1RM Percentage Chart: Reps at Every Percentage of Your One-Rep Max

A 1RM percentage chart shows about how many reps you can do at a given percentage of your one-rep max (1RM), the heaviest weight you can lift once with good form. The classic NSCA numbers are 90% for 4 reps, 85% for 6, 80% for 8, 75% for 10 and 70% for 11 or 12. A 2024 analysis of 269 studies found that lifters average more reps than that on most exercises: about 10 reps at 80% and 15 at 70%, with big differences from person to person.

1RM Percentage Chart: Reps at Each Percentage

Multiply your 1RM by the percentage to get the weight. The reps are the most you could do on a fresh set with good form, taken to failure. The classic column is the cautious one, the 2024 column is the research average, and neither is a promise.

n/a means the source has no value for that row (and at 100% no reps are left in reserve). The classic NSCA textbook table also lists 93% for 3 reps, 87% for 5, 83% for 7, 77% for 9 and 67% for 12, and stops at 65%. The 2024 column is the paper's main-model average, rounded; its table starts at 95%, and 100% is 1 rep by definition. The last column is our arithmetic, the 2024 average minus 2, since RPE 8 means about 2 reps left. Reps in reserve are hard to judge in sets of more than 12, so treat the lower rows as rough.

Use the chart to pick a starting weight, then let how the set feels correct it. If you do not know your 1RM, enter a recent hard set into the One Rep Max Calculator and it lists the weight at every percentage. This is general training information, not medical advice, so train within your limits.

Where the Numbers Come From

Lookup charts come from lifters' test results: the NSCA training load chart (adapted from Lander, NSCA Journal 6(6)) and the table in the NSCA textbook Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning (4th edition, 2016), which the 2024 paper reproduced. They differ in one spot: the textbook has 11 reps at 70% and 12 at 67%, while the downloadable chart gives 12 at 70%. The One Rep Max Calculator table follows the downloadable chart.

Equations go the other way, from a set of reps to a 1RM estimate (w is the weight lifted, r the reps):

Epley: 1RM = w × (1 + r / 30) Brzycki: 1RM = w × 36 / (37 - r) Lander: 1RM = 100 × w / (101.3 - 2.67123 × r)

The calculator averages all three before rounding. For the same set they stay within about 4% of each other through 12 reps, then drift apart.

What the 2024 Research Says

Nuzzo, Pinto, Nosaka and Steele (Sports Medicine, 2024) identified 952 reps-to-failure tests from 7,289 people in 269 studies and analyzed 898 of them. The study groups were mostly male (66%), healthy (97%) and under 59 (92%), and the bench press (42% of groups) and leg press (14%) were studied most. What they found:

• Higher than the classic chart. At 80% the average is about 10 reps, not 8, and at 70% about 15, not 11 or 12. Heavy loads sit closer: 7 reps at 85%, against 6.
• Sex, age and training status made little difference.
• The exercise matters. The leg press allowed notably more reps than the bench press at the same percentage, so each has its own table. Other exercises use the general table, and the authors say more data are needed for them.
• People vary a lot. The between-person standard deviation is 2.51 reps at 80% and 4.36 at 60%, so two lifters at the same percentage can finish several reps apart.

Average max reps, rounded.

At 80% the bench press average is 8.8 reps (95% confidence interval 7.7 to 10.1), close to the classic 8, while the leg press average is 13.1 (9.8 to 17.5). If you bench, use the bench column. For squats, deadlifts and everything else, the general column is the closest published guide, but it is only a starting point.

Worked Example: A 225 lb Bench Press Max

Say your tested bench press max is 225 lb, which is 102.06 kg (1 lb = 0.45359237 kg). If you have not tested it, 185 lb for 7 clean reps gets there: Epley gives 228 lb, Brzycki 222 lb and Lander 224 lb, and the calculator averages them to 224.7 lb, shown as 225 lb. Here is each working weight for an even 225 lb max, exact, then loaded in 5 lb jumps, and in kg loaded in 2.5 kg jumps (halfway values such as 202.5 lb go to the lighter load):

Three common setups, checked against the classic chart, the cautious choice (the 2024 bench press column allows 1 to 3 more reps from 65 to 80%, so these sets may feel a little easier):

• 5 × 5 at 80 to 85%: 180 to 190 lb. The classic limit at 80% is 8 reps, so 5 reps leaves about 3 in reserve (RPE 7). At 85% the limit is 6, leaving 1 (RPE 9).
• 3 × 8 at about 75%: 170 lb. The classic limit at 75% is 10 reps, so 8 reps leaves about 2 in reserve (RPE 8) on the first set.
• 3 × 12 at 65 to 70%: 145 to 155 lb. Start at the low end. The classic chart gives 15 reps at 65% but only 11 or 12 at 70%, and it describes one fresh set, so later sets give fewer reps.

Rep Ranges by Goal

The NSCA's load ranges, as summarized by the Uniformed Services University HPRC, are:

• Strength: at least 85% of 1RM for 4 to 6 reps.
• Muscle size (hypertrophy): 67 to 85% for 6 to 12 reps.
• Muscular endurance: below 67% for 12 or more reps.

Treat these as defaults, not walls. A 2017 meta-analysis of 21 studies compared loads of 60% or less with heavier loads, with every set taken to failure. Heavier loads built more 1RM strength, while muscle growth was similar. So lighter loads can build size when sets go to failure, and heavy sets are worth including if your max matters to you.

