Plate Loading Calculator
Enter a target weight, the bar weight, and which plates you have available to see exactly how many of each plate to load on each side of the bar.
Plates per side (largest to smallest):
How It Works
Loading a barbell means splitting the weight you want to add, beyond the bar itself, evenly across both sides. The calculator first subtracts the bar weight from your target, then divides what is left by two to get the weight needed per side.
From there it works like most lifters load a bar by hand: start with the biggest plate that still fits under the per-side target, add it, subtract its weight from what is left, and repeat with the next largest plate size down, continuing until the per-side target is matched as closely as your available plates allow.
Worked Example
Target: 140 kg on a 20 kg bar, with 25, 20, 15, 10, 5, and 2.5 kg plates available. Weight beyond the bar: 140 - 20 = 120 kg. Per side: 120 / 2 = 60 kg. Loading greedily: two 25 kg plates use 50 kg and leave 10 kg, which one 10 kg plate covers exactly. Each side gets two 25 kg plates and one 10 kg plate, for a total of exactly 140 kg on the bar.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the calculator decide which plates to use?
It subtracts the bar weight from your target, splits the remainder evenly between both sides, then fills each side starting with the largest available plate and working down to the smallest, the same way most lifters load a bar by hand.
What if my target weight cannot be loaded exactly?
If your available plates cannot make an exact match, the calculator loads the closest weight it can reach without going over and tells you the resulting total so you know the true weight on the bar.
What is a standard Olympic bar weight?
Most Olympic barbells weigh 20 kg (about 44 lb) in metric gyms or 45 lb in US gyms. Some gyms also use lighter training bars, technique bars, or trap bars, which is why a custom bar weight field is included.
Why does the result show plates per side instead of a total plate count?
You load the same plates on both sides of the bar to keep it balanced, so per side is what actually matters when you are loading weight before a lift.
Can I use this with kilogram plates and a pound target, or the other way around?
No, keep your target weight, bar weight, and plate sizes in the same unit system for an accurate result. Convert your target to kilograms first if you only have kilogram plates available, or to pounds if you only have pound plates.