Plate / Barbell Load Calculator
Enter your target weight and see exactly which plates to load on each side of the bar.
How this plate calculator works
Enter your total target weight and select your bar type. The calculator subtracts the bar weight and calculates the plates needed per side using a greedy algorithm — largest plates first — to minimise the number of plate changes.
Practical use
Use this alongside the 1RM calculator to instantly convert percentage-based programming weights to exact plate combinations. For example, if your bench press 1RM is 120 kg and today calls for 80% (96 kg), enter 96 kg and see the exact load.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How does the plate calculator work?
- It subtracts the bar weight from your target total, divides by two (for each side), then uses a greedy algorithm to fill each side with the largest plates first until the target weight per side is reached.
- What plate sizes does it support?
- 25 kg, 20 kg, 15 kg, 10 kg, 5 kg, 2.5 kg, 1.25 kg, 0.5 kg, and 0.25 kg — the standard plate set found in most UK gyms.
- Why is my target weight not exactly achievable?
- Some weights cannot be made exactly with standard plate denominations. The calculator shows the closest achievable weight and flags any remainder.
- What does the colour coding mean?
- The colour coding follows the IWF (International Weightlifting Federation) standard: red = 25 kg, blue = 20 kg, yellow = 15 kg, green = 10 kg, white = 5 kg, grey = smaller plates.