Plates & Pace

Strength one-rep max

Weighted Pull‑Up 1RM Calculator

Your bodyweight is part of every pull-up. This calculator adds it in before estimating your max, then tells you the weight to hang on the belt.

Updated · Sources

Weight unit
kg

The weight on your belt or vest. Enter 0 for bodyweight reps.

StrengthPull-up 1RM

Estimated 1RM, added weight

+34.7 kg

Total with bodyweight
109.7 kg
Bodyweight-only reps
14
Your set
+20 × 5
Working(75 + 20) kg × 5 reps → 109.7 kg (average of 7 equations); 109.7 − 75 = +34.7 kg

Training loads by percentage

% of 1RMTotal loadOn the belt
100%110 kg+35 kg
95%103.8 kg+28.8 kg
90%98.8 kg+23.8 kg
85%93.8 kg+18.8 kg
80%87.5 kg+12.5 kg
75%82.5 kg+7.5 kg
70%76.3 kg+1.3 kg

Added weight for other rep counts

RepsOn the belt
1 rep+35 kg
2 reps+28.8 kg
3 reps+25 kg
4 reps+22.5 kg
5 reps+20 kg
6 reps+17.5 kg
8 reps+12.5 kg
10 reps+8.8 kg
12 reps+5 kg

How it works

In a pull-up you lift your own body as well as anything on the belt, so a one-rep max has to count both. This calculator adds your bodyweight to the added weight, runs the one-rep max equations on the total, then takes your bodyweight away again to give the most you could hang on the belt for one rep.

The same numbers give the added weight for other rep counts, training loads by percentage and an estimate of how many pull-ups you could do with bodyweight alone. Leaving bodyweight out, as a plain one-rep max calculator does, gives a badly wrong answer for weighted pull-ups.

The formula

Formula
total load     = bodyweight + added weight
1RM (total)    = equation applied to the total load and reps
1RM added      = 1RM (total) − bodyweight

Epley          1RM = w × (1 + r ÷ 30)
Average        the mean of 7 published equations

Worked example

You weigh 75 kg and do 5 pull-ups with 20 kg on a belt.

  1. The load you move is 75 + 20 = 95 kg.
  2. Epley: 95 × (1 + 5 ÷ 30) = 110.8 kg. The average of all seven equations is 109.7 kg.
  3. Take away your bodyweight: 109.7 − 75 = +34.7 kg on the belt for one rep.
  4. The same estimate gives about 14 pull-ups with bodyweight alone, and +25 kg for a set of 3.

Counting reps

Count reps from a dead hang with straight arms to the chin clearly over the bar. Kipping or half reps inflate the estimate. Chin-ups, with palms facing you, usually allow a little more weight, so estimate them from their own sets.

Questions

Does this include my bodyweight?

Yes. The equations run on your bodyweight plus the added weight, because that is the load you actually pull. The result shows the added weight for one rep and the total.

How many bodyweight pull-ups does this equal?

The Bodyweight-only reps figure estimates it from the same set. It becomes less reliable above about 12 to 15 reps, where endurance matters more than strength.

What do the assisted numbers mean?

At lower percentages the load can be less than your bodyweight. The table then shows how much assistance you would need, for example from a band or an assisted pull-up machine.

Can I use it for chin-ups?

Yes. Enter a chin-up set and compare the result with other chin-up sets, since most people are a little stronger with palms facing them.

Add this calculator to your site

Gym, coach or blog? You can put this calculator on your own site for free. Copy the code below into your page’s HTML. The calculator updates itself whenever we improve it.

The short script lets the frame grow to fit the calculator on your page. Please keep the credit line underneath it.

Sources

  1. Brzycki M. Strength testing: predicting a one-rep max from reps-to-fatigue. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. 1993;64(1):88-90.
  2. Mayhew JL, Ball TE, Arnold MD, Bowen JC. Relative muscular endurance performance as a predictor of bench press strength in college men and women. Journal of Applied Sport Science Research. 1992;6(4):200-206.
  3. LeSuer DA, McCormick JH, Mayhew JL, Wasserstein RL, Arnold MD. The accuracy of prediction equations for estimating 1-RM performance in the bench press, squat, and deadlift. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 1997;11(4):211-213.