# Weightlifting Percentage Chart | Forge > **Quick Answer:** The Forge Weightlifting Percentage Chart turns your one-rep max into working weights from 100% down to 30%, with the typical reps and training zone for each row. Run one lift or the big four (squat, bench, deadlift, overhead press) at once. Free and ungated. Example: a 315 lb max puts your 85% row at 270 lb for sets of 5 to 6. **dateModified:** 2026-08-09 --- ## Key Facts - **What it does:** Converts a one-rep max into training loads at every percentage from 100% to 30% - **Modes:** One lift, or the big four (squat, bench, deadlift, overhead press) side by side - **Rounding:** Loads round to the nearest 5 lb or 2.5 kg - **Zones:** Max strength (90%+), strength (80-89%), strength + size (70-79%), size (60-69%), endurance (under 60%) - **Reps column:** Consensus landmarks, with 85% costing about 5 to 6 reps and 70% about 10 to 12 - **Units:** lb and kg - **Cost:** Free. No sign-up. --- ## How to Use It 1. Pick one lift or the big four. 2. Pick lb or kg. 3. Enter your one-rep max (or all four maxes in big-four mode). 4. Read the table. Each row gives the load, the reps an all-out set at that percentage usually costs, and the zone it trains. Update the max behind the chart every four to eight weeks. A stale max quietly makes every row too light. --- ## How the Math Works Each load is your entered max multiplied by the row percentage and rounded to the nearest 5 lb or 2.5 kg. The reps column uses widely accepted landmarks: 100% is a true single, 85% costs about 5 to 6 reps, and 70% costs about 10 to 12. Zones follow standard coaching practice for the dominant adaptation at each intensity. The chart calibrates best for the squat and bench. Deadlifts usually produce fewer reps at a given percentage because each rep starts from a dead stop. Overhead pressing fades fast above 85% since the smaller musculature has less reserve. Expect those two lifts to sit a rep or two under the chart values. Real rep performance varies by lift and by lifter, so treat the reps and zones as guides and adjust by what the bar gives you. --- ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Where do these percentages come from? The reps column follows the consensus relationship between percentage of one-rep max and reps to failure, the same landmarks behind the charts strength coaches have used for decades. Your 85% load should cost most lifters 5 or 6 all-out reps. The zones describe the adaptation each intensity drives best, drawn from standard exercise science practice. ### Why are the rep counts given as ranges? Because lifters differ. Muscle fiber mix, training age, and the lift itself all shift how many reps you can squeeze from a given percentage. One lifter grinds out 3 reps at 90% while another manages 5. Use the ranges as a sanity check for your own bar, and pay attention to where you personally land over a few weeks of training. ### Which zone should I train in to build muscle? Most growth work lives between 60% and 80%, where sets can run long enough to accumulate real volume while the weight stays heavy enough to demand effort. Take those sets within a few reps of failure and the muscle gets the message. Heavier strength work above 85% still builds muscle, it just costs more recovery per set, so programs sprinkle it in rather than lean on it. ### Should every lift use the same percentages? The chart calibrates best for the squat and bench. Deadlifts usually produce fewer reps at a given percentage because each rep starts from a dead stop with no stretch to help you. Overhead pressing fades fast above 85% since the smaller musculature has less reserve. Expect those two lifts to sit a rep or two under the chart values. ### How often should I update my max? Every four to eight weeks for most lifters. Your chart is only as good as the max behind it, and a max from three months ago quietly makes every row too light. You can estimate a fresh max from any hard set of 3 to 5 reps with our 1RM calculator, which saves you a fatiguing true test. ### What if my program uses RPE instead of percentages? RPE and percentages describe the same thing from opposite directions. A percentage tells you the weight and implies the effort, while RPE tells you the effort and lets the weight follow. Many programs blend them, prescribing a top set by RPE and back-off work by percentage. Our RPE calculator converts between the two systems. --- ## Your Program, Auto-Calculated Forge is an AI personal trainer for iOS and Android. It builds your plan, sets every working weight from your current strength, and adjusts the numbers as your maxes move. You get adaptive programming, 4 trainer personalities, a 24/7 trainer chat, and workout logging in one app. Pricing: $19.99/month, $59.99/year, or $6.99/week. All plans include a 7-day free trial. - **App Store:** https://apps.apple.com/us/app/forge-ai-personal-trainer/id6758403402 - **Google Play:** https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tendylabs.forge - **Website:** https://forgetrainer.ai --- *https://forgetrainer.ai/tools/weightlifting-percentage-chart*