What is the most you could lift for a single rep? Find out without ever having to attempt it - just enter a set you already did.
1RM means one rep max - the heaviest weight you could lift once with clean form. It is the standard measure of strength, and every serious programme is written as a percentage of it, like "5 reps at 80%".
Because a true max attempt is where form breaks down and injuries happen - especially training alone. So most people take a set of 5-8 reps and work backwards from it. This is the Epley formula, and it stays quite accurate between 1 and 10 reps.
For strength, work at 85-95% for 2-5 reps. For size, work at 70-80% for 8-12 reps. Recalculate every four to six weeks - if the number is climbing, your programme is working. Always warm up before heavy sets, and never bench press heavy on your own without a spotter.
Everything on this page is worked out from a formula or from published averages. It has never met you, and it cannot see your blood pressure, your medication or an old injury.
Talk to a doctor before you start if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a heart condition, diabetes or high blood pressure, take regular medication, have or have had an eating disorder, are recovering from injury or surgery, or are under 18. Stop and get advice if any exercise causes pain, dizziness or chest discomfort.
More about where these numbers come from is on the about page.
