Bench press calculator
Enter a recent set where you could not have done another rep with the same weight. Count only the reps you completed. Sets of 10 or more reps are not used.
Estimated one-rep max
Estimated five-rep max
| Reps | Estimated weight |
|---|---|
| 1 | Your rep count |
| 2 | Your rep count |
| 3 | Your rep count |
| 4 | Your rep count |
| 5 | Your rep count |
| 6 | Your rep count |
| 7 | Your rep count |
| 8 | Your rep count |
| 9 | Your rep count |
These numbers are estimates based on the set you entered, not measured maxes or prescribed loads. Use them as planning references, not instructions to attempt a maximum. If you use an estimate in training, adjust to how the set actually feels. Stop an exercise if it causes pain.
Designed for people who already lift and are entering a set of an exercise they already perform.
How it works. Enter a recent set where you could not have done another rep with the same weight. The calculator applies the Brzycki equation to that set: weight lifted / (1.0278 - 0.0278 × reps). Brzycki developed the equation for repetitions performed to fatigue and limited its use to fewer than 10 repetitions, so the calculator accepts 1 to 9 reps.
It then uses the same equation to work back to the estimated equivalent weight for each rep count from 1 to 9. Every number shown is rounded to the nearest 1 lb or 0.5 kg. Every result is an estimate. The calculation runs in your browser.
If you stopped the set with reps left, use the RPE calculator instead.
What this page covers
This calculator is for the barbell bench press. Enter a bench press set, and the estimate is for the barbell bench press only. For other exercises, use the one rep max calculator.
What research found for the bench press
In a 1997 study of 67 untrained college students, LeSuer and colleagues tested the Brzycki equation and six other prediction equations against bench press maxes the participants actually lifted. Brzycki significantly underestimated the measured bench press max on average: 131.9 lb predicted versus 137.3 lb achieved in that sample. Mayhew and colleagues (2008), studying bench press in women, found prediction equations were more accurate when sets had fewer than 10 repetitions to fatigue. Treat any bench estimate as a starting point, not a measured max.
Example
If your last bench set was 135 lb for 8 reps, the calculator shows an estimated one-rep max of 168 lb and an estimated five-rep max of 149 lb.
Questions
Can I estimate my bench max without testing a max?
If you have a recent bench set where you could not have done another rep, enter it and the calculator estimates your 1RM from it. If you stopped with reps left, use the RPE calculator instead.
Is this for dumbbell or machine bench presses?
No. This page covers the barbell bench press. For other exercises, use the one rep max calculator.
Why is my estimate different from what I can lift?
Every result is an estimate. One reason can be a set that was not taken to failure; if you had reps left, use the RPE calculator. Research has also found that prediction equations can differ from actual bench press maxes.
How accurate is a bench press calculator?
Treat the result as an estimate. It depends on whether the set really was to fatigue, and on the Brzycki equation, which Brzycki limited to fewer than 10 repetitions.
For coaches
Wolvec is an AI platform for fitness coaches and online personal trainers, the whole coaching setup rather than an add-on to it. Your AI drafts each program week based on how you coach and the client's intake, and you approve the week before the client sees it.
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Sources
- Brzycki M. Strength testing: predicting a one-rep max from reps-to-fatigue. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, 1993; 64(1):88 to 90.
- Mayhew JL and colleagues. Accuracy of prediction equations for determining one repetition maximum bench press in women before and after resistance training. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 2008; 22(5):1570 to 1577.
- LeSuer DA, McCormick JH, Mayhew JL, Wasserstein RL, Arnold MD. The accuracy of prediction equations for estimating 1-RM performance in the bench press, squat, and deadlift. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 1997; 11(4):211 to 213.