Barbell plate calculator

Plates for each side of the bar, in kg or lb. Updated 9 November 2026.

Enter the total weight you want on the bar, including the bar. The calculator shows which plates go on each side, using the fewest plates from the ones you have. Choose kg or lb, pick the bar, and untick any plate sizes you do not have.

Worked examples

Each side holds the total minus the bar, divided by 2. The calculator then picks the fewest plates that make that amount.

• 100 kg on a 20 kg bar: (100 − 20) ÷ 2 = 40 kg each side, which is one 25 kg plate and one 15 kg plate. With no 15 kg plates, it is two 20 kg plates.
• 225 lb on a 45 lb bar: (225 − 45) ÷ 2 = 90 lb each side, which is two 45 lb plates.
• 135 lb on a 45 lb bar: 45 lb each side, which is one 45 lb plate.
• 185 lb on a 45 lb bar: 70 lb each side, which is one 45 lb plate and one 25 lb plate.
• 101 kg on a 20 kg bar: 40.5 kg each side, which the default kg plates cannot make. The closest totals are 100 kg (25 + 15 each side) and 102.5 kg (25 + 15 + 1.25 each side).

If you are working out the load first, the one rep max calculator gives loads from 95% to 60% of an estimated max, and you can enter any of them above as the total.

Bar weights

A standard barbell weighs 20 kg or 45 lb. Many women's bars weigh 15 kg or 35 lb, and technique bars 10 kg or 15 lb. The presets cover those, and Custom takes any other bar. The kg plates run from 25 kg down to 1.25 kg, with a 0.5 kg plate you can tick, and the lb plates are 45, 35, 25, 10, 5 and 2.5.

Questions

How do I calculate which plates go on a barbell?

Subtract the bar weight from the total weight and divide what is left by 2. That is the weight for each side. For 100 kg on a 20 kg bar, each side holds (100 − 20) ÷ 2 = 40 kg, which is a 25 kg plate and a 15 kg plate. For 225 lb on a 45 lb bar, each side holds (225 − 45) ÷ 2 = 90 lb, which is two 45 lb plates.

How much does a barbell weigh?

A standard men's Olympic barbell is 20 kg or 45 lb. The two are close but not equal, since 20 kg is 44.1 lb. Many women's bars are 15 kg or 35 lb, and lighter technique bars are 10 kg or 15 lb. EZ-curl bars, trap bars and specialty bars vary by model, so use the weight printed on the bar or listed by its maker and enter it as a custom value.

Does the calculator count the collars?

No. Spring collars weigh little and are ignored. Competition collars weigh 2.5 kg each, so if you use a pair and want them counted, subtract 5 kg (about 11 lb) from the total you enter.

What if my plates cannot make the weight I entered?

The calculator shows the closest total below and the closest total above that the ticked plates can make, and draws the lower one. With the default kg plates the smallest step is 1.25 kg a side, so totals move in steps of 2.5 kg. 101 kg on a 20 kg bar cannot be made, and the closest totals are 100 kg and 102.5 kg.

How does the calculator choose the plates?

It finds the combination with the fewest plates on each side from the sizes you tick. When two combinations use the same number of plates, it takes the one with the heavier plate first, so 40 kg a side is 25 + 15 rather than 20 + 20. The list runs heaviest first, which is the order to load them, with the heaviest plate closest to the middle of the bar.

Does this page save or send my numbers?

No. The calculation runs in your browser with a few lines of JavaScript on this page, and nothing you type is sent or stored.

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