max?
A true max attempt is a normal part of strength training for people with lifting experience, a proper warm-up and a spotter or safety pins. If you are new to a lift, an estimate from a set of 3 to 5 gives you a usable number without the max attempt.
What is a good one rep max for bench press?
For an average-size man aged 18-29 (179 lb), the median bench press one rep max among all men that age is about 155 lb and the 90th percentile about 230 lb. For an average-size woman (153 lb) the median is about 70 lb. Use the ranking fields in the calculator for your own age and bodyweight.
Your max is one lift. Get your overall athleticism rank across strength, power, agility and endurance.
Related
- Bench press percentile calculator
- Back squat percentile calculator
- Deadlift percentile calculator
- Overhead press percentile calculator
- DOTS calculator: score your squat, bench and deadlift total
- Average bench press by age
- How much should I squat for my bodyweight?
- All standards, averages and calculators
Sources
- Epley B. Poundage chart. Boyd Epley Workout. Lincoln, NE: Body Enterprises; 1985.
- Brzycki M. Strength testing: predicting a one-rep max from reps-to-fatigue. JOPERD. 1993;64(1):88-90.
- Wathen D. Load assignment. In: Baechle TR, ed. Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning. Human Kinetics; 1994.
- Reynolds JM, Gordon TJ, Robergs RA. Prediction of one repetition maximum strength from multiple repetition maximum testing and anthropometry. J Strength Cond Res. 2006;20(3):584-592.
- Nuzzo JL et al. Maximal number of repetitions at percentages of the one repetition maximum: a meta-regression and moderator analysis of sex, age, training status, and exercise. Sports Med. 2024;54(2):303-321.
- Beia R et al. Developing accurate repetition prediction equations for trained older adults with osteopenia. Sports. 2024;12(9):233. Table 1 states all three formulas.