Part of the data ring
WHITELIGHTS

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

One-rep max

285 lb for 2 reps

Estimated one-rep max: about 304 lb (138 kg). The five formulas span 293–318 lb, so treat it as a range rather than a number.

Estimated one-rep max

138 kg

Mean of five published formulas. Range 133144 kg.

Formula1RMSource
Epley137.9Epley, 1985
Brzycki133.0Brzycki, 1993
Lombardi138.6Lombardi, 1989
O'Conner135.7O'Conner et al., 1989
Mayhew144.1Mayhew et al., 1992

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

So is 304 lb a good bench press?

If that lift is a bench press, 304 lb (138 kg) puts a man at 82.5–87.5 kg bodyweight at the 67th percentile of 29,914 judged competition benches — advanced. 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%130.9
90%124.1
85%117.2
80%110.3
75%103.4
70%96.5
65%89.6
60%82.7
55%75.8
50%68.9

A sensible warm-up to it

StepWeightReps
40%55.15
55%75.85
70%96.53
80%110.32
90%124.11
Working137.81

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 285 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

285 lb × 2 — common questions

What is my one-rep max if I lift 285 lb for 2 reps?

About 304 lb (138 kg), taken as the mean of the Epley, Brzycki, Lombardi, O'Conner and Mayhew formulas. Individually they give 293 to 318 lb, so the range is the honest answer.

Is 304 lb a good bench press?

If the lift is a bench press, 304 lb (138 kg) puts a man at 82.5–87.5 kg bodyweight at the 67th percentile of 29,914 judged competition benches — advanced. That population all competed, so it is stronger than a gym average.

What should I warm up with?

The ramp below runs 122 lb × 5, 167 lb × 5, 213 lb × 3, 243 lb × 2, 274 lb × 1, then the working single at 304 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.