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Percentage of 1RM Calculator

Enter your one-rep max to get loads for common training percentages, or any percentage you need. Each row shows the approximate rep range that load allows — a programming reference, not a guarantee.

Calculator

Estimate it from a set

Unit

Loads by percentage of one-rep max
% of 1RMLoadApprox. reps to failure
100%140 kg1
95%132.5 kg1–3
90%125 kg3–5
85%120 kg4–8
80%112.5 kg6–10
75%105 kg8–13
70%97.5 kgmore than 12
65%90 kgmore than 12
60%85 kgmore than 12
55%77.5 kgmore than 12
50%70 kgmore than 12

Rep ranges are an equation-based guide widened by about ±25% — the true number varies by exercise, muscle group and person.

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How it works

Each load is simply your one-rep max multiplied by the percentage, rounded to what standard plates can load. The approximate rep range comes from inverting the same equations our one-rep max calculator uses (the average of Brzycki and Epley [1] [2]), then widening it, because the real relationship varies.

What the evidence says

Percentage of 1RM is a programming reference, not a guarantee of a rep count. In trained and untrained men, more reps were possible at 60% of 1RM in the back squat than in the bench press or arm curl; the differences narrowed at 80–90% [3]. Endurance runners completed about twice as many reps as weightlifters at 70% of 1RM on the leg press [4].

The training goal also changes which percentages matter. Muscle grows across a broad range of loads when sets are taken close to failure, while maximal strength responds best to heavier loads [5] [6] — which is why strength programmes spend most of their time at roughly 75–90%.

Limitations

  • Your 1RM changes: a max tested months ago, or estimated from a light set, makes every percentage less meaningful.
  • Above about 12 reps the equations stop being informative, so lighter percentages show “more than 12”.
  • Daily readiness varies. If a percentage feels much harder than planned, reduce it; effort targets such as RPE adapt to the day automatically.

Frequently asked questions

How many reps can I do at 80% of my 1RM?

The equations used here predict about 8, but the real number depends on the exercise and on you: at the same percentage, more reps are possible in the squat than the bench press [3], and endurance-trained people manage more than strength-trained ones [4].

What percentage of 1RM should I train at?

For strength, most main-lift work sits around 75–90% for 1–6 reps; for muscle growth, a wide range of loads works if sets end close to failure [5]. Our guide to how heavy to lift explains the trade-offs.

Sources

  1. [1]Brzycki M. Strength testing—predicting a one-rep max from reps-to-fatigue. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance. 1993;64(1):88–90. Source
  2. [2]Mayhew JL, Prinster JL, Ware JS, Zimmer DL, Arabas JR, Bemben MG. Muscular endurance repetitions to predict bench press strength in men of different training levels. Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness. 1995;35(2):108–113. Source
  3. [3]Shimano T, Kraemer WJ, Spiering BA, et al. Relationship between the number of repetitions and selected percentages of one repetition maximum in free weight exercises in trained and untrained men. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2006;20(4):819–823. Source
  4. [4]Richens B, Cleather DJ. The relationship between the number of repetitions performed at given intensities is different in endurance and strength trained athletes. Biology of Sport. 2014;31(2):157–161. Source
  5. [5]Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Strength and hypertrophy adaptations between low- vs. high-load resistance training: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2017;31(12):3508–3523. Source
  6. [6]Lopez P, Radaelli R, Taaffe DR, et al. Resistance Training Load Effects on Muscle Hypertrophy and Strength Gain: Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2021;53(6):1206–1216. Source

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