329 lb works out to 3x45 + 1x5 per side plus the bar — call it 325 lb in practice, since gyms rarely stock the odd change. 6 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 275 lb set represents about 84% of the estimated max.
How far 329 lb can be trusted
Six reps is where the equations start to separate. The 18 lb between 316 and 334 lb is wider than the same lifter would see from a triple, because past five reps the different curve shapes behind each formula begin to matter. Conditioning also starts to leak into the answer: a six-rep set asks something of your work capacity that a single does not, and lifters who are strong but poorly conditioned come out under-estimated here.
Training loads from a 329 lb max
Programmes are written as percentages of the max, not as absolute weights. From 329 lb, rounded to the nearest 5 lb:
| Percentage | Load | Typical set |
|---|---|---|
| 95% | 315 lb | Heavy single |
| 90% | 295 lb | Doubles and triples |
| 85% | 280 lb | Sets of four to five |
| 80% | 265 lb | Sets of six |
| 75% | 245 lb | Sets of eight |
| 70% | 230 lb | Volume work, ten or more |
329 lb is 3x45 + 1x5 per side plus the bar — 325 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 329 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 275 lb for 6 reps; the headline figure is their median. All seven assume a set taken close to failure with clean technique. At 6 reps you are still inside the fitted band, but conditioning is now affecting the result alongside strength, and the seven have begun to curve away from each other. 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 329 lb. This is a training estimate, not medical advice.