Loading a barbell is simple arithmetic that is easy to get wrong between sets. Enter the weight you want and the plates you have, and the calculator gives the plates for each side and the weight that ends up on the bar.
Work out the plates
Enter the total you want on the bar. The unit switches the plate list and the bar menu. Each side is built from as many of the biggest plate as fit, then the next size down. The math runs in your browser; nothing is stored or sent.
Each side: 45 + 25 + 5 + 2.5 lb
On the bar: 200 lb
Bar 45 + 77.5 a side × 2 = 200 lb.
The calculator needs JavaScript, which looks to be switched off. The numbers above are the worked example, and the table below covers common weights.
Plates per side for common weights
With no collars counted, and the plates above:
| On a 45 lb bar | Each side | Plates per side |
|---|---|---|
| 95 lb | 25 lb | 25 |
| 135 lb | 45 lb | 45 |
| 155 lb | 55 lb | 45 + 10 |
| 185 lb | 70 lb | 45 + 25 |
| 205 lb | 80 lb | 45 + 35 |
| 225 lb | 90 lb | 45 + 45 |
| 275 lb | 115 lb | 45 + 45 + 25 |
| 315 lb | 135 lb | 45 + 45 + 45 |
| 365 lb | 160 lb | 45 + 45 + 45 + 25 |
| 405 lb | 180 lb | 45 + 45 + 45 + 45 |
| On a 20 kg bar | Each side | Plates per side |
|---|---|---|
| 40 kg | 10 kg | 10 |
| 60 kg | 20 kg | 20 |
| 70 kg | 25 kg | 25 |
| 80 kg | 30 kg | 25 + 5 |
| 100 kg | 40 kg | 25 + 15 |
| 120 kg | 50 kg | 25 + 25 |
| 140 kg | 60 kg | 25 + 25 + 10 |
| 150 kg | 65 kg | 25 + 25 + 15 |
| 180 kg | 80 kg | 25 + 25 + 25 + 5 |
| 200 kg | 90 kg | 25 + 25 + 25 + 15 |
How to load a bar
- Start from the total. Take the bar off the weight you want. With a 45 lb bar and a target of 185 lb, that leaves 140 lb of plates.
- Halve it. 140 lb over two sides is 70 lb a side.
- Build each side from the biggest plate down. A 45 leaves 25, and a 25 finishes it: 45 + 25 on each side.
- Load the sides the same way. Biggest plate on first, pushed all the way in, smaller plates outside it, in the same order on both ends.
- Put the collars on, and count them if they weigh enough to matter.
The calculator follows the same order: when more than one set of plates makes the number, it uses the most of the biggest plate, then the most of the next size. If your rack is short of a size, lower its count or untick it and it works around the gap: with the 25s unticked, 185 lb on a 45 lb bar comes out as 45 + 10 + 10 + 5 a side.
Why per side matters
Everything you put on a barbell happens twice: the 90 lb a side that makes 225 lb is 180 lb of plates, plus the bar. Lose track of that and two things go wrong. Loading the total on each side turns a 135 lb target into 315 lb. Adding a plate to one end only makes a lopsided bar, not a jump: a 5 lb jump is 2.5 lb on each side. Use the same plates in the same order on both ends, and count them before you lift, so either side can be checked at a glance.
Pounds and kilograms
The pound set here is 45, 35, 25, 10, 5 and 2.5 lb, with optional 1.25s; the kilogram set is 25, 20, 15, 10, 5, 2.5 and 1.25 kg, with optional 0.5s. Tick what your gym has.
The two systems don't line up. A pound is 0.45359237 kg, so a kilogram is about 2.2 lb, and plates that look alike differ: a 20 kg plate is 44.1 lb, not 45, and a 10 kg plate is 22 lb, not 25. Four 45s a side on a 45 lb bar make 405 lb (183.7 kg); four 20s a side on a 20 kg bar make 180 kg (396.8 lb). The bars in the menu aren't conversions of each other either: a 20 kg bar is 44.1 lb. If yours isn't marked, ask the gym or weigh it, and choose Custom. Work in the unit your plates are marked in, and convert the total at the end if your log uses the other one.
Common mistakes
- Forgetting the bar. One 45 a side on a 45 lb bar is 135 lb, not 90.
- Assuming every bar weighs the same. A shorter or thinner bar can be lighter than last week's. Check the marking.
- Leaving heavy collars out. Collars marked with a weight are part of the load: enter one collar's weight and the calculator adds two. Leave unmarked ones at 0, the same way every week.
- Mixing pound and kilogram plates. A 25 lb plate and a 10 kg plate can look alike, but they're about 3 lb apart (25 against 22.05).
The smallest jump you can make
Your lightest pair of plates sets your smallest jump: two 2.5 lb plates make 5 lb, two 1.25 kg plates make 2.5 kg. Fractional plates, if your gym has them, cut it to 2.5 lb with a pair of 1.25s, or 1 kg with a pair of 0.5s.
The same jump is a bigger step on a lighter lift. Five pounds is about 5% of a 95 lb overhead press and under 2% of a 315 lb squat, so on a light lift one jump asks for more, in proportion, than on a heavy one.
When the smallest jump is too big to make for all your reps, keep the weight and add reps until the heavier weight fits inside your rep range, then make the jump. How fast to add weight that way is on progressive overload, and choosing the weight in the first place is on how much weight to lift. For the lighter sets before your first working set, use the warm-up set calculator; to turn one hard set into training loads, the one-rep max calculator; and for the pace on cardio days, the heart rate zone calculator.
Questions
Why does it say the target can't be made?
Every load is the bar plus two equal sides, so totals move in steps of two of your lightest plates. On a 45 lb bar with 2.5s, 202 lb falls between 200 and 205: the calculator loads 200, says it's 2 lb short, and names 205 as the next weight up. Tick a lighter plate if you have one, or round the target.
Does it work for a plate-loaded dumbbell or another kind of bar?
Yes. Choose Custom and enter the weight of the handle or bar. For a pair of plate-loaded dumbbells, the result is for one dumbbell.
Knowing what goes on the bar is the easy part. Knowing what should go on it next week is where a plan helps, and if you'd rather have one built around your week, apply here.
General education only, not medical advice. If you have a medical condition, are pregnant, or take medication, check with your doctor before changing how you train or eat.