Max Bench
Bench Press Calculator
Put in a weight you have actually benched and how many reps you got, and this gives you an estimated one rep max. It runs six published formulas at once rather than picking one and pretending it is gospel.
Bench Press 1RM
Estimated 1RM
260lb
Average of valid formulas
Training max (90%)
235lb
Program off this, not the estimate.
All six formulas
| Formula | 1RM (lb) | In range |
|---|---|---|
| Epley | 265 | Yes |
| Brzycki | 255 | Yes |
| Lombardi | 265 | Yes |
| Mayhew et al. | 270 | Yes |
| O'Conner et al. | 255 | Yes |
| Wathan | 260 | Yes |
Warm-up to your top set
105
× 5 · 40%
145
× 5 · 55%
180
× 3 · 70%
220
× 2 · 85%
Load for every rep target
| Reps | % of 1RM | Load (lb) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 100% | 260 |
| 2 | 95% | 245 |
| 3 | 93% | 240 |
| 4 | 90% | 235 |
| 5 | 87% | 225 |
| 6 | 85% | 220 |
| 7 | 83% | 215 |
| 8 | 80% | 210 |
| 9 | 77% | 200 |
| 10 | 75% | 195 |
| 11 | 72% | 190 |
| 12 | 70% | 180 |
Why bench estimates are the most trustworthy of the three
Most of the research behind these formulas was done on the bench press, which is a small miracle for you — it means the equations were fitted on exactly the lift you are using them for. Mayhew and Wathan in particular were validated on bench sets taken to failure.
Bench is also the most repeatable of the big three. The bar path is short, the setup barely changes between sets, and there is no depth to argue about. If your touch point and your arch stay consistent, a set of five this month is genuinely comparable to a set of five last month.
The one thing that wrecks a bench estimate is a spotter with helpful hands. If someone touched the bar, that set is not data. Neither is a rep where your hips left the bench.
If you do test it
If you want to actually test it: work up in singles with three to five minutes between attempts, stop the moment bar speed dies, and have a spotter who understands that their job is to watch, not to row. Most people find their real max sits within a few percent of the average estimate.
Want the general version of all this — every formula, how they differ, and when each one stops working? That lives on the main one rep max calculator.
Bench Press questions
How do I calculate my max bench without testing it?
Take a set you did close to failure — ideally three to six reps — and put the weight and rep count into the calculator above. The average of the formulas will land within a few percent of a tested max for most lifters. The closer that set was to genuine failure, the closer the estimate.
Does this work for dumbbell bench press?
The formulas work on any load, so the math is fine — enter the combined weight of both dumbbells. But dumbbell maxes are limited by stability and by getting the bells into position, not purely by pressing strength, so treat the number as a dumbbell-specific estimate rather than something you can convert to a barbell max.
Is a 225 bench good?
It depends almost entirely on what you weigh. At 75kg bodyweight a 225lb (102kg) bench sits around the intermediate-to-advanced line; at 110kg it is closer to novice-intermediate. Bodyweight context is the whole game, which is what the strength standards tool is for.
Is that number any good?
A max means nothing without bodyweight context. The strength standards tool puts your number against beginner-to-elite bands for your weight class, which is a far more useful question than the raw figure.
Check your standards