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Bench press chart

Enter your bench press max to fill in the load at every percentage from 50% to 100%, with the reps each one allows. Don't know your max? The bench max chart turns a set of 1 to 10 reps at common bar weights into an estimated max.

Unit

Example result

Your max

225lb

80% for working sets

180lb

Loads rounded to 5 lb. Reps are what a set to failure at that load usually gives.

Bench press percentages of 225 lb
% of 1RMLoadReps to failure
100%225 lb1
95%215 lbabout 2
90%205 lbabout 4
85%190 lbabout 6
80%180 lbabout 8
75%170 lbabout 11
70%160 lbabout 13
65%145 lbabout 17
60%135 lbabout 21
55%125 lbabout 25
50%115 lbabout 31
Build a bench press session at these loads

Bench press percentage chart

Each share of your bench max and the reps it usually allows. The last column is for sets you stop with 2 reps still in you.

% of 1RMReps to failureReps with 2 in reserveLoad for a 225 lb max
100%1—225 lb
95%2—215 lb
90%42205 lb
85%64190 lb
80%86180 lb
75%119170 lb
70%1311160 lb
65%1715145 lb
60%2119135 lb
55%2523125 lb
50%3129115 lb

Bench press chart examples

Four benchers with four different maxes, and what each should take from their chart.

  • Example 1

    Sets of 8 from a 95 lb max

    A lifter a year in, with a 95 lb single, who wants to run sets of 8.

    Your 1RM
    95 lb
    • Your max95 lb
    • 80% for working sets75 lb

    75 lb is about 8 reps to failure, so start sets of 8 one row lower, at 70 lb. A 5 lb jump is over 5% of this max; a pair of 1.25 lb plates makes 2.5 lb jumps possible.

    Build a bench press session at these loads Open with these numbers

  • Example 2

    Fives at 100 kg

    An intermediate lifter with a 100 kg bench, running sets of 5.

    Your 1RM
    100 kg
    • Your max100 kg
    • 80% for working sets80 kg

    80 kg is about 8 reps to failure, so a set of 5 there leaves about 3 in reserve: a solid working weight. Fives that leave only 1 in reserve sit at the 85% row, 85 kg.

    Build a bench press session at these loads Open with these numbers

  • Example 3

    A 315 lb bencher picking an opener

    A powerlifter benching 315 lb, choosing a first attempt for a meet.

    Your 1RM
    315 lb
    • Your max315 lb
    • 80% for working sets250 lb

    At the 90% row, 285 lb, the chart allows about 4 reps. As a single that leaves room for a bad day, which is what an opener is for.

    Build a bench press session at these loads Open with these numbers

  • Example 4

    Back to bench at 58

    A 58-year-old returning lifter with a 185 lb max who keeps sets at 10 reps.

    Your 1RM
    185 lb
    • Your max185 lb
    • 80% for working sets150 lb

    Ten reps at the 80% load, 150 lb, is past failure. The 70% row, 130 lb, allows about 13, so sets of 10 there leave about 3 in reserve.

    Build a bench press session at these loads Open with these numbers

Bench press max chart

Know what you did for reps but not your max? Find the weight on the bar and read across to the reps you got. Each cell is the max that set predicts, using the same formula as the bench press calculator.

The reps are to failure. If you stopped with reps left, add them before you read the chart: 225 lb for 6 with 2 left reads as 225 lb for 8.

Estimated bench press max in lb from a set to failure, rounded to 1 lb
Weight lifted1 rep2 reps3 reps4 reps5 reps6 reps8 reps10 reps
135 lb135140144149153158167176
155 lb155160165171176181191202
185 lb185191197204210216228241
205 lb205212219226232239253267
225 lb225233240248255263278293
245 lb245253261270278286302319
275 lb275284293303312321339358
315 lb315326336347357368389410

How many reps should you get at 80% on bench?

For the bench press specifically, a meta-analysis summarized by Stronger By Science estimated about 8.8 reps at 80% of max and 6.2 at 85%. This chart says 8 and 6, so it lines up well with the bench.

If you get clearly more reps than a row allows, your max has gone up. Enter the new one.

How much should you bench?

Among raw powerlifting competitors in the OpenPowerlifting data, the median man at 75 to 82.5 kg bodyweight benches 120 kg, about 1.5 times bodyweight, and the median woman at 63 to 69 kg benches 60 kg, about 0.9 times. Those are competitors, a stronger-than-average group.

The bench press standards page places your max by sex and bodyweight.

Bench press technique

The lift this chart is for

Barbell Bench Press

Chest

Percentages only carry over if every rep looks the same. A bounced or half rep at 80% makes the chart look easy and pushes you toward loads you can't handle with a controlled touch.

How to do it

  1. Lie on the bench with your eyes just under the bar and plant your feet flat, a little wider than your hips.
  2. Pull your shoulder blades together and down into the bench, keeping a small arch in your lower back with your glutes still touching the pad.
  3. Grip the bar a little wider than shoulder width, wrists stacked over your forearms, and lift it out of the hooks so it sits over your shoulders.
  4. Lower the bar under control to your lower chest, elbows tucked about 45 degrees from your sides.
  5. Touch your chest without bouncing, then press up and slightly back toward the hooks until your arms are straight.

Cues

  • Shoulder blades pinned to the bench
  • Elbows at 45 degrees, not flared
  • Touch, then press

Common mistakes

  • Losing your upper back as you unrack: if your shoulders roll forward when you lift the bar out, set your shoulder blades again before the first rep, or have someone hand it to you.
  • Elbows pointing straight out to the sides, which lands the bar up near your collarbones: bring them in toward 45 degrees and aim for your lower chest.

Full bench press guide

Make it fit you

  • Smaller jumps on bench

    A 5 lb jump is a bigger share of a bench max than of a squat or deadlift max. Fractional plates let you add 2.5 lb; the plate calculator shows how to load it.

  • Test the rep you train

    If you pause your reps in competition, take the max from paused sets, and read the chart for paused training.

  • Separate maxes for other presses

    Incline, close-grip and dumbbell pressing each need their own max. The incline bench press calculator and dumbbell bench press calculator estimate those.

  • Safeties for the top rows

    Rows at 90% and above leave 4 reps or fewer to failure. Bench them with safety arms set or a spotter.

Questions

How many reps of 225 do you need to bench 315?

13 reps to failure: 225 × (1 + 12 ÷ 30) = 315 lb. A heavier set is a better test; 280 lb for 5 predicts about 317 lb.

Is 225 for 10 a 300 lb bench?

By this formula, 225 lb for 10 reps to failure estimates 293 lb. Calculators using standard Epley say 300 lb because they count an extra rep.

How many reps can you bench at 80%?

About 8 to failure, or 6 with 2 in reserve. Bench-specific data averages just under 9.

What is a good bench press for my weight?

It depends on sex, bodyweight and training age. The bench press standards calculator compares your max with raw powerlifters at your bodyweight.

How do I find my bench max without testing it?

Enter a recent hard set with the reps you had left in the bench press calculator, then bring that max back here.

Sources

Your bench chart, kept current

Log load, reps and RIR on every bench set and RIRLift keeps your estimated bench max current, then picks the weight for your next session.

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