Part of the data ring
WHITELIGHTS

Real judged lifts. Zero self-reported numbers. This is what strong actually is.

One-rep max

195 lb for 11 reps

Estimated one-rep max: about 259 lb (117 kg). The five formulas span 248–270 lb, so treat it as a range rather than a number.

Estimated one-rep max

117 kg

Mean of five published formulas. Range 112122 kg — above ten reps every formula is extrapolating, so this is a rough guide only.

Formula1RMSource
Epley120.9Epley, 1985
Brzycki122.5Brzycki, 1993
Lombardi112.4Lombardi, 1989
O'Conner112.8O'Conner et al., 1989
Mayhew117.8Mayhew et al., 1992

SOURCE·Published formulae — Epley, Brzycki, Lombardi; IPF GL and DOTS coefficients·REVIEWED JUL 2026

So is 259 lb a good bench press?

If that lift is a bench press, 259 lb (117 kg) puts a man at 82.5–87.5 kg bodyweight at the 37th percentile of 29,914 judged competition benches — intermediate. For a squat or a deadlift the same weight ranks lower, because those lifts are heavier for everyone.

SOURCE·Judged competition results (OpenPowerlifting)·29,914 judged bench presses, men 82.5–87.5 kg·REVIEWED JUL 2026

Percentages of that max

% of 1RMWeight
95%111.4
90%105.5
85%99.7
80%93.8
75%88.0
70%82.1
65%76.2
60%70.4
55%64.5
50%58.6

A sensible warm-up to it

StepWeightReps
40%46.95
55%64.55
70%82.13
80%93.82
90%105.51
Working117.31

A conventional ramp, not the ramp. Add or remove steps to taste — the point is to arrive warm and not tired.

Same weight, other rep counts

The whole rep range for 195 lb, so the estimate for any set you actually did is one click away.

SOURCE·Published formulae — Epley, Brzycki, Lombardi; IPF GL and DOTS coefficients·REVIEWED JUL 2026

195 lb × 11 — common questions

What is my one-rep max if I lift 195 lb for 11 reps?

About 259 lb (117 kg), taken as the mean of the Epley, Brzycki, Lombardi, O'Conner and Mayhew formulas. Individually they give 248 to 270 lb, so the range is the honest answer — and above ten reps all five are extrapolating past the data they were fitted on.

Is 259 lb a good bench press?

If the lift is a bench press, 259 lb (117 kg) puts a man at 82.5–87.5 kg bodyweight at the 37th percentile of 29,914 judged competition benches — intermediate. That population all competed, so it is stronger than a gym average.

What should I warm up with?

The ramp below runs 103 lb × 5, 142 lb × 5, 181 lb × 3, 207 lb × 2, 233 lb × 1, then the working single at 259 lb. It is a conventional ladder rather than a rule; the test is that the last warm-up still moves fast.

See all 10 sites in this family, with what each one answers

Published by

Amit Sharma

Auckland real-estate agent and marketer. Builds free, sourced data tools.