Plate calculator
Enter your target weight and load the bar without doing arithmetic between sets. Largest plates first, per side, with any unloadable remainder shown honestly.
How it loads
The calculator subtracts the bar, halves the rest, then fills each side greedily from the largest plate down:
- kg plates: 25, 20, 15, 10, 5, 2.5, 1.25
- lb plates: 45, 35, 25, 10, 5, 2.5
If your target cannot be hit with those denominations, it tells you how far short the load falls instead of silently rounding. Collars are not counted; if your gym uses 2.5 kg competition collars, drop one 2.5 from each side.
Worked examples (kg)
| Target | Per side | Reads as |
|---|---|---|
| 60 kg | 20 | bar + one 20 each side |
| 100 kg | 25 + 15 | bar + a 25 and a 15 each side |
| 142.5 kg | 25 + 25 + 10 + 1.25 | two big reds, a 10 and a fractional |
Common questions
Why per side and not total?
Because that is how you load a bar. Thinking in totals mid-workout is where the maths errors come from, especially on asymmetric strip-downs between sets.
What about different bars?
This page assumes the standard 20 kg or 45 lb bar. Squat bars, trap bars and women's 15 kg bars differ; do the one-step adjustment, or log your sets in IronPack where the working weight is whatever you enter.
Does IronPack do this automatically?
Yes. Every barbell exercise shows the per-side breakdown for the weight you are about to lift, plus warm-up ramp maths. Dumbbell movements show a per-hand note instead, because nobody loads plates onto a dumbbell rack.
The bar maths, done for every set
IronPack shows plate breakdowns and warm-up ramps inline while you train, and every logged set feeds records, heatmaps and the game.
Get IronPack free on the App StoreMore free tools: one-rep max calculator and DOTS calculator.
Last reviewed July 2026. Plate denominations, bar weights and the loading algorithm match the IronPack app (v1.1) exactly.