Bench Press Calculator

Estimating your bench press max

The bench press is the lift most lifters test and re-test, so it gets its own calculator here rather than sharing a generic page. Enter any recent working set — a set you took close to failure with good form — and this tool averages four standard 1RM formulas to estimate your true max.

Bench estimates from higher rep sets (10+) tend to run optimistic for lifters with less pressing endurance, and pessimistic for lifters who grind well. If your estimate looks off compared to how a max attempt has felt in the past, weight the lower end of the formula spread more heavily.

Use the plate calculator to figure out exactly which plates to load once you know your target working weight, or the kg to lbs converter if your numbers came from a metric program.

Where these numbers come from

The formulas and default values in this calculator are based on:

• Epley (1985), Brzycki (1993), Lombardi (1989), and O'Conner et al. (1989) 1RM prediction formulas

These are planning estimates for training purposes. Check with a coach, trainer, or physician before starting a new program or maxing out.