Weight estimation tables
Following tables are used for estimation of working weight. There are two tables: one for upper body and one for lower body. If you’ve read muscle types than you know that there are two types of muscle’s fibers: red and white. Most people have mainly white fibers in upper body and red ones in lower body, that’s why there are two tables. In many places similar tables can be met. You should remember that these tables are only estimations (usually pretty accurate, but still only estimations).

How to use these tables?


Let’s say your current record in bench press is 100 kg for 8 repetitions. You are wondering what your current max weight for 5 repetitions is. Than you take a look at the upper body table (bench press is an exercise for upper body), go to the row where 8 is written and look for the column labeled 5. The appropriate number is 1.10, which means you should multiply working weight by a factor of 1.10. In other words your current max for 5 repetitions is 100*1.1 = 110.

Note: this table tells the weight your muscle can lift. But there are also other factors (such as ligament strength, Golgi organ and so on). For example: a person is used to working in 15 repetition sets. This individual decides to test his abilities in sets containing one repetition. He multiplies upper body exercise’s weights by 1.53. The muscles will probably be able to lift the weight, but there are high chances that this person won’t be able to lift the weight (since s/he isn’t used in working in a low repetition range) or even worse s/he will injure herself/himself.

Upper body
Number of reps123456789101215
11,000,970,940,910,890,860,830,810,780,760,720,65
21,031,000,970,940,910,890,860,830,810,780,740,67
31,061,031,000,970,940,910,890,860,830,810,760,69
41,101,061,031,000,970,940,910,890,860,830,780,72
51,131,101,061,031,000,970,940,910,890,860,810,74
61,161,121,101,061,031,000,970,940,910,890,830,76
71,201,161,131,101,061,031,000,970,940,910,860,78
81,241,201,161,131,101,061,031,000,970,940,890,81
91,281,241,201,161,131,101,061,031,000,970,910,83
101,321,281,241,201,161,131,101,061,031,000,940,86
121,401,361,321,281,241,201,161,131,101,061,000,91
151,531,491,441,401,361,321,281,241,201,161,101,00


Lower body
Number of reps12345678910121520
11,000,990,970,960,940,930,910,900,890,870,850,810,75
21,021,000,990,970,960,940,930,910,900,890,860,820,76
31,031,021,000,990,970,960,940,930,910,900,870,830,77
41,051,031,021,000,990,970,960,940,930,910,890,850,79
51,061,051,031,021,000,990,970,960,940,930,900,860,80
61,081,061,051,031,021,000,990,970,960,940,910,870,81
71,091,081,061,051,031,021,000,990,970,960,930,890,82
81,111,091,081,061,051,031,021,000,990,970,940,900,83
91,131,111,91,081,061,051,031,021,000,990,960,910,85
101,151,131,111,091,081,061,051,031,021,000,970,930,86
121,181,161,151,131,111,091,081,061,051,031,000,960,89
151,241,221,201,181,161,151,131,111,091,081,051,000,93
201,331,311,291,271,251,241,221,201,181,161,131,081,00