Barbell plate calculator: what to load on each side of the bar
Enter the weight you want to lift, pick your bar and tick the plates available in your gym. The calculator shows what to load on each side and how much is missing if the weight can't be built exactly. Below you'll find warm-up sets for that weight.
Weight and bar
Per side
Enter a weight — the breakdown appears right away.
Log your working weights
Save your sets in a workout diary — next session you'll see what weight you used and how much to add.
How to use the calculator
- Enter the total barbell weight you want, bar included. Decimals are fine: 87.5.
- Pick your bar: a men's Olympic bar weighs 20 kg, a women's bar 15 kg, a training or technique bar about 10 kg. If your bar weighs something else (EZ bar, deadlift bar, trap bar), choose “Custom” and enter it.
- Tick the plates your gym has and how many pairs of each. The default is a full set of 25 / 20 / 15 / 10 / 5 / 2.5 / 1.25 kg, 4 pairs each.
- Load the plates from the result on each side — heavy ones first, closest to the center, then the light ones — and lock them with collars.
If you opened the link from the percentage chart of the 1RM calculator, the weight is already filled in — just check the bar and the plates.
How the breakdown is calculated
The bar weight is subtracted from the target and the rest is split in half — that's the load per side. Plates are then picked from heavy to light: take the heaviest one while it fits and you still have pairs, then the next one.
If that can't hit the weight exactly because you're out of pairs, the calculator tries the other combinations and picks the one closest to the target with the fewest plates. For example, for 20 kg per side with one 15 kg plate and two 10 kg plates it suggests 10 + 10 rather than 15 and a shortfall. If the exact weight can't be built at all, you'll see the nearest lighter weight and how much is missing.
- Load per side
(barbell weight − bar weight) / 2For example, 100 kg on an Olympic bar: (100 − 20) / 2 = 40 kg per side — a 25 and a 15 kg plate.
Collars are not counted: spring clips weigh about 0.1 kg, competition collars 2.5 kg each. If you use heavy collars, add them to the bar weight in the “Custom” field.
Warming up before working sets
The heavier the working weight, the more warm-up sets you need. A simple scheme for the main lifts: empty bar for 8–10 reps, then about 40% of the working weight for 5 reps, 60% for 3 and 80% for 1–2. Keep warm-up reps low so you get warm and rehearse the technique without getting tired before the working sets.
For each warm-up set the calculator picks the nearest weight you can actually build with your plates, so the percentages can differ slightly. Rest 1–2 minutes between warm-up sets and 2–3 minutes before the first working set.
Standard bar and plate weights
- Olympic bar — 20 kg, 2.2 m, 50 mm sleeves. Women's Olympic bar — 15 kg.
- Training and technique bars — 5–15 kg, EZ bar — usually 7–10 kg, trap bar — 20–30 kg: check the label for the exact weight.
- Olympic plates — 25, 20, 15, 10, 5, 2.5 and 1.25 kg; some gyms also have 0.5 kg plates for micro-loading. Standard 1-inch plates don't fit an Olympic bar.
- In IPF competitions plate color depends on weight: 25 is red, 20 blue, 15 yellow, 10 green.
What next
Numbers are useful once they are part of a program. Pick a training plan, check your form on the main lifts and recalculate your one-rep max from a fresh set.
Technique for the main lifts
FAQ
How do I figure out which plates to put on the bar?
Subtract the bar weight from the target and split the rest in half — that's the weight per side. Build it from heavy plates to light. For example, 80 kg on an Olympic bar: (80 − 20) / 2 = 30 kg per side, i.e. 25 + 5 kg.
How much does a barbell weigh?
A men's Olympic bar weighs 20 kg, a women's bar 15 kg. Training bars weigh 5 to 15 kg, an EZ bar usually 7–10 kg. If there's no label, ask the gym or weigh the bar on a bathroom scale.
What if I can't build the exact weight?
The calculator shows the nearest lighter weight and how much is missing. You can use that weight and add a rep, find small 1.25 or 0.5 kg plates, or round the working weight in your program to 2.5 kg.
Should I count the collars?
Spring and plastic clips weigh about 0.1–0.2 kg, so you can ignore them. Competition collars weigh 2.5 kg each: if you use them, add 5 kg to the bar weight by choosing a “Custom” bar.
How should I warm up before a heavy set?
Start with the empty bar for 8–10 reps, then do 2–4 sets with gradually increasing weight and fewer reps, for example 40% × 5, 60% × 3 and 80% × 1–2. The calculator shows this scheme with plates for your working weight.
In what order should I load the plates?
Heavy plates go closest to the center of the bar, light ones toward the end. This keeps the load near your hands or the rack, makes the bar easier to balance and lets you swap small plates quickly between sets.
Other calculators
- 1RM calculator
One-rep max from weight and reps: Epley, Brzycki and Lombardi formulas plus a 50–100% training weight chart.
- RPE and RIR calculator
Working weight for a target rep count at a given RPE and estimated 1RM from a set — full RPE chart.
- Wilks, DOTS and IPF GL calculator
Bodyweight-adjusted strength points: Wilks (classic and 2020), DOTS and IPF GL for powerlifting total and bench.
- Powerlifting standards
Strength level from Beginner to Elite and Russian EVSK 2026 rank for the bench and total — and how far the next one is.
- Bench press standards
Russian EVSK classic bench ranks and strength levels by bodyweight for men and women.
- Squat standards
Squat strength levels by bodyweight for men and women, with a level calculator.
- Deadlift standards
Deadlift strength levels by bodyweight for men and women, with a level calculator.