Pop quiz: You want to lift 185 pounds. How many plates do you put on each side of the barbell, and what sizes? If you didn’t immediately answer “a 45 and a 25, of course,” perhaps a little primer on plate math would help.
Yes, you count the bar
At most gyms in the U.S., a typical full-size barbell weighs either 45 pounds or 20 kilograms (which works out to 44 pounds). If the rest of your weight plates are in pounds, go ahead and assume it’s 45. (Nobody ever says "I benched 224 pounds" even if, technically, they used a 20-kilo bar.)
If your gym has multiple bar sizes, check the end for a label giving the weight, or ask somebody. If your gym has kilo plates, or if it's a CrossFit box, you should know that Olympic-style weightlifting is done with a 20 kilogram bar for men (close enough to 45 pounds), and a shorter, narrower 15 kilogram bar for women—which CrossFitters tend to estimate as 35 pounds, even though between you and me it's closer to 33. (Why do women's barbells exist in the first place? There's a whole story to that.)
CAP Barbell Classic 7-Foot Olympic Bar, Chrome - New Version (OBIS-85) $79.99 at Amazon Get Deal Get Deal $79.99 at AmazonIf you’re lifting with a Smith machine, or any other kind of machine, don’t bother trying to figure out how much the machine or its bar weighs. Every machine is different; they’re almost never labeled, and the weights won’t necessarily feel the same as they would on a barbell. Just write down the total weight you loaded onto it—that’s enough for record-keeping purposes.
What about the clips or collars that hold the weight on? Usually they’re not heavy enough to bother adding into your calculations, but if they’re large and you know the weight, feel free to include them. In weightlifting and powerlifting competitions, the collars are 2.5 kilos each, and they are counted in the weight lifted.
These weightlifting apps can help
Left: calculating in pounds. Right: competition-colored kilogram plates. Credit: Bar Is LoadedAn online equivalent is this calculator from ExRx. Note that you have to tell any calculator how heavy your bar is, what sizes of plate you have available, and how many of each there are. (The app will probably have some sensible defaults, but double-check them.) In a gym the plates may be unlimited, but in a home gym there may be certain numbers you just can’t achieve if you don’t have the right combination of plates. That's why apps often ask for your inventory of plates.
More often, though, you'll start with a number in mind that you’d like to lift, and then have to load the bar appropriately. Start practicing and soon you’ll be able to load a bar correctly without thinking about it too much. Here are some strategies to help you do that.
Memorize common weights in pounds
55 pounds: a 5-pound plate on each side
95 pounds: a 25-pound plate on each side
135 pounds: one 45-pound plate on each side
315 pounds: three 45-pound plates on each side
495 pounds: five 45-pound plates on each side
As you warm up for a lift, you can do the math as you put plates on. Say you do a set with just the empty bar, then with a 10 on each side (that’s 65), then a second pair of 10s (85), then swap both of those out for a 25 (now we’re up to 95) and you want to do your next set at 100. You know you need five more pounds, so look for a pair of 2.5-pound plates, and there you go.
Steel Olympic Plates 175lb Set - Olympic Standard Premium Coated 2.5lb, 5lb, 10lb, 25lb, 45lb Pairs for Weight Lifting Powerlifting $339.99 Shop Now Shop Now $339.99Memorize common weights in kilograms
On a 15kg women’s bar:
A pair of 15s (yellow)=45kg
A pair of 25s (red)=65kg
Three pairs of 25s=165kg
A pair of 10 kilo plates (green)=40kg
A pair of 20s (blue)=60kg
Two pairs of 25s=120kg
Three pairs of 25s=170kg
Titan Fitness 15 KG Color Urethane Bumper Plates, Sold Individually, Yellow Colored Mold with Steel Insert $86.97 Get Deal Get Deal $86.975kg=11 pounds
20kg=44 pounds
40kg=88 pounds
100kg=220 pounds
I lift at one gym where everything is in kilos, and another where everything is in pounds. Fortunately, I do different lifts in each place, so I keep my Olympic lifting notes in kilos and my powerlifting notes in pounds. I recommend this approach rather than trying to convert units on every lift as you do it.
If you’re not used to working in kilos, start with memorizing just one number: your own weight in kilos. That lets you make quick judgments like “This is heavier than me” or “This is about half my weight” without having to whip out a calculator.
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