Overhead Press Max Calculator
The overhead press is the cleanest test of pure pressing strength: no incline, no bounce, no leg drive to hide behind. Estimate the max from a set of 6 to 8 reps rather than attempting it. The inputs are metric — 100 lb goes in as 45 kg.
Your estimated 1RM
93.3kg
Average of the Epley and Brzycki formulas.
| Formula | Estimated 1RM |
|---|
How we got this number
Epley: 80 × (1 + 5 ÷ 30) = 93.3 kg
Brzycki: 80 × 36 ÷ (37 − 5) = 90.0 kg
Worked example
100 lb (45 kg) for 8 reps, strict:
- Epley: 45 × (1 + 8 ÷ 30) = 57.0 kg, about 126 lb
- Brzycki: 45 × 36 ÷ (37 − 8) = 55.9 kg, about 123 lb
- Average of the two: 56.4 kg, about 124 lb
Cross-check it against the NSCA chart, which puts 8 reps at 80% of maximum: 100 lb ÷ 0.80 = 125 lb. Three independent routes, three pounds apart.
Strict, or the number means nothing
The overhead press has more ways to cheat than any other barbell lift, and all of them inflate the rep count:
- Leg drive. A small dip and rebound turns a press into a push press. If the knees move, the rep does not count for this purpose.
- Lumbar extension. Leaning back far enough turns the movement into a steep incline press. It also loads the low back in a position it is poorly placed to defend.
- Changing the path. Rounding the bar out around the head instead of moving it in a vertical line shortens the hardest part of the range.
Stop the set when any of these show up, not when the bar stops moving.
Shoulders take the most damage in the gym
Of all the regions injured in resistance training, the shoulder is the most frequently reported — between 10.5% and 50% of cases depending on the survey. Overhead work is not the villain by itself, but it is the position with the least margin for error, and load progressed faster than technique is the mechanism that shows up again and again. Supervised instruction and progressive loading are what the evidence actually supports for prevention.
Other lifts, same arithmetic
Program from the result with the 1RM percentage chart, or read how the two formulas are built on the one rep max calculator.
Frequently asked questions
Are the standing and seated press the same lift for this?
No. Standing costs you trunk stability and usually a chunk of load; a seated press with back support lets you move more. Keep two records, or your progress graph is really a graph of which version you chose.
Why is my overhead press so much weaker than my bench?
The deltoids and triceps are smaller than the chest musculature the bench recruits, and the bar goes straight up against gravity with no incline to help. A press well under half a bench max is unremarkable.
Can I test the press without a spotter?
It is the safest of the barbell presses to miss, because you can lower the bar back to the shoulders. That does not make a true max attempt alone a good idea — a submaximal set feeding this calculator is the low-risk route.
Does turning it into a push press invalidate the estimate?
Yes. A leg drive adds load the shoulders never handled, so the reps stop describing pressing strength. If you catch yourself dipping to finish a rep, the set ended one rep earlier.
Sources
- Kawa K et al. Most common injuries in resistance training: mechanisms, therapeutic interventions, and preventive strategies. Cureus, 2025
- NSCA Training Load Chart, adapted from Landers J. Maximum based on reps. NSCA Journal 6(6):60-61, 1984
Written by Lucas Silva · Reviewed by Lucas Silva · Updated on August 15, 2026