Strength training

Plate Loading Calculator

Type the weight you want on the bar and get the plates for each side, drawn on a barbell. Set your bar, collars and the number of plates you have, and it finds the fewest plates or the closest possible load.

-Enter a target weight.

Plates available per side

Number of plates of each size you can load on one side. Set 0 for plates you do not have.

Runs entirely in your browser. Nothing is uploaded to any server.

Why use a plate calculator

No mental math

Get the plates for 142.5 kg or 315 lb instantly between sets.

Uses your plates

It respects how many plates of each size your gym or home rack has.

Fewer plates

It picks the combination with the fewest plates, so loading is faster.

How to load the bar

  1. Choose units and barPick kg or lb, the bar weight and collar weight.
  2. Enter the targetType the total weight you want to lift, or use the quick buttons.
  3. Load each sideSlide the listed plates on each side from heaviest to lightest.

Barbell and plate standards

A men's Olympic barbell weighs 20 kg (about 44 lb) and a women's bar 15 kg. Many commercial gyms in the US use 45 lb bars. Specialty bars such as trap bars or safety squat bars often weigh 25 to 30 kg, so check yours.

Load heavier plates on the inside and lighter ones on the outside. This keeps the bar balanced and makes changing small plates quick.

Olympic bar

20 kg / 45 lb, 2.2 m long, 28-29 mm grip.

Women's bar

15 kg / 35 lb, 25 mm grip.

Fractional plates

0.5 to 1.25 kg plates allow small weekly jumps.

Plate loading FAQ

How is the plate math done?

The target minus the bar and collars is split in two. The calculator then searches every combination of your available plates for that per-side weight and picks the one with the fewest plates.

Why can it not hit my exact weight?

Your smallest plate pair limits the step size. With 1.25 kg plates the smallest jump is 2.5 kg; with 2.5 lb plates it is 5 lb. The tool then shows the closest loads below and above.

Should I count collars?

Standard spring clips weigh almost nothing, but competition collars weigh 2.5 kg each. Enter the weight of one collar to include them.

What do the plate counts mean?

The count is how many plates of that size you can put on one side, so 2 means you have two pairs.

What colors are the plates?

Kilogram plates use the standard competition colors: 25 red, 20 blue, 15 yellow, 10 green, 5 white. Pound plates are drawn in gray by size.

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