Dumbbell Bench Press 1RM from 15 Reps — Epley and Brzycki Estimate

If you can dumbbell bench press 60 kg for 15 reps, your estimated one-rep max is 94.1 kg — the average of the Epley estimate (90.0 kg) and the Brzycki estimate (98.2 kg). That is the headline number, and the rest of this page shows exactly how it was calculated, what loads to train with at every percentage of it, and how far you should trust it.

The Dumbbell Bench Press works the chest, triceps and shoulders, and it is a dumbbell lift. The worked example uses 60 kg as the total load — 30 kg in each hand. The worked example below uses a 15-rep set with 60 kg as the load — that is an assumption for illustration, not a prescription for you. Put your own weight and reps into the One Rep Max Calculator and the same two formulas will estimate your own max in seconds. The search term "1rm calculator" is searched an estimated 60,500 times a month (Semrush third-party estimate), which is why so many lifters look for this number — but the number is only useful if you know how it was worked out and what its limits are.

Lie on a flat bench with a dumbbell in each hand at chest height, press both dumbbells up until your arms are straight without clashing them together, then lower under control until your elbows are just below the bench. Keep your feet flat, your shoulder blades tucked, and the dumbbells moving in a controlled, even path. The worked example uses 60 kg as the total load — 30 kg in each hand.

Use the one-rep-max calculator for your own numbers

The worked example on this page uses 60 kg for 15 reps. Your numbers will be different, and the calculator does the same maths with them. Use the One Rep Max Calculator for this lift, or the Bench Press 1RM Calculator for the barbell version, and you will get the Epley estimate, the Brzycki estimate, their average, and the full training-percentage table for your own max.

Related one-rep-max pages for the same lift at other rep counts:

The formulas, shown and cited

Two published formulas estimate a one-rep max from a submaximal set. Both are shown here with their sources, and both are worked through with this page's numbers.

Epley (Epley 1985): 1RM = weight × (1 + reps ÷ 30)

Brzycki (Brzycki 1993): 1RM = weight × 36 ÷ (37 − reps)

Worked through for 60 kg × 15 reps on the dumbbell bench press:

  • Epley: 60 × (1 + 15 ÷ 30) = 60 × 1.500 = 90.0 kg
  • Brzycki: 60 × 36 ÷ (37 − 15) = 60 × 36 ÷ 22 = 98.2 kg

The two formulas differ by 8.2 kg on this set. That divergence is itself useful information: when Epley and Brzycki land far apart, the average is a rougher estimate and should be treated as a range, not a precise number — take the lower figure when choosing training loads. Both formulas are now outside their most accurate range — they lose accuracy above 10 reps, and the gap between them shows it. From sets of ten reps or fewer, Epley and Brzycki usually land within a few kilograms of each other, and the average of the two is a solid working estimate of your true one-rep max.

How the estimate changes with the load

The same 15-rep set with a different weight gives a different estimated max. The table below shows the Epley and Brzycki estimates for five nearby loads, so you can see how sensitive the result is to the weight you lift:

Load × 15 reps Epley 1RM Brzycki 1RM Average 1RM
50 kg 75.0 kg 81.8 kg 78.4 kg
55 kg 82.5 kg 90.0 kg 86.2 kg
60 kg 90.0 kg 98.2 kg 94.1 kg
65 kg 97.5 kg 106.4 kg 101.9 kg
70 kg 105.0 kg 114.5 kg 109.8 kg

Each extra 5 kg on the bar adds roughly 7.5 kg to the Epley estimate at this rep count, which is why an honest rep count matters more than an optimistic one. A set you finished with two reps left in the tank is not a 15-rep max, and feeding it into the formulas as if it were inflates the estimate by more than the extra weight is worth.

Training percentages for a 94.1 kg dumbbell bench press max

The table below turns the estimated max back into training loads. Use it when a programme calls for a percentage of your one-rep max — find the percentage, read off the total load, and halve it for the weight in each hand:

% of 1RM Total load Per hand
50% 47.0 kg 23.5 kg per hand
55% 51.8 kg 25.9 kg per hand
60% 56.5 kg 28.2 kg per hand
65% 61.2 kg 30.6 kg per hand
70% 65.9 kg 32.9 kg per hand
75% 70.6 kg 35.3 kg per hand
80% 75.3 kg 37.6 kg per hand
85% 80.0 kg 40.0 kg per hand
90% 84.7 kg 42.3 kg per hand
95% 89.4 kg 44.7 kg per hand
100% 94.1 kg 47.0 kg per hand

As a rough guide, 50–65% of 1RM is the range for technique work and higher-rep hypertrophy sets, 65–85% is the main strength and muscle-building range, and 85–100% is reserved for low-rep strength work and testing. Dumbbells add a stabilisation demand that a barbell does not, so most lifters find their dumbbell bench press max sits below their barbell bench press max — that is normal, and it is not a sign of a weak chest.

