Plate Loading Calculator
Find which plates to load on each side of the barbell to reach your target weight
What is a Plate Loading Calculator?
A plate loading calculator tells you which plates to put on each side of the barbell to reach your target weight. Enter the weight you want to lift, pick your bar, and it shows the plates to load on each side, using the fewest plates possible.
Worked example: for a 100 kg lift on a 20 kg bar, the plates must add up to 80 kg, which is 40 kg per side. The best combination is 1 × 25 kg + 1 × 15 kg on each side. Loading the same plates on both sides keeps the bar balanced.
If your target cannot be reached exactly with standard plates, the calculator loads the closest weight below your target and tells you how far off it is, so you never end up guessing at the rack.
How to Use This Calculator
Why Plate Loading Matters
Loading the right plates quickly keeps your session moving and removes arithmetic from the middle of a heavy set. It also helps you plan warm-up sets, since you can see exactly what to add or remove between sets.
Using as few plates as possible keeps the bar quicker to load and unload. Always load and unload evenly, one side then the other, and use collars on heavy lifts.
Men's Olympic bars are 20 kg (sold as 45 lb bars in the US) and women's bars are 15 kg (often sold as 35 lb bars), but gym bars vary. Check what your gym's bar weighs before you rely on the numbers.
?Frequently Asked Questions
A men's Olympic barbell weighs 20 kg (sold as a 45 lb bar in the US) and a women's barbell weighs 15 kg (often sold as a 35 lb bar). Some training bars, EZ bars and safety squat bars weigh less or more, so pick the closest bar option or check your gym.
Subtract the bar weight from the total, then divide by two. For 100 kg on a 20 kg bar, that is 80 ÷ 2 = 40 kg on each side, which can be made with a 25 kg and a 15 kg plate.
The calculator loads the closest weight at or below your target using the standard plate set and shows how far below it is. If you have smaller plates (like 0.5 kg), you can use them to close the gap.
Fewer plates on the bar is faster to load and unload and keeps the sleeve from getting crowded. The calculator picks the combination with the fewest plates per side, and prefers the heavier plates when two combinations use the same number.
Competition collars weigh 2.5 kg each, but gym spring collars weigh almost nothing. This calculator does not include collars, so add their weight yourself if you use heavy ones.