Overhead press one rep max calculator
Work out an estimated maximum for the overhead press without testing one. The percentage table below converts that estimate into training loads.
Enter your set
Result
These are estimates from population-level equations, not a measurement of you and not medical advice. Individual results vary widely. Talk to a doctor or a registered dietitian before making significant changes to how you eat or train.
The overhead press specifically
The standing barbell overhead press is a strict pressing movement with a small range of loading.
How well these equations work depends on the lift. estimates read slightly high. The overhead press has a narrow load range and fatigues quickly, so repetitions drop off faster than the linear equations predict.
- Leg drive turns this into a push press and adds meaningfully to the load. Estimates only compare if the standard is consistent.
- The range between a one and a five repetition maximum is narrower here than on any other lift in this list.
- Because the load is light relative to other lifts, small absolute errors are a larger percentage.
- Typical reps
- 3 to 8
- Category
- Pressing
Estimated overhead press max by weight and reps
Epley estimates in kilograms. Read across from the weight you lifted and down from the repetitions you managed. Columns beyond ten repetitions are shown but are the least reliable.
| Weight | 1 reps | 2 reps | 3 reps | 5 reps | 8 reps | 10 reps | 12 reps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 kg | 41.3 | 42.7 | 44 | 46.7 | 50.7 | 53.3 | 56 |
| 60 kg | 62 | 64 | 66 | 70 | 76 | 80 | 84 |
| 80 kg | 82.7 | 85.3 | 88 | 93.3 | 101.3 | 106.7 | 112 |
| 100 kg | 103.3 | 106.7 | 110 | 116.7 | 126.7 | 133.3 | 140 |
| 120 kg | 124 | 128 | 132 | 140 | 152 | 160 | 168 |
| 140 kg | 144.7 | 149.3 | 154 | 163.3 | 177.3 | 186.7 | 196 |
| 160 kg | 165.3 | 170.7 | 176 | 186.7 | 202.7 | 213.3 | 224 |
Percentage table
Training loads as a share of a 100 kg maximum, with the repetitions each percentage typically allows. Scale proportionally to your own estimate.
| Percentage | Load from 100 kg | Approximate reps |
|---|---|---|
| 50% | 50 kg | 30 |
| 55% | 55 kg | 25 |
| 60% | 60 kg | 20 |
| 65% | 65 kg | 16 |
| 70% | 70 kg | 13 |
| 75% | 75 kg | 10 |
| 80% | 80 kg | 8 |
| 85% | 85 kg | 5 |
| 90% | 90 kg | 3 |
| 95% | 95 kg | 2 |
Rep-max conversion
What a 100 kg estimated maximum corresponds to at each repetition count, and how the five equations compare for a 100 kg set of five.
| Repetitions | Load for a 100 kg max |
|---|---|
| 1 | 96.8 kg |
| 2 | 93.8 kg |
| 3 | 90.9 kg |
| 5 | 85.7 kg |
| 8 | 78.9 kg |
| 10 | 75 kg |
| 12 | 71.4 kg |
| Formula | 100 kg × 5 reps |
|---|---|
| epley | 116.7 kg |
| brzycki | 112.5 kg |
| lombardi | 117.5 kg |
| oconner | 112.5 kg |
| wathan | 116.6 kg |
Questions
- How do I estimate my overhead press max?
- Take a set to or near failure, enter the weight and the repetitions, and the equations do the rest. A heavy triple gives a far more reliable estimate than a set of twelve, because all five equations were validated in the two to ten repetition range.
- Are 1RM estimates accurate for the overhead press?
- Estimates read slightly high. The overhead press has a narrow load range and fatigues quickly, so repetitions drop off faster than the linear equations predict.
- Which formula should I use?
- Wathan and Epley track measured data across the widest range; Brzycki is the most conservative and is exact at a single repetition. The average of all five is a more defensible single number than any one of them, and the spread between them tells you how much confidence the estimate deserves.
- What repetition range suits the overhead press?
- This lift is usually trained in the 3 to 8 repetition range. Estimates taken from within that range are the most trustworthy, because they sit closest to where the equations were fitted.
- Should I test a true maximum instead?
- Only if you need the number for competition, and then with a spotter and a full warm-up. For programming, an estimate from a heavy triple is nearly as useful and costs far less recovery and risk.