NFL 225-Pound Bench Test 1RM Estimate
The NFL Combine bench test asks athletes to bench press 225 lb for as many full reps as they can. Enter your rep count to estimate your bench max and see how your reps compare with past Combine athletes.
The estimate comes from research on college football players. It is a useful starting point, but your actual max can be higher or lower—especially if you complete a lot of reps.
Compare with 5,040 recorded bench results from 2000–2026, excluding 2021. Choose all positions or a playing position, then save your reps to compare your next test.
What Your Bench Estimate Means
Your estimated one-rep max is the weight the equation predicts you could bench once. Treat it as a guide when planning training. Repetition endurance and technique affect the answer, so an actual max-effort single may give a different result.
Calculate above to see your current result and the numbers behind it.
How the Bench Estimate Works
The calculator uses the Mann, Stoner and Mayhew equation, developed from 225 lb bench tests in male college football players. For example, 20 reps gives an estimated max of 364 lb.
See the formula
Estimated max in kilograms = 103.5 + (3.08 × reps). The result is converted to pounds if you choose lb.
A training percentage uses the full estimate before rounding. If you choose a weight increment, that training weight is rounded down to the next available step.
The NFL Combine Bench Test
At the NFL Combine, the bench test measures how many times an athlete can press 225 lb. Your entry should come from one set taken to your maximum number of full reps at that same weight. Count chest-to-straight-arm reps with your hips on the bench, and use a spotter.
Count the bar and plates together. A 45 lb bar with two 45 lb plates on each side totals 225 lb. That is about 102.06 kg, so a 100 kg test is a different test.
- Enter only the reps you completed.
- Use 225 lb total and complete as many full reps as you can.
- For a set at another weight, use the Bench Press 1RM Calculator.
How Accurate Is the Estimate?
This equation was studied in male NCAA Division I football players from one program. Individual accuracy is uncertain, and the estimate can be less accurate at higher repetition counts.
The Combine comparison answers a separate question from the estimated 1RM: it places your completed reps at 225 lb within the selected group’s recorded reps. Tied scores share a rank, so the displayed percentile puts you halfway through the group with the same rep count; the lower, tied and higher counts show where that group sits.
The overall comparison contains 5,040 recorded bench results from 2000–2026 and excludes 2021. Records without a bench result are left out, so this is a comparison group rather than every Combine invitee or NFL player. Position groups stay separate, and the comparison does not adjust for bodyweight, age or sex. Groups with fewer than 10 recorded results do not receive a percentile; groups of 10–29 are marked as small.
Use the answer as a training reference. More reps on a later test show a better result at 225 lb; a higher predicted max alone does not prove that your measured one-rep max increased.
Study details and supported inputs
In the 2012 study’s cross-validation group, 69% of estimates were within 4.5 kg (about 10 lb) of the measured max. That group result is not a personal margin of error.
The calculator accepts 1–50 reps. This is an Endura entry limit, not a verified study range. The study’s lowest and highest rep counts and exact original test procedure remain unverified. The NFL’s event guidance is a separate source.
A 2002 validation reported lower accuracy at higher repetition counts without establishing a cutoff. A later training study found that changes in test reps tracked changes in measured max poorly.
- NFL-225 test to predict 1RM bench press in NCAA Division I football players — Mann, Stoner and Mayhew (2012).
- Validation of the NFL-225 test for predicting 1-RM bench press performance in college football players (2002).
- Efficacy of the NFL-225 Test to Track Changes in One Repetition Maximum Bench Press After Training (2015).
- Training for the NFL Combine bench press test (2016).
- Reliability of the NFL-225 Test and 3 Repetition Maximum Test in College Football Players (2014).
- nflverse NFL Combine data, sourced from Pro Football Reference (2026).
Choose a Training Weight
Use the chart to find a percentage of your estimated max. If your plan calls for 80%, for example, read the weight at 80%. Choose the percentage from your own plan; the chart cannot tell you how many reps you will manage.
Before you calculate, the chart shows a 20-rep example. After you calculate, it shows your training weights. Open the table below the chart to see every weight.
Vertical axis: Training weight (lb)
On a small screen, swipe the graph sideways or open its data table.
Horizontal axis: Training percentage (%)
- Training weight
View all chart values and details
| Series | Training percentage (%) | Training weight (lb) | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Training weight | 50 | 182 lb | Scenario |
| Training weight | 60 | 218.4 lb | Scenario |
| Training weight | 70 | 254.8 lb | Scenario |
| Training weight | 80 | 291.2 lb | Scenario |
| Training weight | 90 | 327.6 lb | Scenario |
| Training weight | 100 | 364 lb | Scenario |
Track Your 225 lb Bench Reps
Save the completed reps from each comparable 225 lb test. When you next complete a 225 lb test, use the same 225 lb total and full-rep standard, enter the reps you completed, and calculate again. Keep the same comparison group when you want the percentile change to be comparable.
- Use the same 225 lb total and bench setup.
- Enter the new full-rep count and choose the same position group if you used one.
- Choose Save Your Results, then View dashboard to find your saved tests and compare their reps, comparison and estimate.
A saved estimate helps you keep a record; it is not a measured strength gain. Compare the reps you completed alongside what you can lift in training.