Free Tools
Barbell Plate Calculator
Enter the weight you want on the bar and your bar weight, and we'll show exactly which plates to slide on each side — colour-coded, largest first, no mental maths mid-session.
Works in kilograms or pounds, with the standard competition plate colours so a loaded bar is readable at a glance. If a weight cannot be made exactly, it shows the nearest you can load.
Enter the weight you want on the bar and pick your bar — we'll show the plates to slide on each side.
Strength tool
One-Rep Max Calculator
Estimate your 1RM from any set, then get your working loads at every percentage.
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DOTS Score Calculator
Score your squat, bench and deadlift total against your bodyweight — the modern Wilks.
The plate maths, done for you
Loading a bar is simple in theory and easy to fumble under fatigue: subtract the bar, halve what is left, and load that per side. A 100kg squat on a 20kg bar is 40kg a side — a 20 and a 15 and a 5, or two 20s. This tool removes the guesswork so you rack the right weight first time, every set, without counting plates while your heart rate is still up.
Know your bar
The single most common loading mistake is forgetting the bar itself. A men's Olympic bar is 20kg, a women's is 15kg, and lighter training or technique bars run 10 to 15kg. A fixed EZ or Smith machine bar can be almost anything. Pick the right bar here first, because every plate figure below it depends on getting that starting number right.
Reading the colours
Competition plates are colour-coded so you can read a loaded bar from across the room: 25kg red, 20kg blue, 15kg yellow, 10kg green, 5kg white, then the smaller change plates. Most home and commercial gyms run plain black plates, but the weights and the loading order are identical — the colours here just make the on-screen plan quicker to scan.
Common questions
How do I know what plates to load for a weight?+
Take your target weight, subtract the bar, then split the rest evenly between the two sides. This calculator does it for you: enter the total you want and your bar weight, and it shows the exact plates to slide on each side, largest first.
How much does an Olympic barbell weigh?+
A standard men’s Olympic barbell is 20kg (about 45lb). The women’s Olympic bar is 15kg (about 35lb), and many gyms also have 10 to 15kg training bars. Always subtract the bar before you work out the plates, which is why the tool asks you to pick your bar.
Why are the plate numbers different colours?+
Competition plates follow a colour code so lifters can read a loaded bar at a glance: in kilograms, 25 is red, 20 blue, 15 yellow, 10 green and 5 white. The pound plates here use the common US colour convention. Home and commercial gym plates are often all black, but the weights load the same way.
What if the exact weight cannot be loaded?+
If your target does not divide evenly into the plates in the set, the tool loads as close as it can and tells you how far short each side is and the nearest weight you can actually make. Add micro or fractional plates if you need to hit an exact number for a lift.
Which supplements actually help me add weight to the bar?+
For strength, creatine monohydrate at 3 to 5 grams a day is the most evidence-backed supplement there is, and a caffeinated pre-workout can lift a hard session. Everything else is a distant second to progressive overload, sleep and enough protein. This tool is a training aid, not medical advice.
Adding weight to the bar?
Training does the work — but creatine and a solid pre-workout are the two supplements with real evidence behind them. Every product we track is scored 0–100 on how closely its doses match that evidence.
Informational only — not medical or coaching advice. Plate colours follow the common competition convention; check your own gym's plates. Buy links are affiliate links; we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.