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Incline bench press max calculator

Enter a recent incline barbell bench set and how many more reps you could have done. The calculator estimates your incline one-rep max with the same formula the RIRLift app uses and gives the loads for your next incline session. The table below it shows how much lower an incline max runs than a flat one at each bench angle.

Unit
Reps in reserve

How many more you could have done. 0 means none.

Example result

Estimated incline bench press 1RM

86.5kg

Brzycki, for comparison

87kg

70 kg × 6 with 2 in reserve counts as 8 reps to failure.

Your rep maxes
  • 82.5 kg2RM
  • 80 kg3RM
  • 75 kg5RM
  • 70 kg8RM
  • 67.5 kg10RM
Working loads from your estimated max, rounded to 2.5 kg
GoalSets × repsRIRLoad
Heavy triple3 × 3275 kg
Strength fives5 × 5272.5 kg
Muscle-building eights3 × 8267.5 kg
Higher-rep tens3 × 10165 kg
Build an incline bench press session from this set

Incline bench examples

Three lifters on three benches. The angle matters as much as the weight, so each example says which one they used.

  • Example 1

    A flat bencher checking the incline

    An intermediate lifter who pressed 185 lb for 5 on a 30-degree bench, with 2 left.

    Weight lifted
    185 lb
    Reps completed
    5
    Reps in reserve
    2
    • Estimated incline bench press 1RM222 lb

    In the study averages below, a 30-degree max ran about 78% of a flat max, which puts a matching flat bench near 285 lb. If this lifter's flat max is well above that, the incline is the lift with room to grow: run it first in the session for a block.

    Build an incline bench press session from this set Open with these numbers

  • Example 2

    Eights for the upper chest

    A woman training for muscle who did 40 kg for 8 at about 30 degrees, stopping with 2 in reserve.

    Weight lifted
    40 kg
    Reps completed
    8
    Reps in reserve
    2
    • Estimated incline bench press 1RM52 kg

    For muscle, the useful rows are the eights and tens in the working-load table, not the max. Run them, and add 2.5 kg once every set of 8 feels like 3 in reserve.

    Build an incline bench press session from this set Open with these numbers

  • Example 3

    A gym bench stuck at 45 degrees

    A lifter whose only incline bench locks at 45 degrees, pressing 60 kg for 6 with 1 left.

    Weight lifted
    60 kg
    Reps completed
    6
    Reps in reserve
    1
    • Estimated incline bench press 1RM72 kg

    In the same study, the 45-degree max averaged about 9% below the 30-degree one. This number is a 45-degree max: keep using the same notch every session, and expect a lower figure than lifters who incline at 30.

    Build an incline bench press session from this set Open with these numbers

Incline to flat bench conversion

The steeper the bench, the less you press. Rodríguez-Ridao and colleagues tested 30 trained adults at five bench angles in 2020. The table shows their average maxes, with each angle as a share of the flat bench.

To convert, divide your incline max by the share for your angle. An 80 kg max at 30 degrees lines up with about 103 kg flat on these averages (80 ÷ 0.78). Your own ratio depends on how your chest, shoulders and triceps compare, so use the conversion to pick a starting weight, then let your sets decide. The bench press calculator gives your flat max from a set.

Average 1RM by bench angle, 30 trained adults (Rodríguez-Ridao et al., 2020)
Bench angleAverage 1RMShare of flat
Flat (0°)81.4 kg100%
15°72.0 kg88%
30°63.3 kg78%
45°57.9 kg71%
60°52.2 kg64%

Incline bench press technique

The lift this calculator is for

Incline Barbell Bench Press

Chest

Two habits inflate an incline max: a bench set steeper on one day than the next, and hips that lift off the pad, which flattens the angle mid-rep. Keep the notch and your hips the same and the estimate stays comparable week to week.

How to do it

  1. Set the bench to around 30 degrees, then lie back so your eyes sit just under the bar in the rack.
  2. Plant your feet, pull your shoulder blades together and down, and grip the bar a little wider than shoulder width.
  3. Unrack and move the bar until it sits over your upper chest with your arms straight.
  4. Take a breath and lower the bar to just below your collarbones, elbows about 45 degrees from your sides.
  5. Touch lightly and press up and a little back, finishing with the bar over your shoulders.

Cues

  • Bar to your upper chest
  • Shoulder blades together
  • Same notch every time

Common mistakes

  • Lifting your hips off the bench to press more weight: it lowers the angle, and the rep turns into a flatter bench.
  • Bringing the bar down to mid-chest out of flat-bench habit: aim higher, so your forearms stay close to vertical at the bottom.
  • Bouncing the bar off your chest: touch, keep your upper back tight, then press.

Swap for: Incline Dumbbell Press, Smith Machine Incline Press, Landmine Chest Press

Full incline bench press guide

Make it fit you

  • Write down the notch

    Benches differ in where 30 degrees sits. Note which notch you used and keep it, or your max will move with the bench, not with your strength.

  • Test with 4 to 8 reps

    That range gives the steadiest estimate. Past about 10 reps to failure the calculator stops showing rep maxes, because no formula holds up there.

  • Second press, lighter loads

    If the incline comes after your flat bench, you'll be tired. Enter a set from that same spot in the session, so the working loads fit the day you'll use them.

  • Smith and dumbbell inclines are different

    An incline on a Smith machine or with dumbbells is its own lift with its own max. Keep their numbers apart; for dumbbells, the dumbbell bench press calculator reads weight per hand.

  • Round to your plates

    Loads round to 2.5 kg or 5 lb. The incline bar is lighter than your flat one, so each jump is a bigger share of it; with fractional plates, add 1 kg or 2.5 lb at a time instead.

Questions

What percentage of flat bench is incline bench?

In a 2020 study of 30 trained adults, the average incline max was about 78% of flat at 30 degrees and about 71% at 45 degrees. Your own ratio depends on your build and what you train more.

How do I convert my incline bench to flat bench?

Divide your incline max by the share for your angle: about 0.78 at 30 degrees, 0.71 at 45. An 80 kg incline max at 30 degrees lines up with about 103 kg flat.

What is the best angle for incline bench press?

Around 30 degrees. In the same study, upper-chest activity peaked at 30 degrees, and past 45 degrees the front delts took over more of the work.

How much should I be able to incline bench?

Measure it against your flat bench rather than a chart. Get your flat max from the bench press calculator and compare it with the share for your bench angle.

Can I use this for incline dumbbell press?

Use the dumbbell bench press calculator, which reads weight per dumbbell, and keep the incline numbers separate from your flat dumbbell max.

Sources

Track the incline next to the flat

Log load, reps and RIR on every incline set and RIRLift keeps your estimated incline max current alongside your flat bench, then sets the loads for your next session.

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