Barbell Plate Calculator
Type the weight you want on the bar and see exactly which plates go on each side, plus your warm-up sets.
Enter a target weight.
Each sideWarm-up sets
| Set | Weight | Reps | Each side |
|---|
How the plate maths works
Take the bar off your target, halve what's left, and that's what goes on each side. The calculator then finds the fewest plates that make up that half, heaviest first, so the bar loads fast and the big plates sit next to the collar where they belong.
If your gym's plates can't hit the exact number, you get the closest load below it rather than a weight you didn't ask for. Switch off any plates your gym is missing and the answer changes to match.
Plate colours
- kg bumper plates: 25 red, 20 blue, 15 yellow, 10 green, 5 white. Smaller change plates are usually red or silver.
- lb plates: colours vary by brand. The calculator shows 45s in blue, 35s in yellow and 25s in green so heavy loads are easy to read.
The warm-up ramp
The warm-up table follows a simple ramp to your working weight: the empty bar for 10, then about 40% for 5, 60% for 3 and 80% for 2. Each step is rounded down to what your plates allow, and steps that would repeat the one before are skipped. Want to know what your working weight should be? Start with the 1RM calculator.
One tap from every exercise
This is the same plate calculator that's built into NXTSTEP Fitness. In the app it sits on every exercise screen, remembers the plates in your gym, and works in kg or lb. Log the set when you're done and the app tracks the PB for you.
FAQ
How much does a barbell weigh?
A standard men's Olympic barbell weighs 20 kg, and in gyms that use pounds the standard bar is 45 lb. Women's Olympic bars weigh 15 kg (35 lb), and technique bars are often 10 kg (15 lb). Pick yours in the Bar setting.
Do collars count towards the weight?
Spring clips weigh almost nothing, so most people leave them out. Competition collars weigh 2.5 kg each, so if you use them, add 5 kg to the total yourself.
Why can't I load my exact weight?
Both sides have to match, so the smallest jump is two of your smallest plates. With 1.25 kg plates that's 2.5 kg. If your target falls in between, the calculator shows the closest load below it.
How should I warm up for a heavy set?
Start with the empty bar for 10 reps, then about 40% for 5, 60% for 3 and 80% for 2 before your working sets. The warm-up table works out the plates for each step.