Board press percentage
The variation that goes above your max — and how far above.
A range, not a number — because the same variation costs one lifter 4% and another 14%. The app turns it into a single weight and remembers your coefficient.
Want the exact number?Set the pause and the eccentric, pick reps and RPE, get one weight — and the app learns your own coefficient.
Get the free appHow much weight should you use for a board press?
A 2-board press is typically 100–108% of your competition bench, and a 4-board press 104–115%. Boards cut the range of motion and remove the weakest part off the chest, so the lift is limited by your lockout instead. Lifters with a strong lockout sit at the top of these ranges.
Board height and typical load
| Variation | Typical range | What moves it |
|---|---|---|
| Competition bench | 100% | The reference |
| 1 board (≈9 cm) | 98–105% | Barely shortens the range |
| 2 boards (≈13 cm) | 100–108% | The usual overload choice |
| 3 boards (≈18 cm) | 102–112% | Mostly triceps and lockout |
| 4 boards (≈22 cm) | 104–115% | Near-lockout work only |
Why an overloading variation is worth programming
Most variations make the lift harder. Boards do the opposite: by removing the bottom of the range they let you handle more than your competition max, which is the point. You get exposure to a heavier bar without the part of the lift that limits you.
That also means the number is driven almost entirely by your lockout. A lifter who fails at the chest can put 110% on a 3-board comfortably; a lifter who fails at lockout may barely beat their competition max on any board height.
Because the load sits above 100%, small errors matter more. Being 5% optimistic on a board press means a bar you cannot rack, so the honest approach is to start at the bottom of the range and work up over a block.
What moves your number
- Lockout strength versus off-the-chest strength — the whole story, essentially.
- Board height and how consistently it is set: boards vary a lot between gyms.
- Whether you pause on the board or touch and go.
- Arm length: longer arms get more out of the same board height.
How to find your own number
Three sessions and a bit of honesty are enough to replace the range with your own coefficient.
- Work up to a set of 3 on the board press and stop at RPE 8 — two reps left in the tank, honestly judged.
- Divide the weight you used by the weight you would have used for 3 reps @ RPE 8 on your competition bench. That ratio is your coefficient.
- Repeat it once or twice over a training block. If the number holds within a couple of percent, that is your number — use it instead of the range.
PRO What the app does with it
- Applies the pause and the eccentric on top of the variation, second by second — the first second costs the most, the following ones progressively less.
- Crosses it with the RPE chart, so you get the weight for 3 reps @ RPE 8 on that variation, not just a max.
- Learns your personal coefficient from a set you actually did, then remembers it for every future session.
- Works offline, in the gym, with the plates already worked out.
Stop guessing on your variation days
RPE Calculator for Android is free. The variation calculator — pause, tempo, deficit, boards — comes with the one-time Pro unlock. No subscription.
Get the free app Launching on Google Play — final testingFree download · Pro is a single one-time unlock · No subscription
Frequently asked questions
Should a board press be heavier than your bench?
Usually yes. A 2-board press is typically 100–108% of your competition bench, because the hardest part of the range is removed.
How high is a board press?
Boards are usually 2×4 planks stacked: one board is about 9 cm, two about 13 cm, four about 22 cm. Consistency matters more than the exact number.
Why is my board press not heavier than my bench?
That usually means your lockout is the weak point, not the bottom of the press. It is exactly the information the variation is there to give you.