What is a good bench press max?

Bodyweight for one rep is a common first target for men and around two thirds of bodyweight for women, though both vary hugely with training age and build.

Do I need a spotter to test my bench max?

Yes, always. The bench is the one lift where a failed rep can pin you, which is exactly why estimating from a set of five is the sensible route.

Does grip width change the estimate?

It changes the lift, so keep the estimate with the grip you tested. A close grip bench is a different exercise and needs its own number.

Calculator · preset of one rep max calculator

Bench press one rep max calculator

Estimate your bench press max from a set you already did. Four formulas, the spread between them, and the training percentages.

Open the full one rep max calculator to change anything this preset fixes

Estimate your bench press max

Weight lifted

Clean reps

Estimated one rep max

114.8 kg

The four formulas span 112.5 to 117.5 kg. Train off the average.

Epley: 116.7
Brzycki: 112.5
Lombardi: 117.5
O'Conner: 112.5

Training weights

Reps	Percent	Weight
1	100%	114.8
2	95%	109
3	93%	106.7
4	90%	103.3
5	87%	99.9
6	85%	97.6
8	80%	91.8
10	75%	86.1
12	70%	80.3
15	65%	74.6

Percentages are the ranges programs are written against. They are a starting point for picking a weight, not a promise about how many reps you will get on the day.

What the four formulas are

Epley: The most widely used. Runs high above about ten reps.
Brzycki: Close to Epley at low reps, more conservative as reps climb.
Lombardi: A power curve. The most conservative of the four at high reps.
O'Conner: Epley flattened. Sits lowest across most of the rep range.

How it works

The bench press is the lift people most want a number for, and the one it is least sensible to test directly. A failed single pins you under the bar, so unless there is a competent spotter and a rack with pins, estimating from a set you finished is the better route.

Enter the weight and the reps from a hard set and the calculator returns what each formula gives, the average, and the training percentages. Eighty kilos for five comes out around ninety-two.

Bench estimates tend to run slightly high, because the bench is a short-range lift where a few extra reps come cheaply once the bar is moving. If the number surprises you, test a triple before trusting it.

Keep the grip consistent between the set you measured and the training you do off it. A close grip bench uses more triceps and less chest and will not match the estimate at all.

Questions

What is a good bench press max?: Bodyweight for one rep is a common first target for men and around two thirds of bodyweight for women, though both vary hugely with training age and build.
Do I need a spotter to test my bench max?: Yes, always. The bench is the one lift where a failed rep can pin you, which is exactly why estimating from a set of five is the sensible route.
Does grip width change the estimate?: It changes the lift, so keep the estimate with the grip you tested. A close grip bench is a different exercise and needs its own number.