Plate calculator

Enter the weight you want on the bar and see exactly which plates to load on each side. Works in kilograms and pounds, with any bar and the plates your gym actually has.

Unit
Available plates
Load on each side

How to load a barbell

Subtract the weight of the bar from your target, then split what's left evenly between the two sides. Load the heaviest plates first, closest to the collar, and work down to the smallest. The calculator does exactly this, using only the plates you've ticked.

How much does a barbell weigh?

A standard men's Olympic barbell weighs 20 kg (about 44 lb) and a women's Olympic bar weighs 15 kg (about 33 lb). In US gyms the standard bar is usually counted as 45 lb. Technique bars, EZ bars and trap bars vary, so check the one you're using.

Questions, answered

Do I count the collars?
Most gym clips weigh almost nothing and are usually left out. Competition collars weigh 2.5 kg each — if you use them, add 5 kg to the bar weight.
What if my target weight can't be loaded exactly?
The calculator shows the closest weight you can load at or below your target with the plates you've selected. Add smaller plates to the list to get closer.
Does Lifter Log do plate math too?
Yes — and the other way around. When you log a set, tap the plates you loaded on one side and Lifter Log works out the total, adding the bar for you.

More free tools

1RM

1RM calculator

Estimate your one-rep max from any set, with a percentage chart for every training load.

Log by plates, not math

In Lifter Log you can log any set by tapping the plates you loaded — total or per side — and it remembers how you log each exercise.

Download on theApp Store Get it onGoogle Play

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