RPE and Reps in Reserve

The lifting version of RPE (rating of perceived exertion) rates a set by how many reps you had left, called reps in reserve (RIR). In Zourdos and colleagues (2016), 29 lifters rated squat sets with RPE 10 meaning 0 reps left, RPE 9 meaning 1, RPE 8 meaning 2, and so on, and the ratings tracked bar speed. Pair that with the chart: if 80% is good for about 8 reps and you stop at 5, you finished at RPE 7 (3 in reserve).

Lifters are imperfect judges. A 2022 review pooled 12 studies with 414 people and found lifters underpredicted their reps to failure by about 1 rep on average (they had more left than they thought), with worse predictions in sets of more than 12 reps. Use RPE as a rough steer on sets of 12 or fewer.

Estimating Your Max Without Testing It

Most lifters estimate, because a true max costs fatigue and carries risk. Do a hard set of 3 to 6 reps that ends close to failure, then enter the weight and reps in the One Rep Max Calculator. The estimate worsens as reps climb, because the equations stop agreeing: at 185 lb for 5 reps they span 208 to 216 lb, but at 135 lb for 15 reps they span 203 to 221 lb, and at 135 lb for 20 reps 225 to 286 lb. Above about 10 reps, treat any estimate as rough. HPRC also notes that multiple-rep tests are less reliable above 5 reps on lifts like the back squat, because form breaks down as you tire.

If you do test a true max, ramp up. The NSCA protocol HPRC describes goes 5 to 10 easy reps, then 3 to 5, then 2 to 3 near your limit. Each step adds 5 to 10% (10 to 20 lb) for upper-body lifts or 10 to 20% (30 to 40 lb) for lower-body lifts, with 2 to 4 minutes between max attempts. Use a spotter or safety arms, stop when technique slips, and time your rests with an interval timer.

Kilogram Version of the Chart

Percentages and reps do not change with units, only the weights do. Here is the same math for a 100 kg and a 140 kg max, rounded to 2.5 kg for gyms with 1.25 kg plates. 100 kg is 220.46 lb and 140 kg is 308.65 lb; use the weight converter for any other number.

Eating for a Strength Block

For protein, the 2025 to 2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (released January 2026) set a goal of 1.2 to 1.6 g per kg of body weight per day, and the International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand says 1.4 to 2.0 g per kg per day is sufficient for most exercising people. For a 185 lb (83.9 kg) lifter that is 101 to 134 g by the first range and 117 to 168 g by the second.

The macro calculator turns calories into grams, the calorie calculator sets the calories, and the lean body mass calculator helps if you carry a lot of extra body fat. Our guides to macros and TDEE cover the steps.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 1RM testing safe for beginners?

A 2020 review of 32 studies found the 1RM test reliable, including in untrained people, and the studies it covered reported very few adverse events. Beginners can still skip the true max, since a hard set of 5 reps gives a usable estimate. If you do test, warm up in steps, use a spotter or safety arms, and stop when technique breaks. Check with a doctor first if you have a heart, blood pressure or joint condition.

Why can I do more reps than the chart says?

The chart gives averages, and people vary: in the 2024 data the spread between lifters is about 2.5 reps at 80% and 4.4 at 60%. The classic chart is also low at most percentages (8 reps at 80%, against a 2024 average of about 10). Another cause is an out-of-date max after you got stronger.

How often should I retest my max?

There is no research-based interval. Many lifters retest at the end of a training block, or update the estimate whenever a hard set beats the chart. Estimating from a 3 to 6 rep set lets you track progress without a max attempt.

What percentage of my 1RM builds muscle?

The NSCA lists 67 to 85% of 1RM for 6 to 12 reps. A 2017 meta-analysis found similar muscle growth with loads of 60% or less and with heavier loads when every set went to failure, so hard sets at light or heavy loads can both work.

Is the chart the same for squat and bench press?

Not exactly. The 2024 paper found notably more reps on the leg press than the bench press at the same percentage (about 13 against 9 at 80%) and gave each its own table. It has none for the barbell squat or deadlift, so start from the general column and let your own sets correct it.

Sources

Figures here were checked against these references. This guide is general information, not medical advice.

• Nuzzo JL, Pinto MD, Nosaka K, Steele J. Sports Med 2024;54(2):303-321: reps at each percentage of 1RM, sample, moderators (open access)
• NSCA Training Load Chart (2012): chart adapted from Lander, NSCA Journal 6(6):60-61
• HPRC, What is a one-rep max? (Uniformed Services University, July 5, 2022): NSCA load ranges, testing protocol
• Zourdos MC et al. J Strength Cond Res 2016;30(1):267-275: RIR-based RPE
• Halperin I et al. Sports Med 2022;52(2):377-390: predicting reps to failure
• Schoenfeld BJ et al. J Strength Cond Res 2017;31(12):3508-3523: low-load versus high-load training
• Grgic J et al. Sports Med Open 2020;6:31: reliability and safety of the 1RM test
• Brzycki M. J Phys Educ Recreat Dance 1993;64(1):88-90: the Brzycki equation
• Jäger R et al. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 2017;14:20 (ISSN position stand): 1.4 to 2.0 g per kg per day
• Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025 to 2030 (HHS and USDA): protein goal
• NIST Handbook 44, 2026 edition, Appendix B: 1 lb = 0.45359237 kg