Deadlift calculator.
Enter the weight you pulled and how many reps you hit, and this deadlift calculator estimates your one-rep max (1RM) using the Epley or Brzycki formula - then maps out the working weights for every training percentage from 95% down to 60%.
By Markus Evers Updated September 25, 2026 Method: Epley + Brzycki 1RM estimate
Sources
- Epley B (1985), Boyd Epley Workout (poundage chart)
- Brzycki M (1993), Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance
your set
estimated deadlift 1RM
-- lb
Enter a weight and reps, then press Calculate.
| % of 1RM | Working weight | Est. reps |
|---|---|---|
| 95% | -- | -- |
| 90% | -- | -- |
| 85% | -- | -- |
| 80% | -- | -- |
| 75% | -- | -- |
| 70% | -- | -- |
| 65% | -- | -- |
| 60% | -- | -- |
Estimates only - a 1RM calculator is a guide, not a measured max. The percentage rep counts are typical training ranges, not guarantees. Always warm up, brace hard, and keep a neutral spine near maximal loads.
the short answer
A deadlift calculator estimates your one-rep max (1RM) from a weight and rep count. The Epley formula is 1RM = weight x (1 + reps / 30); the Brzycki formula is 1RM = weight x 36 / (37 - reps). For example, 315 lb for 5 reps gives 367.5 lb by Epley, which this calculator shows as 370 lb because it rounds to the nearest 5 lb for the gym. You then multiply the 1RM by 0.60-0.95 to set working weights for each training goal.
What a deadlift 1RM is and how it's calculated.
Your one-rep max (1RM) is the heaviest weight you could deadlift for a single clean rep. Testing a true 1RM is risky and spine-loading, so coaches estimate it instead - from a set you can already do for a handful of reps. The two most common estimation formulas are Epley and Brzycki, both of which take the weight you lifted and the number of reps and project the single-rep load.
Epley: 1RM = weight x (1 + reps / 30). Brzycki: 1RM = weight x 36 / (37 - reps). Both agree almost exactly at one rep and stay close through about 5 reps; above 8 reps they drift apart, which is why this tool is most accurate in the 2 to 6 rep range for deadlifts. Once it has your estimated 1RM, the calculator multiplies it by each percentage (95%, 90%, 85% and so on) to give you concrete working weights and the rep count you'd typically expect at each load.
One deadlift caveat: because the lift starts from a dead stop with no stretch reflex, and grip often gives out before the legs and back, high-rep deadlift sets tend to over-estimate the true single. Keep your input sets short - 5 reps or fewer - and lean toward the more conservative Brzycki number if you want a safe ceiling for programming. And because a dead-stop pull punishes a sloppy setup, it is worth locking in solid deadlift technique before you read too much into any single estimate.
How coaches use a deadlift calculator.
Online coaches use 1RM estimates to write percentage-based programs without making clients pull a maximal single every block. A coach takes a recent hard set - say 5 reps - runs it through the calculator, and prescribes the next phase as percentages of the estimated max: heavy doubles at 90%, volume work at 70%. When the client's logged sets start beating the predicted reps, it's a clean signal to re-estimate and progress the load. For coaching the pull itself rather than just the numbers, our breakdown of Alan Thrall's deadlift setup covers the technique behind the load.
Doing this by hand for every lift and every client gets tedious fast. Coachway lets coaches set strength targets like this for every client automatically - so working weights update as each person gets stronger, inside a client app they actually open. It's the same math as this free tool, applied across a full client list instead of one set at a time. If you coach lifters online, compare the options in powerlifting coaching software.
Turn the estimate into a 4-week deadlift block
Paste the estimated max and the percentage rows the calculator prints and the model lays out four weeks of sets, reps and loads with a deload and a retest rule; it is told not to change the number. The wider workflow is ChatGPT for programme design as a coach.
Turn the estimate into a 4-week deadlift block
When to use it: After the estimate, when you write the next block.
What to paste in: The estimated 1RM, the weight and reps it came from, the percentage rows, training age, goal, a client ID.
This deadlift calculator estimates a one rep max of [1RM] kg from [WEIGHT] kg for [REPS] reps (training age [YEARS], goal [GOAL]). Using the percentage table the calculator shows ([PASTE THE ROWS]), write a 4-week deadlift block: sets, reps and load each week at those percentages, week 4 a deload at 60 to 65 percent, no week above 90 percent, and the retest rule. Do not add other exercises. Do not change the calculator's numbers; do not add medical advice; if anything needed is missing, ask me before assuming. Client ID [ID], no name.
