How to Load a Barbell

You just calculated your working weight for the day. Now you're standing in front of the plate tree doing mental math. 275 minus the bar is 230, divided by two is 115, so that's two 45s and a... 25? Right.

This happens to everyone. Below is a complete reference for every common barbell weight with the exact plates you need per side.

What "plates" actually means

When someone says they "bench two plates," they mean two 45 lb plates on each side of a standard barbell. The bar counts toward the total. In kg, "plates" refers to 20 kg plates on a 20 kg bar.

Each "plate" milestone adds two plates to the total (one per side). Here are the standard milestones:

Complete barbell loading chart (lbs)

This table covers every commonly searched weight on a standard 45 lb bar. Per-side weight is calculated as (total weight minus 45 lb bar) divided by 2.

All weights assume standard lbs plates: 45, 35, 25, 10, 5, and 2.5 lb denominations. For non-standard weights or metric setups, use the plate calculator.

Complete barbell loading chart (kg)

For metric lifters using a 20 kg bar with standard kg plates (25, 20, 15, 10, 5, 2.5, 1.25 kg):

In-between weights are where people mess up

The plate milestones are easy. It's the in-between numbers that trip people up mid-session.

Say your program calls for 82.5% of a 140 kg squat. That's 115.5 kg. On a 20 kg bar, you need 47.75 kg per side. Load two 20s, one 5, and one 2.5, then accept you're 0.25 kg light. Close enough.

Or say your bench calls for 185 lbs. That's 70 per side on a 45 lb bar. One 45 and one 25. Simple.

The rule: use the biggest plates you can, then add smaller ones to fill the gap.

Know your bar weight

This catches people off guard. Not all bars weigh the same, and the weight written on the side of a commercial gym bar isn't always accurate.

If you're unsure, put your bar on a scale. We've seen "20 kg" bars that weighed 18.5 kg. When you're programming off percentages, a 1.5 kg error in bar weight compounds across every plate calculation.

Loading rules that prevent injuries

Collars on, always. Plates sliding off the bar during a squat is not a story you want to tell.

Load both sides equally. One-sided loading is how barbells flip off the rack. If you've never seen it happen, consider yourself lucky.

Big plates go on first. Heaviest closest to the collar, lightest on the outside. More stable, easier to strip between sets.

Strip from both sides, alternately. Pull one plate off the left, one off the right, repeat. This keeps the bar from tipping while you unload.

These sound obvious until the day they aren't. Gym injuries from plate loading mistakes are more common than you'd think.

Stop doing math between sets

Calculating plate combos in your head eats into your rest time and focus. Punch in your target weight below and see exactly which plates go on each side.

Or use the full plate calculator to customize bar weight and available plates.