How to Calculate My Bench Weight

The bench press is a popular weight-lifting exercise that strengthens the pectoral muscles of the chest. The bench press requires you to lower a barbell to the center of the chest, then raise it, while lying with your back flat on the bench and your feet on the ground. When a lifter "maxes out," he is lifting the maximum bench weight he can at one time without repeating the lift, also called his "one rep max." The maximum bench weight is a common measure of an athlete's upper-body strength. Calculate your max bench weight with a set of repetitions to failure and a mathematical formula.

Things You'll Need

  • Spotter
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Instructions

    • 1

      Choose a weight you normally lift on the bench press, and repeatedly lift the weight until failure, when you can no longer lift the weight. Your spotter should hold his hands below the barbell, without touching it, and be prepared to help you lift it when you have exhausted yourself.

    • 2

      Divide by 30 the number of times you successfully bench pressed the weight. If you lifted 135 pounds 14 times before you failed, then 14 divided by 30 gets you .47.

    • 3

      Add one to the number you got when you divided your repetitions by 30. In the example, you would now have 1.47.

    • 4

      Multiply the result by the weight you lifted. If you lifted 135 pounds 14 times, you would now multiply 1.47 by 135 for 198.45 pounds. This is your calculated maximum bench weight.