Plate loading calculator

Put in the total and the bar, and get the plates for each side, heaviest on first.

Your details

For 100 kg on a 20 kg bar

1 × 25 kg, 1 × 15 kg

on each side

Weight per side40 kg of plates
Total you can actually make100 kg
Warm up 40%: 40 kg1 × 10 kg each side
Warm up 60%: 60 kg1 × 20 kg each side
Warm up 80%: 80 kg1 × 25 kg, 1 × 5 kg each side

Heaviest plates go on first, closest to the collar. Always use clips, and load and unload both sides evenly so the bar cannot tip.

The working

100 kg on a 20 kg bar

100 − 20 = 80 kg of plates, so 40 kg per side: one 25 kg and one 15 kg. In pounds, 225 lb on a 45 lb bar is two 45 lb plates a side.

Plate sets

What gyms usually have

Kilograms	Pounds
25, 20, 15, 10, 5, 2.5, 1.25	45, 35, 25, 10, 5, 2.5

Loading safely

Bar etiquette

Load both sides in turn so the bar cannot flip
Big plates first, small ones on the outside
Collars every time
Strip the bar when you finish

Warm up

Collars and a warm-up ladder

Competition collars weigh 2.5 kg each, so with them on, 100 kg on a 20 kg bar needs 37.5 kg of plates a side (25 + 10 + 2.5) instead of 40. We also give a simple warm-up ladder after the empty bar: about 40%, 60% and 80% of your working weight, rounded to the smallest plate pair. For 100 kg that is 40 kg (10 a side), 60 kg (20 a side) and 80 kg (25 + 5 a side).

Read with care

What this cannot tell you

Missing platesIt assumes the gym has the usual plates; it tells you if a small one is missing.
Odd barsTrap bars and safety bars weigh more; check the label.
Your gym's platesIf a plate size is missing, go to the next one down and tell it the total.

Questions

Common questions

How much does an Olympic bar weigh?

20 kg for a men's bar, 15 kg for a women's bar.

What plates make 60 kg?

On a 20 kg bar, one 20 kg plate each side.

Do clips count?

Spring clips weigh very little; competition collars are 2.5 kg each.

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.