Powerlifting variation calculator
Pick a variation, enter your competition max, and see the weight range most lifters land in.
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 lighter should powerlifting variations be?
Most squat and bench variations sit between 78% and 95% of the competition lift, while overloading variations such as board presses and rack pulls sit above 100%. A 3-second paused squat is typically 85–93% of your competition squat, and a front squat 70–85% of your back squat.
Variation percentages at a glance
| Variation | Typical range | What moves it |
|---|---|---|
| High bar squat | 90–97% | How low your low-bar setup sits |
| Front squat | 70–85% | Front rack mobility, upper back |
| Paused squat (1s) | 92–97% | How much you rely on the bounce |
| Paused squat (3s) | 85–93% | Same, amplified |
| Pin squat | 88–96% | Pin height, dead-stop strength |
| Box squat | 85–95% | Box height, how much you sit |
| Tempo squat (3s down) | 92–97% | Control and conditioning |
| Close grip bench | 87–95% | Triceps vs chest balance |
| Larsen press | 87–96% | How much leg drive and arch you use |
| Spoto press | 88–96% | Stretch reflex dependence |
| 2-board press | 100–108% | Lockout strength |
| 4-board press | 104–115% | Lockout strength |
| Deficit deadlift (1") | 91–98% | Strength off the floor |
| Deficit deadlift (2") | 85–94% | Same, amplified |
| Rack pull (below knee) | 100–110% | Grip and upper back |
| Snatch grip deadlift | 78–88% | Grip width, upper back |
Why variations do not follow your competition percentages
A variation changes one of three things, and each one moves the weight in its own way. Leverage and range of motion — a front squat, a deficit pull or a board press changes where the bar sits and how far it travels, which changes the load before you even move. Stored elastic energy — a pause on the chest or in the hole removes the stretch reflex and the elastic rebound you normally get for free. Time under tension — a slow eccentric drains you before the concentric even starts.
These stack multiplicatively, not additively. A paused front squat with a slow descent is not "front squat minus 10% minus 6%": it is the front squat coefficient multiplied by the pause coefficient multiplied by the tempo coefficient. Add them up and you end up with a weight nobody can lift.
The pause also does not cost linearly. The first second is expensive — that is where the elastic energy goes — and every extra second costs less than the one before. Going from 0 to 1 second takes far more off the bar than going from 3 to 4.
What moves your number
- How much you rely on the bounce: a lifter with a fast, elastic style loses far more to a pause than a grinder.
- Your weak point: a deficit pull punishes a bad start, a board press rewards a strong lockout.
- Technique exposure: a variation you have never trained is always heavier than the tables say, for a few weeks.
- Body proportions: long femurs, long arms and torso length change every leverage-based variation.
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 variation 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 lift. 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
How much lighter should a paused squat be?
A 3-second paused squat is usually 85–93% of your competition squat, and a 1-second pause 92–97%. Lifters with a fast, bouncy style lose the most.
Do RPE percentages still work for variations?
Yes, but they apply to the variation, not to your competition lift. Work out the max for that variation first, then read the RPE chart against it: 3 reps @ RPE 8 is 86.3% of the variation max, not of your competition max.
Why are board presses and rack pulls above 100%?
They shorten the range of motion and remove the hardest part of the lift, so you can handle more than your competition max. That is the point of an overloading variation.
Is there a single correct percentage for each variation?
No. The ranges here are typical starting points; the real number is individual and can sit several percent either side. The way to find yours is to test one set and compare it to the equivalent competition set.