First Home Gym
Free tool

Barbell Plate Calculator

Type the total weight you want on the bar and see exactly which plates go on each side, in pounds or kilograms. Untick plates you don’t have, or enter how many pairs you own, and it only uses what’s on your floor.

Units
Weight

Each side: – See diagram

Spring clips weigh almost nothing; competition collars are 2.5 kg each.
Plates you have

Tick the sizes you own. Leave “any” or type how many pairs you have.

Load on each side

–

  • Total on the bar–
  • Plates per side–
  • Converted–

Load the heaviest plates first, innermost, and match both sides. Colours in the diagram follow the common competition (IWF) code for kg plates; your plates may be a different colour. The diagram isn’t to scale.

How the calculator works

Plate math is simple: subtract the bar (and collars) from your target, then split what’s left in half, because each side must match. The calculator then picks plates for one side, heaviest first, the way most people load a bar. If the exact number can’t be made with your plates, it shows the closest weights just below and above.

Bar weights it assumes

  • Men’s Olympic bar: 20 kg (about 44.1 lb) by competition standard. Bars sold in the U.S. are usually labelled 45 lb, so the lb setting uses 45.
  • Women’s Olympic bar: 15 kg (about 33 lb); many U.S. listings round it to 35 lb.
  • Technique and specialty bars (trap bars, EZ-curl bars, short “standard” 1-inch bars) vary a lot. Choose “Other” and type the weight printed on yours or in the listing.

Plates it offers

Pounds: 55, 45, 35, 25, 10, 5, 2.5 and 1.25 lb. Kilograms: 25, 20, 15, 10, 5, 2.5, 1.25 and 0.5 kg. 55 lb, 1.25 lb and 0.5 kg plates are unticked to start because many home gyms don’t have them.

How exact is it?

The math is exact, but plates aren’t always. Ordinary iron plates can be off their labelled weight by a little, and only “calibrated” plates are made to tight tolerances. For everyday training that doesn’t matter. If you need to know precisely, weigh your bar and plates on a scale.

Quick reference

Total (45 lb bar)Each side
95 lb25
135 lb45
185 lb45 + 25
225 lb45 + 45
275 lb45 + 45 + 25
315 lb45 + 45 + 45
Total (20 kg bar)Each side
40 kg10
60 kg20
80 kg25 + 5
100 kg25 + 15
120 kg25 + 25
140 kg25 + 25 + 10
Lifting alone?

Use collars, and set safety pins, spotter arms or straps just below the lowest point of the lift. Add weight in small steps. If you’re new to barbell training or have a health condition, get advice from a doctor or a qualified coach first. See our disclaimer.

Learn more