Should I actually test my 1RM in the gym?

Most lifters do not need to. A heavy triple or single from a working set, plugged into the calculator, gets you within a few pounds of your true max without the central nervous system tax of a true testing day. True 1RM testing makes sense for competitive powerlifters peaking for a meet, or if you want a clean baseline before a long block. Otherwise, calculated 1RMs are the better operating number.

Why does this average two formulas instead of using one?

Epley and Brzycki disagree systematically. Epley over-estimates for high reps, Brzycki over-estimates for low reps. Averaging the two cancels most of that bias and tracks ground-truth maxes more closely than either formula alone, especially in the 4 to 8 rep range where most lifters do their working sets.

What is a good 1RM for my bodyweight?

The strength band on this page benchmarks you against adult-lifter percentiles for each lift. Untrained covers most adults who are new to a barbell. Novice means six to twelve months of consistent training. Intermediate is the realistic ceiling for most lifters who do not center their lives on the gym. Advanced and Elite require either competitive intent, strong genetics, or both.

How do I use this number to program my workouts?

The percentage table on this page shows you working weights for the 60 to 95 percent ranges. Most hypertrophy work happens in the 65 to 80 percent range for sets of 6 to 12 reps. Most pure strength work happens in the 80 to 92 percent range for sets of 1 to 5 reps. Above 92 percent should be infrequent and intentional.

How often should I update my 1RM?

Every 8 to 12 weeks for most lifters. Sooner if you finish a strength block, change technique meaningfully, or take more than two weeks off. The number drifts under your feet without you noticing, and a stale 1RM means stale percentage prescriptions, which is one of the most common reasons programs stall.

What's your one-rep max?

Free one-rep max calculator for bench, squat, deadlift, and overhead press. Averages Epley and Brzycki formulas, then plots your 1RM against adult-lifter strength bands.

4 lifts · ~60s

Pick a lift, then type the set you actually did.

Weight lifted

Reps completed

reps

Loaded bar · 185 lb

≈210lb

Estimated 1RM · bench press

From 185 lb × 5 reps · Epley + Brzycki averaged

Intermediate for a bench press, ahead of 55% of adult lifters

Plateaus start mattering. Volume management is the lever.

100 lb150225300350

UntrainedNoviceIntermediateAdvancedElite

Band cutoffs are published adult-lifter percentiles for this lift, male column. They are absolute loads, not bodyweight-adjusted, so a lighter lifter reads lower here than a bodyweight score would put them.

Working sets by %1RM

95%2 reps
200lb
90%4 reps
190lb
85%6 reps
180lb
80%8 reps
170lb
75%10 reps
160lb
70%12 reps
145lb
60%warm-up
125lb

Your 1RM against everyday weights

A full bag of cement~94 lb
2.23×
A motorcycle~450 lb
0.47×
An adult Bengal tiger~480 lb
0.44×

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How this works

Your one-rep max is the most useful single number in barbell training. Programs prescribe loads as percentages of it, strength bands compare you to other lifters using it, and weekly progress reports back to it. Every downstream decision is built on top of it.

We do not ask you to actually max out. Singles to true failure carry an injury cost, a recovery cost, and a noise problem (your nervous system on max-test day is not your nervous system on a Tuesday in week 4 of a block). Instead, we back-solve your 1RM from a regular working set using two well-known prediction formulas.

Apply Epley and Brzycki
Epley estimates 1RM as weight times one plus reps over thirty. Brzycki estimates 1RM as weight times thirty-six divided by thirty-seven minus reps. Both are well-validated for sets in the 1 to 10 rep range. Each carries a known systematic bias.
Average the two
Epley over-estimates for high-rep sets, Brzycki over-estimates for low-rep sets. Averaging cancels the symmetric portion of the bias and produces an estimate that tracks ground-truth maxes more closely than either formula alone, especially around 4 to 8 reps where most lifters live.
Round to the bar
We round the estimate to the nearest five pounds because that is what plate math actually allows on a standard barbell. The rounding is small enough not to matter for percentage prescriptions and saves you from looking at a number ending in .73 like it means something.
Place on the strength band
We compare your estimated 1RM against percentile thresholds drawn from adult lifter populations for that specific lift. The band is not a judgment, it is calibration. Knowing whether you are at intermediate or advanced changes how aggressive your weekly progression should be.

Estimates degrade above 10 reps. If you logged a set of 15, treat the calculated 1RM as a rough ceiling rather than a precise number. For sets of 1 to 8 reps taken close to failure, expect accuracy within 5 to 7 percent.

Common questions

For working sets in the 1 to 10 rep range it is accurate within roughly 5 percent for most adult lifters. Accuracy drops above 10 reps because muscular endurance starts dominating the limiting factor instead of pure strength. The estimate is most useful for sets you took close to failure or with one rep in reserve.

All free tools

What's your one-rep max?

Intermediate for a bench press, ahead of 55% of adult lifters

Working sets by %1RM

Your 1RM against everyday weights

How this works

Apply Epley and Brzycki

Average the two

Round to the bar

Place on the strength band

Common questions

What's your strength age?

Print your lifetime tonnage

Why your last program died

Intermediate for a bench press, ahead of 55% of adult lifters

Working sets by %1RM

Your 1RM against everyday weights

How this works

Apply Epley and Brzycki

Average the two

Round to the bar

Place on the strength band

Common questions

More free tools

What's your strength age?

Print your lifetime tonnage

Why your last program died