Plate Calculator
Enter your target weight and instantly see exactly which plates to load on each side of the bar. Works in kg or lb, with standard bar weight presets.
Available plates: 45, 35, 25, 10, 5, 2.5
Ready to Calculate
Enter your target weight and instantly see exactly which plates to load on each side of the bar. Works in kg or lb, with standard bar weight presets.
Plate Calculator Guide
Loading a barbell for a specific weight means solving for the right combination of plates on each side, on top of the bar itself. This calculator does the math instantly so you can spend your rest time resting.
How It Works
Subtract the bar weight from your target, divide by two (one side each), then greedily fit the largest available plates first, working down to the smallest. The result is the fewest plates needed to hit your target weight as closely as possible.
This is the exact same plate-loading logic built into the Tracked app — it calculates plates automatically for every set you log, so you never have to do this math mid-workout.
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Plate Calculator FAQ
What's a standard barbell weight?
A standard Olympic barbell weighs 45 lb (20 kg). Many gyms also stock lighter training/women's bars around 33-35 lb (15 kg), and some technique bars are lighter still — check your bar or use the preset closest to it.
Why doesn't my target weight load exactly?
If your plate set doesn't include a small enough plate to make up the exact remainder (e.g. you want +1 lb but only have 2.5 lb plates), the calculator shows the closest achievable weight and the leftover per side.
Do I need to enter plates for both sides, or just one?
Just one side — barbells are loaded symmetrically, so whatever combination the calculator shows goes on each side of the bar.
Does this work for dumbbells or machines?
This calculator is built for barbells (bar weight + symmetric plates per side). For machine stacks or dumbbells, just use the plate breakdown as a general guide to how weight increments work with your available plates.