Squat 1RM Calculator
Estimate your squat one-rep max — Quick, Consensus, My Curve and RPE.
Enter 2-3 recent sets to failure. We find your curve — more accurate than any generic formula.
This tool estimates the squat you actually performed: a high-bar, full-depth squat and a low-bar, parallel squat at the same weight are different lifts with different 1RMs. Enter sets at the depth and bar position you will test — do not mix a deep high-bar set into a low-bar estimate.
Depth changes the number more than any formula choice: cutting depth by 5–10 cm can add 5–15 kg to a rep set without adding anything to a competition-depth max. If your test set was above parallel, treat the estimate as an above-parallel number and re-test at your target depth before using it for programming.
Squat rep sets are limited by bracing and upper-back tightness as much as leg strength — if your chest collapsed or your heels lifted on the last reps, the set ended on technique, not leg strength, and the estimate understates what your legs could do with a cleaner set. Re-test after fixing the technical limiter.
Squat estimates are most reliable from sets of 1-10 reps taken close to failure. Depth changes the number — this tool estimates the squat you actually performed.
| Reps | % 1RM | Weight | Note |
|---|
FAQ note: Squat 1RM here is the barbell back-squat estimate.
See also: One-Rep Max Calculator · Warm-Up Generator · Strength Standards Calculator
Estimates only — see our Disclaimer
Estimates only — see our Disclaimer
What this calculator does
Squat numbers are only as comparable as the depth behind them. A set cut two inches high and a set taken to full depth can share the same weight and reps and mean different things — and a calculator that only sees weight and reps cannot tell them apart. This calculator estimates your squat one rep max from a rep set and shows a percentage table, so you can set training loads from a recent performance done the way you normally squat.
It is built for lifters who programme squat day by percentage: heavy top sets, volume work, and tempo or pause variations that need loads read off one max. It helps when you squat a rep personal best and want to know what it implies for next week’s heavy single, or when you move between rep ranges and want a common reference point across blocks. Enter the weight and the reps from a set squatted to your usual depth, take the estimate as a planning number, and let the next heavy session confirm it. The bar is the final check.
How it works
Enter the weight you squatted and the reps you completed. The calculator applies six published 1RM formulas — Epley, Brzycki, Lombardi, O’Conner, Mayhew, and Lander — to that set and shows a percentage table for training loads.
- Epley: 1RM = weight × (1 + reps ÷ 30)
- Brzycki: 1RM = weight × 36 ÷ (37 − reps)
- Lombardi: 1RM = weight × reps^0.10
- O’Conner: 1RM = weight × (1 + reps ÷ 40)
- Mayhew: 1RM = 100 × weight ÷ (52.2 + 41.9 × e^(−0.055 × reps))
- Lander: 1RM = 100 × weight ÷ (101.3 − 2.67123 × reps)
Limits to know. The formulas cannot see depth, bar position, or stance. A high-bar set and a low-bar set at the same weight and reps are different inputs, and a set cut high will make the estimate read optimistic. Keep your logging standard fixed — same depth, same bar position — so the trend line means something. Estimates are most reliable from sets of 1–5 reps and get shakier past 10 reps, when breathing and positioning drift across the set. For the general case across lifts, use the one rep max calculator.
Calibrate to your own sets (My Median)
Population formulas assume an average lifter. My Median calibrates to you: enter two or three sets you actually lifted, and the calculator takes the Epley estimate from each set and returns the median — the middle value. One outlier set pulls the median far less than it would pull an average. My Median fits no curve and models nothing about your strength curve; it is a median of Epley estimates, and it still needs honest, comparable inputs.
Use sets squatted to your usual depth, same bar position. Enter two or three such sets and the calculator takes the Epley estimate from each and returns the median. Do not mix depths or bar positions in one My Median calculation, because they describe different efforts.
Frequently asked questions
Does depth change the squat estimate?
The formulas give the same output for the same weight and reps at any depth — they cannot see depth at all. The difference is in what the input means: a set cut high is an easier input, so its estimate reads high against a full-depth max. Log only sets squatted to your usual depth, and compare like with like.
High-bar vs low-bar — does it matter for the estimate?
It matters for comparability, not for the arithmetic. Both styles produce weight-and-reps inputs, but a low-bar set and a high-bar set at the same load are not the same effort. Pick the style you train in, log that style consistently, and do not mix styles when you track estimates over time.
Why does my squat estimate feel optimistic after high-rep sets?
Because high-rep squat sets end for reasons the formulas do not model: breathing, bracing drift, and position changes across many reps. The formulas extrapolate from low-rep data, so a 12-rep input has to be stretched a long way to reach a single. Use sets of 5 reps or fewer for the firmest squat estimates.
Should I use a belt and sleeves number?
You can enter any set you completed, but keep the equipment consistent. A belted set and an unbelted set at the same weight are not the same input — the belt changes how the set ends. If you log belted sets, compare them against other belted sets, and do the same for sleeves.
How do I use the estimate for a squat programme?
Take a conservative share of the estimate as a training max — many lifters programme off 90–95% of it — and set working percentages from there. The plate calculator turns each percentage into a per-side plate list, and the warm-up calculator maps the jumps to your top set. To compare the number against other lifters, use the strength standards calculator.