Why is the overhead press so much lighter than the bench?

Less muscle is involved and there is no bench to push against. A press around two thirds of your bench is normal.

Does a push press count?

No. A push press uses the legs to start the bar and moves considerably more weight, so it needs its own number.

What rep range gives an honest press estimate?

Three to six. The press has a narrow band where strength is the limit, and past about eight reps the set ends on shoulder endurance instead, which drags the estimate down.

Calculator · preset of one rep max calculator

Overhead press one rep max calculator

Estimate your overhead press max from a set of a few reps. Four formulas, the spread between them, and the percentages to train at.

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

Estimate your overhead 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 overhead press moves the least weight of the main barbell lifts, and it is the one where a few kilos represents real progress. That makes an accurate estimate more useful here than anywhere else.

Estimate from a set of three to six. The press has a narrow rep range where strength is the limiting factor, and past about eight reps the set is limited by shoulder endurance instead.

Fifty kilos for five comes out near fifty-eight. Progress is slow on this lift by nature, so expect the number to move in small increments rather than the jumps a squat or deadlift produces.

Keep strict presses and push presses as separate numbers. Driving with the legs adds a large amount of weight, and training a strict press off a push press estimate will have you failing on the first working set.

Questions

Why is the overhead press so much lighter than the bench?: Less muscle is involved and there is no bench to push against. A press around two thirds of your bench is normal.
Does a push press count?: No. A push press uses the legs to start the bar and moves considerably more weight, so it needs its own number.
What rep range gives an honest press estimate?: Three to six. The press has a narrow band where strength is the limit, and past about eight reps the set ends on shoulder endurance instead, which drags the estimate down.