Strength
Plate calculator
Which plates to load on each side of the bar for any total weight.
Your stats
Per side
90lb
Load this on each side of the bar.
- 45 lb plate× 2
How loading is calculated
per side = (total − bar) / 2
then load greedily, largest plate first:
while per side ≥ largest plate that hasn't been exhausted:
add one of that plate, subtract its weightThe algorithm matches how most lifters load in practice — biggest plate that fits, repeat. Where the target doesn't divide cleanly, the calculator reports the shortfall instead of fudging it.
Frequently asked questions
Which plates does the calculator assume?
Standard commercial plate sets: 45/35/25/10/5/2.5 lb, or 25/20/15/10/5/2.5/1.25 kg. The greedy algorithm loads the heaviest plate that still fits first, then the next, and so on — the same way you'd think about it at the rack.
What if it can't load exactly?
The calculator flags any shortfall. Most kg gyms only carry down to 1.25 kg plates, and lb gyms down to 2.5 lb plates, so very precise jumps (like 178 kg or 247 lb) can't be matched without microloading plates.
Do you include collar weight?
Standard spring collars (about 0.25–0.5 kg each) are typically ignored in this kind of calculation. Heavier IPF-style collars (2.5 kg / 5 lb each) should be added on top of the bar weight you select.