Estimated load for every rep count

Run the Epley formula in reverse and the 94.1 kg estimated max gives the load you should be able to lift for any rep count. Use this table to pick a starting weight when a programme asks for a set size you have not tried:

Reps Estimated load Per hand
1 91.1 kg 45.5 kg per hand
3 85.5 kg 42.8 kg per hand
5 80.7 kg 40.3 kg per hand
6 78.4 kg 39.2 kg per hand
8 74.3 kg 37.1 kg per hand
10 70.6 kg 35.3 kg per hand
12 67.2 kg 33.6 kg per hand
15 62.7 kg 31.4 kg per hand
20 56.5 kg 28.2 kg per hand

Read the table as a starting point, not a promise. If the load for 5 reps feels impossible on your first set, it is not the table that is wrong — it is the estimate, or the day. Drop 5 kg and build back up. If it feels easy, add 2.5 kg next session rather than jumping straight to the next row.

How to use the result, and how to progress safely

Treat 94.1 kg as a working number, not a tested fact. The honest way to use it is to base your training percentages on it for four to six weeks, then retest with a fresh 15-rep set — or, better, with a set of 5 reps or fewer, where both formulas are at their most accurate. If your new set gives a higher estimate, move your percentages up; if it gives a lower one, the old estimate was optimistic and the new one is the honest number.

Progression on the dumbbell bench press is usually 2.5 kg per hand at a time, and only when you can complete all planned sets and reps with good form. Adding weight faster than that usually means the reps get sloppy, the shoulders take over from the chest, and the elbows flare. A spotter is worth having for any set above 85% of your estimated max, and dumbbells should be lowered to the floor — not dropped from the bench — at the end of a set.

Warm up properly before any heavy set: five minutes of easy cardio, then two or three light sets of the dumbbell bench press, building from roughly 50% to 75% of the working weight. A cold max attempt is how shoulders get hurt, and the formulas assume a warmed-up, well-rested lifter.

What the number does NOT tell you

A 1RM estimate is not a measured max, and the gap between the two grows with the rep count. At 15 reps the formulas are past their accurate range: Epley gives 90.0 kg and Brzycki gives 98.2 kg, a gap of 8.2 kg, so the average of 94.1 kg should be treated as the top of a range rather than a precise number. If you want a trustworthy max, retest with a set of 5 reps or fewer. Neither formula knows anything about your technique, your fatigue, your sleep, or whether you had a spotter — all of which move a real max by several kilograms on any given day.

Dumbbells add their own error. The two sides are rarely perfectly even, the stabilisation demand changes with the weight, and the jump between available dumbbell sizes (often 2.5 kg per hand, or 5 kg total) is coarse compared with a barbell. That is why the per-hand column in the tables above matters: it is the number you actually load.

The estimate also says nothing about whether you should be lifting that weight. A history of shoulder pain, a recent injury, or a medical condition changes the answer, and no formula can clear you to lift heavy. If any of those apply, the estimate is a starting point for a conversation with a coach or clinician, not a target to chase.

Finally, the number is a snapshot, not a verdict. Strength moves with training, sleep, nutrition and stress, and a single estimate from a single set is the least informative measurement you can take. Retest regularly, track the trend, and judge the programme by where the estimate is going over months — not by what it says today.

Frequently asked questions

What is my dumbbell bench press 1RM from 15 reps at 60 kg?

The Epley formula gives 90.0 kg and the Brzycki formula gives 98.2 kg, so the working estimate is their average, 94.1 kg (47.0 kg per hand). Use the One Rep Max Calculator with your own weight and reps for your personal figure.

Why do Epley and Brzycki give different numbers?

They are different curve fits to the same relationship between reps and maximum load. Epley (1985) assumes a linear decline in the weight you can lift as reps rise; Brzycki (1993) uses a different curve that falls faster at high reps. At 15 reps they differ by 8.2 kg, which is expected — both formulas lose accuracy above 10 reps, and Brzycki's curve rises faster than Epley's at high rep counts.

How accurate is a 1RM estimate from 15 reps?

From a set of 15 reps the estimate is rough: the two formulas differ by 8.2 kg here, so treat 94.1 kg as the top of a range and base training loads on the lower figure, or retest with 5 reps or fewer for a tighter estimate.

What weight should I use for 5 sets of 5 reps?

From the rep-max table above, 5 reps at 80.7 kg total (40.3 kg per hand) is the estimated 5-rep load. For 5 sets of 5, start slightly below that — around 85–90% of it — because fatigue across sets makes the fifth set much harder than the first. If all five sets go up cleanly, add 2.5 kg per hand next session.

Is a dumbbell bench press max the same as a barbell bench press max?

No. Most lifters dumbbell bench press less than they barbell bench press, because each arm works independently and the stabilisation demand is higher. The 94.1 kg figure on this page is a dumbbell figure (47.0 kg per hand) and should not be compared directly with a barbell number — use the Bench Press 1RM Calculator for the barbell version.

How often should I retest my 1RM?

Every four to eight weeks is plenty, and only when you are rested and warmed up. Testing every week costs recovery and tells you almost nothing new. Between tests, judge progress by the weights you are lifting for sets of 5–8 reps: if those go up, the max is going up with them.

Related pages

Estimates only, not medical advice. Minimum safe intakes: 1,200 kcal/day women, 1,500 kcal/day men — consult a healthcare professional before a very-low-calorie diet.