RepolveGet the appOverhead press one-rep max calculator.
Estimate your strict overhead press one-rep max and compare your lift with Repolve’s bodyweight-relative shoulder-press standards.
Calculate your overhead press score
Enter the total barbell weight, including the bar. Use a completed set of 1–12 reps. Inputs stay in your browser.
A worked overhead press example
Enter a strict press of 40 kg for 5 reps as 40 kg including the bar. Keep leg drive out of the comparison; a push press is a different performance.
- Completed set
- 40 kg × 5 reps
- Estimated 1RM
- 46.7 kg
- Exercise score
- 43 · novice
Illustrative example using 80 kg bodyweight and male standards. Choosing female standards changes the exercise score, not the estimated max. This is one exercise score, not an overall Strength Score.
Overhead Press rep-to-max examples
Each row uses a completed set at 40 kg. Enter the total barbell weight, including the bar. These are formula examples, not suggested loads to attempt.
| Completed reps | Estimated 1RM |
|---|---|
| 1 | 40.0 kg |
| 3 | 44.0 kg |
| 5 | 46.7 kg |
| 8 | 50.7 kg |
| 10 | 53.3 kg |
| 12 | 56.0 kg |
A one-rep set uses the entered load. Sets of 2–12 reps use weight × (1 + reps ÷ 30). The result estimates a single repetition; it is not a guarantee that you can lift that weight.
Muscles worked
Shoulders, with triceps assisting and the trunk stabilizing the movement. In Repolve’s scoring model, this exercise supplies primary evidence for shoulders. Training involvement and scoring coverage are different things.
Make your sessions comparable
Compare strict presses with strict presses. Keep stance, range of motion, and use of leg drive consistent; a push press is a different performance.
How the estimate works
For a single rep, the estimate is the load entered. For 2–12 reps, the production engine uses the Epley estimate: weight × (1 + reps ÷ 30). It compares the resulting estimated max with bodyweight and the exercise’s sex-specific thresholds. This is an estimate from a completed set, not a prescription for your next attempt.
Overhead Press strength standards
These ratios come directly from Repolve’s production standards. They describe exercise benchmarks, not population percentiles or age-adjusted rankings.
| Reference | Score | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 20 | 0.35× | 0.2× |
| Novice | 40 | 0.55× | 0.35× |
| Intermediate | 60 | 0.8× | 0.5× |
| Advanced | 100 | 1.1× | 0.75× |
| Elite | 125 | 1.4× | 1× |
Enter the total barbell weight, including the bar. The same unit must be used for the lift and bodyweight. Understand the standards
Track progression
Record repeatable sets and compare reps as well as load. This exercise supplies primary evidence for shoulders in Repolve; it does not independently measure every muscle involved.
Common variations
Dumbbell shoulder presses and machine shoulder presses have separate standards. Do not enter a push press or a combined dumbbell load as a strict barbell overhead press.
Overhead Press calculator questions
Does the bar count?
Yes. Enter the total barbell weight, including the bar and all plates.
Can I use a push press or dumbbell shoulder press?
No. Leg drive and different equipment change the exercise. Use a strict barbell press here and keep other variations separate.
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About this calculator
Written by Repolve to explain its own scoring model. Calculations and benchmark tables use the same engine and exercise standards as the app. Worked examples are illustrative, not customer results. Estimates describe logged performance; they do not directly measure muscle size or diagnose a training imbalance.