Calculating Your Muscle Load (1RM)
Kanvie helps you estimate the intensity of your strength training in a scientific yet approachable way. Using industry-standard formulas, you can calculate your one-repetition maximum (1RM) and convert your effort into Muscle Points later for a clear overview of your progress.
Learn more about tracking your Muscle Points using your diary.
What Is a 1RM?
In General
A 1RM (one-repetition maximum) is the maximum load you could potentially lift for a single repetition with proper form. It represents your current strength for a specific exercise.
Examples:
- If you can bench press 50 kg for 5 reps close to failure, your estimated 1RM will be higher than 50 kg.
- If you can do 10 unweighted pull-ups, your estimated 1RM is based on the effective load, not “zero weight.”
Load For Weighted Exercises
For exercises using external weight, like barbell, dumbbells or machines, the load is simply the weight you used for that set:
Load For Bodyweight Exercises
For bodyweight movements, like push-ups, pull-ups or dips, the load is a fraction of your own bodyweight:
Where LoadFactor accounts for the portion of bodyweight actually moved:
- Push-ups ≈ 64% of bodyweight
- Pull-ups ≈ 100%
- Dips ≈ 100-105%
WeightAdded represents any additional weight, like weighted vests or belts.
To illustrate this with some examples for bodyweight exercises, let's consider a person who weighs 80 kg:
-
Push-ups with no extra load:
-
Pull-ups with a 10 kg belt:
-
Dips holding a 20 kg dumbbell between legs:
This load is then treated exactly like external weight in the 1RM formulas.
Load For Cardio Exercises
For regular dynamic (cardio) movements, like running, cycling or dancing, no load can be determined by Kanvie. The formulas discussed here aren't made for this purpose.
The Four 1RM Formulas
To make the estimation of your 1RM as accurate as possible, Kanvie supports four scientifically grounded formulas:
- Epley (default, general-purpose)
- Brzycki (best for moderate repetitions)
- Lander (precision for small repetition variations)
- Lombardi (high-repetition, endurance-oriented)
No single formula is perfect; your sets, repetitions, and personal strength characteristics affect which formula is most accurate.
1. Epley (Default)
- Typical range: 1-30 repetitions
- Default on Kanvie if not manually adjusted
- Widely used and reliable for most lifters
How it works
Epley assumes that each additional repetition adds roughly 3.3% to the load you could lift once. It scales linearly with repetitions, making it intuitive and stable across typical training ranges.
Examples
| Load | Repetition Count | 1RM |
|---|---|---|
| 50 kg | 5 | ~ 58.3 kg |
| 50 kg | 15 | 75 kg |
| 50 kg | 30 | 100 kg |
Who should use this formula?
- Beginners or casual lifters
- Most adults training in standard repetition ranges (which is why Kanvie selects it as your default if not otherwise specified in your Kanvie app settings)
2. Brzycki
- Typical range: 1-10 repetitions
- Most accurate in the low-to-moderate repetition range
- Slightly more conservative than Epley for sets with few repetitions
How it works
Brzycki reduces the estimate more aggressively as repetitions increase, under the assumption that strength drops faster as fatigue sets in. The denominator (37 − repetitions) controls how aggressively the estimate changes with each repetition. This makes it better for strength-focused sets where form fatigue sets in quickly.
Examples
| Load | Repetition Count | 1RM |
|---|---|---|
| 50 kg | 5 | ~ 57.7 kg |
| 50 kg | 15 | ~ 81.8 kg |
| 50 kg | 30 | ~ 128.57 kg |
Who should use this formula?
- Lifters focusing on strength in the moderate-repetition zone
- Anyone wanting a slightly tighter estimate than Epley
3. Lander
- Typical range: 1-12 repetitions
- Designed for precision
- Great when small changes in repetitions matter
How it works
Lander uses a more fine-tuned denominator that adjusts for small repetition differences. Both the intercept (101.3) and the repetition coefficient (2.67123) come from regression on lifting data. This makes it useful when tracking very gradual progress.
Examples
| Load | Repetition Count | 1RM |
|---|---|---|
| 50 kg | 5 | ~ 57.8 kg |
| 50 kg | 15 | ~ 81.6 kg |
| 50 kg | 30 | ~ 236.3 kg |
Who should use this formula?
- Lifters tracking incremental strength progress
- Anyone doing detailed logging or analysis
4. Lombardi
- Typical range: 10+ repetitions
- Ideal for high-repetition, endurance-style sets
- Uses an exponent-based model instead of a linear one
How it works
Instead of assuming a linear strength drop-off with each repetition, Lombardi uses an exponent (0.10) to represent how repetitions scale in endurance-type sets. Each consecutive repetition contributes less than the previous one did as the count rises.
Examples
| Load | Repetition Count | 1RM |
|---|---|---|
| 50 kg | 5 | ~ 58.2 kg |
| 50 kg | 15 | 65.6 kg |
| 50 kg | 30 | ~ 69.0 kg |
Who should use this formula?
- Endurance-oriented lifters
- High-repetition, low-weight programs
Which Formula Should You Pick?
| Formula | Situation | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| Epley | If you're unsure | Accurate for most situations |
| Brzycki | For moderate counts of repetitions per set | Slightly more accurate for ≤10 repetitions |
| Lander | For precision tracking (Low counts of repetitions per set) | Handles small repetition variations well |
| Lombardi | For sets with high counts of repetitions | Useful for endurance-style training |
How Kanvie Determines Your 1RM
Kanvie estimates your one-repetition max (1RM) by looking at every set you logged for this specific exercise diary entry and calculating a predicted 1RM using the formula you selected (Epley, Brzycki, Lander, or Lombardi).
If you already know your true maximum weight for an exercise, you can enter it manually in the exercise parameters, and Kanvie will use that fixed value instead of estimating it from your sets.
Applying a True Maximum
Some lifters train far below their true strength for volume, warm-ups, or rehab. In these cases, the heaviest set they log may underestimate their actual capability.
To address this, Kanvie allows you to manually enter a True Maximum for a diary entry.
What this option does:
- You enter the heaviest load you could lift for one perfect rep on that day
- Kanvie will use this value for:
- All 1RM-based intensity calculations
- All Muscle Points calculations
- Your actual logged sets remain unchanged
Should you use True Maximum for bodyweight exercises with added weight?
Usually no, unless:
- You are extremely experienced with bodyweight strength testing
- You tested (or know) your true 1RM load (e.g., max weighted pull-up)
- You train with loads far below your capability and want accurate intensity metrics
Otherwise, logging your actual bodyweight and optional added load is sufficient.
This option is unavailable for unweighted bodyweight exercises in the Kanvie app. For them, Kanvie estimates your 1RM from repetitions and body weight alone.
Muscle Points
In the Kanvie app, we offer a simplified metric called Muscle Points to represent the overall load applied to each individual muscle. They are derived from:
- Exercise type
- Load (external weight or effective bodyweight)
- Number of repetitions and sets
- Set intensity relative to your 1RM or True Maximum
Learn more about muscle points and how we calculate them.
Switching 1RM Formulas in Kanvie
You can edit your default 1RM formula anytime in the advanced muscle settings of your Kanvie app. There, you can also enable additional options, like showing or hiding the True Maximum input.
Learn more about adjusting your 1RM and muscle settings.
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