299 lb works out to 2x45 + 1x35 per side plus the bar — call it 295 lb in practice, since gyms rarely stock the odd change. 4 reps sits comfortably inside the 2-to-10 range these formulas were fitted on, so this estimate is about as reliable as the method gets. Your 265 lb set represents about 89% of the estimated max.
How far 299 lb can be trusted
Four reps still sits in the well-behaved part of the range. The seven equations return 289 to 309 lb, and most of that 6.7% gap is them disagreeing about how fast strength falls off with reps rather than any of them being wrong. A set of four is also long enough that fatigue in the last rep is visible: if rep four was a grind, this estimate is honest; if it moved easily, 299 lb is on the low side.
Training loads from a 299 lb max
Programmes are written as percentages of the max, not as absolute weights. From 299 lb, rounded to the nearest 5 lb:
| Percentage | Load | Typical set |
|---|---|---|
| 95% | 285 lb | Heavy single |
| 90% | 270 lb | Doubles and triples |
| 85% | 255 lb | Sets of four to five |
| 80% | 240 lb | Sets of six |
| 75% | 225 lb | Sets of eight |
| 70% | 210 lb | Volume work, ten or more |
299 lb is 2x45 + 1x35 per side plus the bar — 295 lb loaded. Plate maths gets easier at this weight, because most of the jumps land on whole 10s and 25s. The bottom three rows of that table are worth rounding generously; the top two are where you want to be precise, since 5 lb at 95% of 299 lb is the difference between a single and a missed single.
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 265 lb for 4 reps; the headline figure is their median. All seven assume a set taken close to failure with clean technique. At 4 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 299 lb. This is a training estimate, not medical advice.