Plate loading calculator

Why a plate calculator

Because "87.5 on the bar" turns into a small maths problem every set, usually with your heart rate up and someone waiting. Type the target, tap the plates your gym actually has, and it tells you what goes on each side - biggest first, next to the collar.

Bar weights

A standard Olympic bar is 20 kg (45 lb). Women's Olympic bars are 15 kg and thinner. Technique bars are 10 kg or lighter. EZ curl bars vary - most are 7–10 kg. Some gyms also have fixed 5 kg or 10 kg training bars; if you are not sure, most bars have the weight stamped on the end. Machines and Smith machines are different again - a Smith bar can weigh anything from 7 to 25 kg depending on the counterbalance, so use "No bar" and treat the plates as the number you track.

Plates you might not have

Most commercial gyms stop at 1.25 kg. If yours does, the smallest jump you can make is 2.5 kg total, which is fine for squats and deadlifts but a big step on overhead press or bench for a beginner. Fractional plates (0.5 kg, even 0.25 kg) cost about £15 a pair online and are one of the cheapest ways to keep progressing on the smaller lifts. Not sure what weights you should be lifting in the first place? Start with the one rep max calculator and the percentage table it gives.

FAQs

How much does a barbell weigh?

A standard Olympic barbell weighs 20 kg (about 45 lb). Women's bars are 15 kg, technique bars usually 10 kg, and EZ curl bars typically 7–10 kg. The weight is often stamped on the end cap.

Does the bar count towards the weight?

Yes. If you squat with two 20 kg plates on each side, you are squatting 100 kg, not 80 - the bar is part of the load. Always include it when you log or compare lifts.

What plates do I need for 100 kg?

On a 20 kg bar: 40 kg each side - one 25 kg and one 15 kg, or two 20s. For 60 kg: 20 kg a side, so one 20 kg plate each end.

How much does a Smith machine bar weigh?

It varies a lot - anywhere from about 7 kg to 25 kg depending on the machine and its counterbalance. Ask at your gym or look for a label. Because of this, Smith machine lifts are best tracked as plates only rather than compared to a free barbell.