Training Max Calculator

Written byOleh Soloninupdated 25 September 2026

One-rep max, kg

Training max, % of the one-rep max

Rounding step, kg

Result

Training max, kg125
Percentage table
95%: 120 — about 5 reps 90%: 112.5 — about 7 reps 85%: 107.5 — about 9 reps 80%: 100 — about 12 reps 75%: 95 — about 14 reps 70%: 87.5 — about 18 reps 65%: 82.5 — about 21 reps 60%: 75 — about 26 reps 55%: 70 — about 30 reps 50%: 62.5 — about 37 reps
85% of training max, kg107.5
70% of training max, kg87.5
One-rep max, kg140
Why a training max
A training max sits below the true max so the programme runs on weights you can hit on an ordinary day, not only a perfect one.

This result is informational only and is not professional advice.

Programmes run on the training max

Builds a table of working weights as percentages of a one-rep max, rounded to the plates you actually have.

Percentage-based programmes often work not from your true one-rep max but from a training max: in Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 it is 90 percent of the true max. The reason is practical: a true max shows up on a perfect day, and you have to train on every day.

The second detail is rounding. The maths says 107.1 kilograms, but plates load in steps of 2.5. The table converts the numbers straight into what actually goes on the bar.

How to use

Enter your one-rep max — tested, or estimated with the 1RM calculator.
Set the training max share: 90 percent by default, 85 to be more conservative.
Choose the rounding step: 2.5 kg with ordinary plates, 1 kg with micro plates.
The result gives the training max and a table of weights from 50 to 95 percent with approximate reps.

Weights from the training max

For a 140 kg squat the training max is 125 kg. The reps come from the reversed Epley formula, applied to the true one-rep max and the weight on the bar: 30 × (140 ÷ weight − 1). A guide, not a rule.

One-rep max 140 kg, training max 90 percent, 2.5 kg steps. Every row comes from the calculator on this page.
Percent of training max	Weight, kg	About how many reps
95%	120	5
90%	112.5	7
85%	107.5	9
80%	100	12
75%	95	14
70%	87.5	18
65%	82.5	21
60%	75	26

Training max for different one-rep maxes

Rounding to the nearest 2.5 kg moves a weight by 1.25 kg at most; as a percentage that depends on the weight and can top one percent on light loads: at a 60 kg max the 54 kg training max becomes 55, a 1.85 percent shift. At 85 percent instead of 90, the training max for 140 kg becomes 120 and the 85 percent weight 100 kg.

Training max 90 percent, 2.5 kg steps. Every row comes from the calculator on this page.
One-rep max, kg	Training max, kg	85%, kg	70%, kg
60	55	45	37.5
100	90	77.5	62.5
140	125	107.5	87.5
180	162.5	137.5	112.5
220	197.5	167.5	137.5

What this calculator shows

The training max and a table of percentages from it
The repetitions each percentage typically allows
The key working weights at 85 and 70 percent

What to keep in mind

Repetitions come from a reversed Epley formula and hold for compound lifts up to about ten reps.
Every weight is rounded to the chosen step, so the percentages in the table are approximate.

FAQs

What is a training max for?

To run the programme on weights you can lift on any day, not only at peak form. In Wendler's 5/3/1 it is 90 percent of the true one-rep max.

How do I calculate a training max?

Multiply the one-rep max by 0.9 and round to your plate step: 140 × 0.9 = 126, which rounds to 125 kg in 2.5 kg steps.

How many reps at 80 percent of your one-rep max?

About eight by the reversed Epley formula. At 85 percent about five, at 90 percent three.

How should working weights be rounded?

To the nearest step your plates can make: 2.5 kilograms with an ordinary set. That moves a weight by 1.25 kg at most.

When should I recalculate my max?

Once a cycle. In 5/3/1, instead of testing, you add 5 lb (about 2.5 kg) to the training max for presses and 10 lb (about 5 kg) for squats and deadlifts after each cycle.

What if I don't know my one-rep max?

Estimate it from a set of several reps with the 1RM calculator: 120 kg for 5 gives about 137.5 kg, and the training max from that is 125 kg.

Worked example

A 140 kilogram squat

Input: One-rep max 140 kg, training max 90%, 2.5 kg step

Output: A 125 kg training max, with 85% at 107.5

Note: The gap between the calculated 107.1 and the loadable 107.5 is under half a percent and changes nothing. Trying to run the programme off a true 140, on the other hand, soon produces missed sets.

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Training Max Calculator

Result

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