Strength

Squat Max Calculator

Updated 31 Oct 2026 · Source: Epley, Brzycki and Lombardi formulas ↗, OpenPowerlifting meet data ↗

Enter the weight and reps of a hard squat set to estimate your one rep max squat, with a percent chart and median meet squats for your bodyweight class.

Worked example

Epley: 225 × (1 + 5 ÷ 30) = 262.5 lb
Brzycki: 225 × 36 ÷ (37 − 5) = 253.1 lb
Lombardi: 225 × 5^0.10 = 264.3 lb
Average of the three: (262.5 + 253.1 + 264.3) ÷ 3 = 260.0, shown as 260 lb

Percent chart for a 260 lb max

% of max	Weight (lb)	Reps you might get
100%	260	1
95%	247	about 2
90%	234	about 3
85%	221	about 5
80%	208	about 7
75%	195	about 10
70%	182	about 12
65%	169	about 14
60%	156	about 16
55%	143	about 19
50%	130	about 21

Median raw squat max in meet results, by bodyweight

Bodyweight class	Men (lb)	Women class	Women (lb)
up to 130 lb	287	up to 104 lb	176
up to 146 lb	336	up to 115 lb	198
up to 163 lb	375	up to 126 lb	220
up to 183 lb	408	up to 139 lb	231
up to 205 lb	441	up to 152 lb	248
up to 231 lb	463	up to 168 lb	259
up to 265 lb	496	up to 185 lb	265
over 265 lb	529	over 185 lb	276

Median of each lifter's best squat max in 2016-2026 (no equipment), OpenPowerlifting archive. Meet lifters are stronger than the general population.

Depth decides what the number means

A squat max only means something next to the depth it was done at. Stopping a few inches higher lets you move more weight, so a set of half squats will inflate the estimate. In powerlifting the hip crease has to drop below the top of the knee for the rep to count.

Enter reps at the depth you normally train. If some reps in the set were cut short, count only the ones that hit depth.

High bar, low bar and front squats

Bar position changes which muscles do the work and how far you lean forward. A bar high on the traps keeps you more upright, while a bar lower on the back lets the hips take more of the load. A max from one position does not carry over neatly to the other.

Front squats and safety bar squats are separate lifts again. Keep a separate estimate for each one, and only compare a number with older numbers from the same style.

How squat strength compares in meet data

The median table on this page comes from raw meet results from 2016 to 2026. In the class up to 183 lb, men had a median squat of 408 lb, about 1.5 times their median bench (270 lb) and a bit under their median deadlift (474 lb). Women up to 139 lb squatted a median 231 lb, about 1.8 times their median bench.

If your squat sits far below that pattern compared with your other lifts, the squat may be the lift with the most room to grow. The squat standards page gives full percentiles by class.

Set the rack before heavy sets

Squat inside a rack with the safety bars set just below your lowest point, or have a spotter behind you. That way a missed rep can be set down instead of dumped, both when you do the test set and when you train near your max.

Training from your estimate

With the default set of 225 lb for 5 reps, the estimated max is about 260 lb (118 kg), and the calculator suggests about 245 lb for a heavy single. Most squat work happens well below that, in the 70 to 85% part of the percent chart.

Heavy squat sets need longer breaks. Guidelines call for at least 2 to 3 minutes between sets of big multi-joint lifts, see rest between sets.

Deadlift Max Calculator, Bench Press Calculator, Rep Max Chart, One Rep Max Calculator

Questions

Why is my squat estimate higher than what I can actually lift?

The usual reasons are shallow reps in the test set, a set of more than 10 reps, or testing on a tired day. Try a heavier set of 3 to 5 reps at full depth.

Can I compare my squat with meet lifters?

Yes, if you squat to competition depth without knee wraps or a squat suit. The table uses raw results only.

Does a box squat count?

Treat it as its own lift. Sitting on a box changes the bottom of the movement, so its max will not match a free squat.

How we calculate: every formula, with its author and year, is on our method page; data sources and their licenses are on sources.

This page uses data from the OpenPowerlifting project, https://www.openpowerlifting.org.

gymnical.com gives estimates from published formulas and public data. It is not medical advice and not a training prescription. Last reviewed November 2026.