What is 'difficulty mode' actually doing?

It scales the founder's numbers. Easy mode is the founder warming up, normal is his actual top set, nightmare is him on a really good day. The math underneath is the same Epley estimate, just scaled by 0.85, 1.0, or 1.18.

Why does the calculator call me a liar at high numbers?

Because the gap between the founder's lifts and elite-tier numbers is small enough that any meaningful overshoot is more likely a typo than a genuine outlier. If your numbers are real and you got the liar verdict, ignore the calculator and email the founder. He owes you a beer.

Why no third lift in the comparison?

The founder does not deadlift. Including a comparison would be unfair to him and unfair to you. We log your deadlift in case you want it for the offer-page personalization, but the matchup is bench plus squat only.

Why Epley alone instead of the Epley-Brzycki average from the 1RM tool?

The founder's posted-rep lifts (405 × 4, 405 × 10) come back to the same single 1RM number under Epley regardless of who runs the math. Using the same single formula on both sides keeps the matchup symmetric, which is the whole point of a versus comparison.

Now you find out the gap is closeable. The verdict copy in the result tells you roughly how many blocks you are away. Click the primary button. We will build the program that closes it.

Are you stronger than the founder?

Type your bench, squat, and deadlift. We compare them to the founder's posted lifts (405 × 4 bench, 405 × 10 squat) and call it like we see it.

3 lifts · ~45s

A linocut print of two chalked hands gripping a barbell

The founder · 2026 · normal mode

The numbers to beat

Bench

459

405 × 4 est.

Squat

540

405 × 10 est.

He does not deadlift. We do not talk about it.

Your side of the tape

Difficulty

Units

Bench

Bench reps

reps

Squat

Squat reps

reps

Estimated 1RMs, live

the full track is the founder

Bench
225vs 459
Squat
275vs 540

See how your plan gets built

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How this works

The matchup is bench-and-squat only because the founder does not pull. We estimate your 1RM from your posted weight + reps using the Epley formula, do the same for the founder's published 405 × 4 bench and 405 × 10 squat, and compare.

The verdict bands are not graded by absolute strength, they are graded by closeness. The interesting result is not 'you lost', it is 'you lost by 35 pounds and that is a 16-week meso block away'.

Convert units
If you typed kilograms, we multiply by 2.20462 before applying the formula so both sides are in the same unit.
Apply Epley
1RM = weight × (1 + reps / 30). Same formula for the founder's posted reps and for your inputs. We use Epley alone here (rather than the Epley-Brzycki average we use elsewhere) so both sides come from the same lens.
Pick a verdict band
Loss margin and difficulty mode determine which of five verdict bands you land in. The bands are calibrated so 'paper-thin' fires when you are within 15 lb on bench and 25 lb on squat.

The founder is not actually checking screenshots. But you should still send him one when the verdict flips.

Common questions

Yes. The bench and squat are real working sets caught on video. The deadlift is real too. He just refuses to do it. Make of that what you will.

All free tools

Are you stronger than the founder?

The numbers to beat

Your side of the tape

Estimated 1RMs, live

How this works

Convert units

Apply Epley

Pick a verdict band

Common questions

What's your one-rep max?

What's your strength age?

Print your lifetime tonnage

The numbers to beat

Your side of the tape

Estimated 1RMs, live

How this works

Convert units

Apply Epley

Pick a verdict band

Common questions

More free tools

What's your one-rep max?

What's your strength age?

Print your lifetime tonnage