Barbell maths

Count the plates on one side of the bar to see the total weight.

Your details

Bar plus both sides

85 kg

about 187 lb

Bar20 kg
Plates on each side32.5 kg
Collarsnot counted
Smallest jump (a pair of 1.25 kg plates)2.5 kg, 2.9% of this load

A standard Olympic bar is 20 kg; a women's Olympic bar is 15 kg; many gym fixed and technique bars are lighter, so check the end cap. Competition collars add 2.5 kg each; spring clips are light enough to ignore.

The working

A 20, a 10 and a 2.5 each side

One side holds 20 + 10 + 2.5 = 32.5 kg. Both sides make 65 kg, plus the 20 kg bar is 85 kg, about 187 lb. Competition collars add 2.5 kg each, making 90 kg.

Add your one rep max and we show what share of it is on the bar. 85 kg against a 100 kg max is 85%, which the NSCA chart puts at about 6 reps. The smallest jump, a pair of 1.25 kg plates, is 2.5 kg or 2.9% of 85 kg; once that is more than about 5% of the load, extra reps or fractional plates progress more gently.

Colour codes

Competition plates

Colour	Weight
Red	25 kg
Blue	20 kg
Yellow	15 kg
Green	10 kg
White	5 kg

Quick check

Mental shortcut

Count one side, double it, add the bar. Two blue plates a side on a 20 kg bar is the classic 100 kg.

Loading a target

What to put on each side

Add the weight you want and we load it largest plate first with the standard set (25, 20, 15, 10, 5, 2.5 and 1.25 kg). For 100 kg on a 20 kg bar with spring clips, each side needs 40 kg: 1 × 25 + 1 × 15. From the 85 kg example that means adding 7.5 kg each side. With competition collars the same 100 kg needs 37.5 kg a side. If a weight cannot be made exactly, we show the closest one below it.

Read with care

What this cannot tell you

Pound platesThis page counts kilogram plates; use the plate loader for pounds.
Bar labelsOld or fixed bars can be lighter; weigh one if unsure.
Uneven barsIf the two sides differ, rebalance before lifting.

Questions

Common questions

How much is 2 plates a side?

With 20 kg plates on a 20 kg bar, 100 kg.

How do I convert kg to lb?

Multiply by about 2.205.

Are bumper plates the same weight?

Yes, by the number on them; they are just thicker.

Sources

Last checked 21 October 2026. Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we will fix it.

Before you push on

New to exercise, or got a heart, lung or joint condition? Have a word with your GP or practice nurse first. Stop and get help if you feel chest pain, faintness or unusual breathlessness, and call 999 if it is severe.