Plate calculator: what to load on each side of the bar
Type the total weight you want to lift and it tells you which plates go on each side, using as few as possible. With a 20 kg bar, 100 kg means 40 kg a side: two 20s. With a 45 lb bar, 225 lb means 90 lb a side: two 45s. If your plates cannot make that exact weight, it gives you the nearest above and below.
On each side of the bar
2 × 20 kg
Total: 100 kg
Calculated in your browser. Nothing you type is sent anywhere.
The sum, in case your phone is in your bag
- Take the bar off the total weight.
- Divide by two: that is what goes on each side.
- Keep subtracting the largest plate that fits.
For 92.5 kg with a 20 kg bar: 92.5 − 20 = 72.5; divided by two, 36.25 kg a side. That is a 25, a 10 and a 1.25. Sometimes there is more than one way to get there: the calculator picks the one with the fewest plates.
| Total weight | On each side |
|---|---|
| 40 kg | 10 |
| 60 kg | 20 |
| 80 kg | 15 + 15 |
| 100 kg | 20 + 20 |
| 120 kg | 25 + 25 |
| 140 kg | 20 + 20 + 20 |
Before you load it, check your bar
They do not all weigh 20 kg. There are 15 kg bars, short bars of 10 kg or less, and Smith machines whose bar weight varies by machine. Change it in the bar field and tick only the plates your gym has: with no 1.25s, the calculator gives you the real jump. To find out what weight to use, try the one-rep max calculator.
Frequently asked questions
- Why does it say two 20s rather than a 25 and a 15?
- Because it looks for the answer with the fewest plates and, when that ties, the one with the fewest different sizes: quicker to load and to strip.
- What if I cannot make the exact weight?
- It shows the nearest load below and above. Take the one below if it is your first time at that weight.