How do I calculate my one-rep max without testing it?

Use the Epley formula: one-rep max equals the weight multiplied by one plus the reps divided by thirty. Three reps at 100 kg estimates a 110 kg max. Keep the rep count at twelve or below, because extrapolation error grows sharply past roughly twelve reps.

Are strength standards based on other users?

Not here. These thresholds are published bodyweight-ratio standards in the ExRx and Symmetric Strength tradition, not a live database of other people's lifts. That means your rank does not shift because of who else logged a lift this week.

Why is the standard different for each exercise?

Because the same relative effort moves very different loads. A leg press at 3.0 times bodyweight is ordinary; a barbell curl at 3.0 times bodyweight is not humanly plausible. Using one scale for every lift mis-ranks machine and accessory work badly in both directions, so each lift has its own thresholds.

Strength Standards Calculator — How Strong Are You?

How strength standards actually work

Two numbers decide everything: what you lifted, and what you weigh. A 225 lb bench is a Gold-tier lift for a 225 lb lifter and an Elite one for a 115 lb lifter. Absolute load says almost nothing on its own, which is why "is 225 good?" has no answer until someone asks your bodyweight.

So the standard is a ratio: your estimated one-rep max divided by your bodyweight. Bench 1.0× and you're at Gold. Deadlift 2.0× and you're at Gold on that lift. The ratio does the normalizing, and the thresholds do the judging.

Getting a one-rep max without testing one

Maxing out is risky and you don't need to. The Epley formula estimates it from a set you've already done:

1RM = weight × (1 + reps ÷ 30)

Three reps at 100 kg estimates 110 kg. A single rep is its own max. This calculator caps the reps it feeds the formula at twelve, because extrapolation error grows sharply past roughly that point (Reynolds, Gordon & Robergs, 2006) — a set of twenty shouldn't imply a max you couldn't actually lift.

Why every lift has a different scale

One scale for all exercises mis-ranks badly in both directions. A leg press at 2.8× bodyweight is an ordinary intermediate number, but measured against barbell ratios it clears "elite". A lateral raise at 0.5× bodyweight would be a world record. Machine and accessory lifts move far more, or far less, than a barbell at the same relative effort — so each lift is tabulated separately.

The full threshold table

Every number is a multiple of your bodyweight. Dumbbell entries are per dumbbell.

Lift	Bronze	Silver	Gold	Platinum	Elite

Any lift not listed uses a general scale of 0.40 / 0.65 / 0.90 / 1.30 / 1.75.

Questions people ask

What is a good bench press for my bodyweight?

Bodyweight for one rep is Gold. Half your bodyweight is Bronze, 1.5× is Platinum, and double bodyweight is Elite. Squat and deadlift sit higher — Gold is 1.5× and 2.0× respectively — because those lifts move more weight at the same relative effort.

Is 225 a good bench press?

It depends entirely on what you weigh. At 225 lb bodyweight it's Gold. At 185 lb it's between Gold and Platinum. At 150 lb it's past Platinum and closing on Elite. That's the whole reason these standards are ratios rather than fixed numbers.

Are these based on other people's lifts?

No. They're published bodyweight-ratio standards in the ExRx and Symmetric Strength tradition — a fixed scale, not a live leaderboard. Your rank doesn't move because of who logged what this week, which also means it can't be gamed.

How accurate is an estimated one-rep max?

Good enough to rank with, not good enough to program a max attempt from. Epley is comparable in accuracy to Brzycki below about ten reps and drifts upward above that, which is why the rep input is capped. Treat the output as a reasonable estimate, not a number to walk up to a loaded bar with.

Does this work for women?

The ratios here are a single scale rather than sex-specific tables. Published standards often differ by sex, particularly on upper-body lifts, so read a tier as a rough position on a general scale rather than a precise percentile for any one group.

Disclaimers

Estimates only · no warranty

This calculator is an informational estimate produced from figures you enter yourself. It is provided “as is” and without warranty of any kind, express or implied. Verntro Labs, LLC does not warrant that the results are accurate, complete or current. An estimated one-rep max is a formula's output, not a measured performance, and a tier is a position on a general scale rather than a precise assessment of you.

Not medical or coaching advice

Nothing here is medical, health or professional coaching advice, and nothing here is a training program. Strength training carries an inherent risk of serious injury. Consult a physician before starting or changing any exercise program, work within your own capability, use proper form and appropriate safety equipment, and stop immediately if anything feels wrong. Never attempt a load because a number on this page suggested it.

Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Verntro Labs, LLC accepts no liability for any injury, loss or damage — direct, indirect, incidental, consequential or otherwise — arising from your use of, or reliance on, this calculator. You use it at your own risk and remain solely responsible for every weight you lift.

Trademarks

ExRx.net and Symmetric Strength are the property of their respective owners and are named here only to describe the kind of published bodyweight-ratio standard these thresholds follow. The values on this page are Verntro Labs' own approximations; they are not reproduced from, endorsed by, or affiliated with either. STRAXE and Verntro Labs are trademarks of Verntro Labs, LLC.

Questions: support@verntrolabs.com.

Strength standards calculator

Your lift