Calculate your one-rep max (1RM) for any strength exercise. Your one-rep max is the maximum weight you can lift for a single repetition for a given exercise. To calculate your one-rep max for any exercise review your training log and find the most weight you’ve lifted and plug in the weight and reps into our calculator.
How to Increase Your 1RM
If you’re looking to build muscle and increase your one-rep max, consider lifting incrementally heavier weights over a period of several weeks until you gradually work your way up to a higher 1RM.
- Start at 70 percent: Start by lifting a weight that is 70 percent of your 1RM for 10–15 reps.
- Increase to 80 percent: After becoming comfortable with the previous weight, increase the weight to 80 percent of your 1RM and practice lifting that amount for 5–10 reps. Practice with this weight for a few weeks.
- Increase to 90 percent: When you’re ready, move up to 90 percent of 1RM for 3–4 sets of 3–4 reps and practice that for a few weeks.
- Increase to 95 percent: Increase the weight to 95 percent of your 1RM for two sets of just 1–3 reps. This will be a challenging lift, so be sure to use a spotter to avoid an injury.
- Increase to your 1RM: After you’ve become comfortable lifting 95 percent of your 1RM for multiple reps, try lifting your 1RM weight for more than one rep. At this point, you should be able to lift a slightly heavier weight for a maximum of one rep. Use the help of a spotter or personal trainer to avoid injury when lifting your maximum weight.