Frequently asked questions.
How does a deadlift calculator work?
A deadlift calculator estimates your one-rep max (1RM) from a weight you can pull for a known number of reps. With the Epley formula it computes 1RM = weight x (1 + reps / 30); with Brzycki it uses 1RM = weight x 36 / (37 - reps). It then builds a percentage table so you can pick working weights for any training goal, from heavy singles down to back-off volume.
How accurate is a deadlift 1RM calculator?
A deadlift 1RM calculator is an estimate, not a measured max. It is most reliable in the 2 to 6 rep range and gets less accurate above about 8 reps, where grip fatigue and the deadlift's tendency to grind make rep-max formulas drift high. Form, fatigue, and bar speed all affect the real number, so treat the result as a starting point and adjust from how the working sets actually feel.
Should I use the Epley or Brzycki formula for deadlifts?
Both are standard. Epley (weight x (1 + reps / 30)) tends to give a slightly higher deadlift 1RM at higher reps, while Brzycki (weight x 36 / (37 - reps)) is a touch more conservative. Because the deadlift often allows a few extra grinding reps, many coaches lean on Brzycki or run both and average them. For low-rep sets of 2 to 5 the two formulas land very close together.
What percentage of my deadlift max should I pull for reps?
As a rough guide, sets near 90 to 95 percent of your deadlift 1RM allow about 2 to 3 reps, 80 to 85 percent allows about 5 to 6, and 70 to 75 percent allows roughly 8 to 10. Strength work usually lives at 80 percent and up; hypertrophy and volume work sits around 65 to 80 percent. The table on this page maps each percentage to an estimated rep count so you can program working sets directly.
Why is the deadlift different from the bench or squat for 1RM estimates?
The deadlift starts from a dead stop with no stretch reflex, so reps don't flow the way they do on bench or squat - the first rep is often the easiest and grip can fail before the legs and back do. That means high-rep deadlift sets can over-estimate your true single. Keep estimates honest by entering sets of 5 reps or fewer, dialing in how to deadlift with a braced, neutral spine so the reps stay clean, and lean toward the more conservative Brzycki number.
How often should I retest my deadlift max?
Most lifters re-estimate every 4 to 8 weeks, or whenever a working set feels clearly easier than the calculator predicts. You rarely need to test a true one-rep max in the gym - re-running this calculator from a fresh hard set of 3 to 5 reps gives a safe, updated number without the spinal-loading risk of a maximal single deadlift.
Can I use this as a deadlift PR calculator?
Yes - an estimated 1RM is your projected deadlift PR, the single heaviest rep you could pull right now, worked out from a set you have already done. Enter a hard set of 5 reps or fewer and the calculator returns that personal-record number without the spinal-loading risk of actually testing a maximal single. Treat it as a target to chase, then confirm it on a fresh, well warmed-up attempt.
How do I turn a 5RM into a 1RM on this deadlift calculator?
A 5RM is the most weight you can deadlift for exactly 5 reps. Enter that weight, set reps to 5, and pick Epley or Brzycki: Epley gives 1RM = weight x (1 + 5 / 30) and Brzycki gives 1RM = weight x 36 / (37 - 5), so your estimated single lands roughly 12 to 17 percent above your 5RM. The percentage table then reads back down from that 1RM, giving working weights for every rep target from a heavy double to volume sets.
Can ChatGPT program a deadlift block from this estimate?
It can turn the estimate and the percentage table into four weeks of sets, reps and loads with a deload and a retest rule, which is the arithmetic. It cannot see the client's hinge or bar speed, so keep the loads as percentages and adjust from the first week's logs; the prompt on this page tells it not to change the max or add exercises.
This calculator gives estimates for general training use, not medical advice. A formula-based 1RM is a guide - load your sets from how they actually feel, warm up thoroughly, brace hard, and keep a neutral spine near maximal weights.
Keep going: try the one-rep max calculator for any lift, or the bench press calculator - both use the same Epley and Brzycki method, just enter that lift's weight and reps. To prescribe working sets by feel instead of percentages, see what RPE means and the RIR calculator. For programming, see the best workout builder software for online coaches.
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