squat 1RM calculator
Your squat 1RM is your one-rep maximum on the squat. Enter the heaviest set you can do — load × reps × RPE — and LiftGauge runs seven formulas (Epley, Brzycki, Lombardi, O'Conner, Wathan, Lander, Mayhew) in parallel, reports the mean and spread, and ranks your result against real OpenPowerlifting meet data. No signup, no ads, offline PWA.
Lift-specific anchor: a low-bar back squat lifts 6.1–6.9 % more than high-bar in the same lifter, driven by increased hip-extensor recruitment — Murawa et al. 2020 (PeerJ, PMID 32551198) in trained powerlifters. Pick the bar position you compete with and stay consistent across cycles; LiftGauge ranks against the OpenPowerlifting raw cohort which is mixed but biased toward low-bar.
1RM spread
what is your squat 1RM
Your squat 1RM is the heaviest weight you can take out of the rack, descend to a legal depth, and stand back up under control. "Legal depth" in raw federations means the top surface of the leg at the hip joint is below the top of the knee at the bottom of the squat (IPF Technical Rules 2026, rule 6.4). High-bar, low-bar, wraps vs sleeves — all of it changes the number. Your gym 1RM with knee wraps, a high box, and a screaming partner is not the same number you'd put on the platform.
Because true 1RM squats are punishing and rarely retested often, every formula on this page estimates the 1RM from a sub-maximal set. The cleanest input on the squat is 3–5 reps at RPE 8–9, with the last rep at full depth — if depth was high on the last rep, the load doesn't represent your 1RM. Squat estimates are usually a little more honest than bench estimates because the bar slows down smoothly when the legs fatigue, where bench grinders can fail an inch into the press.
why seven formulas, not one
Single-formula 1RM calculators hide the disagreement between estimators. LeSuer, McCormick, Mayhew, Wasserstein & Arnold (1997, J Strength Cond Res 11:211–213) tested seven 1RM equations against actual 1RM tests in trained lifters across squat, bench, and deadlift. At 5 reps the estimates spread by roughly 8–12 %; at 8 reps the spread widens further. No single formula was uniformly best — Mayhew tended high on bench, Brzycki tended low past 6 reps, Wathan handled the mid-range best on squat for the trained subjects. On the squat this matters because picking your favorite formula picks your favorite number.
LiftGauge runs all seven (Epley, Brzycki, Lombardi, O'Conner, Wathan, Lander, Mayhew) and shows the mean ± spread. RPE-anchoring follows Tuchscherer's Reactive Training Manual (RTS Press, 2008): the bar-speed-derived %1RM table at RPE 6–10 for reps 1–12. The implied 1RM divides your top-set's actual %1RM into the load; the seven formulas agree on easy reps and diverge on hard reps. Reading the spread is reading the uncertainty.
squat-specific notes
On the squat, the typical limiter is depth + bar position + core-bracing, in that order. A high squat with a wandering bar will project a 1RM you can't repeat at meet depth. Single-rep failures on the squat are usually in the hole (just below parallel, before the rebound), where eccentric loading and stretch reflex transition into the concentric. If depth was high on your top set, the projection is a high-squat 1RM, not a competition 1RM — and they can differ by 5–10 %.
Practical adjustment: on squat, anchor the input from a set where the last rep hit depth. RPE 9 on squat means one rep with depth in the tank, not one rep at any depth. Helms et al. 2017 (Strength Cond J 39(6):85–95) discuss RPE calibration on the squat and note that velocity-loss is more reliable on squat than on bench because the legs fatigue more linearly than the pec-triceps coupling. The seven-formula spread reflects this — squat projections tend to cluster tighter than bench projections at the same RPE.
squat percentile context
Reference cohort below is a neutral cell (raw, male, ~83 kg, all ages) for a head-line read. The full per-user cell — your sex, your bodyweight class, your age, your equipment — lives on /rankings. Source: OpenPowerlifting public meet data (CC0 license, snapshot 2026-04, ~141,000 raw-lifter records).
RPE → load for squat
common rep ranges for squat
NPL = number of prescribed lifts per session in this intensity zone. Range is the productive band; below it is too little volume, above it is too much. Prilepin's zones are powerlifting-anchored — they apply to the squat with the same shape.
how to use this page
- Pick your bar weight (15 kg, 20 kg, or 45 lb) and your unit (kg or lb) using the chips above.
- Enter the load (plates only — the bar weight is added automatically), reps you completed, and the RPE you'd call honestly (6 = easy, 10 = max effort).
- Read the headline mean ± spread band, the seven individual formula estimates, the RPE → load chart for your training percentages, and your percentile vs OpenPowerlifting meet data.
- For the full meet protokoll (plate-load visual, warmup ramp, lift-toggle), open /calculator. For percentile against your sex, bodyweight class, age, and equipment, open /rankings.
FAQ
- How accurate is a squat 1RM calculator?
- Across the seven formulas the spread on a 5-rep set is typically 8–12 % for the squat (LeSuer et al. 1997, J Strength Cond Res 11:211–213). Squat projections tend to cluster tighter than bench projections because the legs fatigue more linearly than the pec-triceps coupling.
- What counts as legal depth on the squat?
- The IPF Technical Rules (2026, rule 6.4) define depth as the top surface of the leg at the hip joint below the top of the knee at the bottom of the squat. A high squat will project a 1RM you can't repeat at competition depth — typically 5–10 % higher than the meet 1RM.
- What RPE should I input on squat?
- RPE 8–9 is the sweet spot. The last rep of your input set must hit depth — if depth went high on the last rep, the projection is a high-squat 1RM, not a meet 1RM.
- High-bar or low-bar for the input?
- Either works for projection, but they're different 1RMs. Low-bar typically projects 5–10 % higher than high-bar because of the longer torso lever and shorter knee-flexion path. Pick one and stay with it for tracking.
- How often should I test my squat 1RM?
- For peaking blocks, every 6–8 weeks at most; for off-season strength work, every 12–16 weeks. Daily projection from training sets (this page) replaces frequent maxing.
- Does this work for box squat or pause squat?
- The formulas don't care about variation — they're rep-to-1RM curves. Pause squats and box squats project the 1RM of that variant, not your competition squat — those typically run 5–15 % lower than free-squat 1RM.