Plate Barbell Calculator
Find which plates to load on each side of a barbell for a target weight.
Plates Per Side
Weight Per Side
Achieved Total
Bar Weight
How Plate Loading Works
A loaded barbell is symmetric: the same plates go on each side of the bar. To reach a target total weight, subtract the bar's own weight, then split the remainder evenly across both sleeves. This calculator decomposes the per-side weight into the largest available plates first so you load the fewest plates possible.
- Weight per side = (Target − Bar) / 2
- Achieved total = Bar + (2 × loaded plates per side)
Standard Plate Sets
- Metric (kg): 25, 20, 15, 10, 5, 2.5, 1.25 kg. Olympic bars typically weigh 20 kg.
- Imperial (lb): 45, 35, 25, 10, 5, 2.5 lb. Standard Olympic bars weigh 45 lb.
A Note on Collars
This calculator ignores the weight of collars or clips. Competition spring collars are light, but barbell training collars can add 2.5 kg (about 5.5 lb) per pair. If you use heavy collars, include their weight in your bar weight figure for an accurate total.
Related Calculators
Note: This calculator assumes a symmetrically loaded barbell with the standard plate denominations shown and ignores the weight of collars or clips. Available plates vary by gym, so the closest achievable total may differ from your target.