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Plate calculator
To load a barbell, take off the bar weight, halve what's left, and make that up with the biggest plates first. For 100 kg on a 20 kg Olympic bar, that's 40 kg per side: one 25, one 15. Enter any weight below to see the plates for each side.
Standard plates
The calculator assumes a normal UK gym: 25, 20, 15, 10, 5, 2.5 and 1.25 kg plates. In pounds it uses 45, 35, 25, 10, 5 and 2.5 lb. If your gym is short of a size, load the next combination down and the total stays the same.
How heavy is the bar?
| Bar | Weight |
|---|---|
| Men's Olympic bar | 20 kg (about 45 lb) |
| Women's Olympic bar | 15 kg (about 33 lb) |
| Technique or training bar | 5 to 10 kg |
| EZ curl bar | usually 7 to 10 kg |
| Smith machine | varies a lot: check the label, often 6 to 15 kg effective |
Quick loading tips
- Heaviest plates go on first, closest to the sleeve collar.
- Always use collars on squats, bench and anything overhead.
- Load and unload both sides evenly so the bar doesn't tip off the rack.
- Coloured bumper plates follow competition colours: red 25, blue 20, yellow 15, green 10, white 5.
Never do plate maths again
Lift Proven shows the plates for each side next to every set, warm-ups included, and sets the weight for you from what you lifted last time.
Questions
- How much does an Olympic barbell weigh?
- A men's Olympic barbell weighs 20 kg (about 45 lb). A women's Olympic bar weighs 15 kg.
- What plates make 100 kg?
- On a 20 kg bar, 100 kg needs 40 kg on each side: a 25 kg and a 15 kg plate, or two 20 kg plates.
- What plates make 60 kg?
- On a 20 kg bar, 60 kg needs 20 kg on each side: one 20 kg plate, or a 15 and a 5.
- Do I count the bar weight?
- Yes. The weight you log is the bar plus all the plates on both sides.