180 lb works out to 1x45 + 1x25 per side plus the bar — call it 185 lb in practice, since gyms rarely stock the odd change. 3 reps sits at the reliable end of the range these formulas were fitted on, so the 13 lb spread here is about as tight as the method gets. Your 165 lb set represents about 92% of the estimated max.
Why 3 reps gives a tight estimate
A triple is close to the best case for this method. The low end of the two-to-ten band is where these regressions were sampled most heavily, and it shows here — the seven land within 13 lb of each other, 7.2% of the estimate, which is small enough that choosing a different formula would not change how you train. If the third rep slowed down but the bar never stalled, 180 lb is a defensible working number.
Training loads from a 180 lb max
Programmes are written as percentages of the max, not as absolute weights. From 180 lb, rounded to the nearest 5 lb:
| Percentage | Load | Typical set |
|---|---|---|
| 95% | 170 lb | Heavy single |
| 90% | 160 lb | Doubles and triples |
| 85% | 155 lb | Sets of four to five |
| 80% | 145 lb | Sets of six |
| 75% | 135 lb | Sets of eight |
| 70% | 125 lb | Volume work, ten or more |
180 lb loads as 1x45 + 1x25 per side plus the bar, or 185 lb on the bar. Round every figure in that table to the nearest 5 lb and stop there — the seven formulas disagree by 13 lb on this set, so chasing a two-pound difference is chasing noise. If your gym stocks 2.5 lb pairs, save them for the top two rows, where a small miss costs the most reps.
The formulas behind this answer, and their limitations
The table above the fold is Epley (1985), Brzycki (1993), Lombardi (1989), O'Conner (1989), Wathan (1994), Lander (1985) and Mayhew (1992), each applied to 165 lb for 3 reps; the headline figure is their median. All seven assume a set taken close to failure with clean technique. At 3 reps you are inside the band they were fitted on, so the largest error here is not the equation but judging how close your set really was to failure — three reps left in the tank reads exactly the same to them. They also under-rate strong, experienced lifters, who hold a higher percentage of max at any rep count than the regression average. The full account — the populations behind each equation, what a bounced rep does to it, and why we stop at ten reps — is set out on the methodology page. Warm up thoroughly and use safety bars or a spotter before going anywhere near 180 lb. This is a training estimate, not medical advice.