How to load a barbell, weight by weight
The twenty-five weights people actually ask about, each worked out per side on a standard 45 lb or 20 kg bar, with the alternatives for when a plate size is missing and the warm-up ramp for the day you have to hit it.
The method, once
| 1 | Total you want, including the bar. |
| 2 | Minus the bar: 45 lb or 20 kg in most gyms. |
| 3 | Divide by two — that is the number per side. |
| 4 | Build it from the biggest plate that fits, then the next, then the next. |
Everything else is arithmetic. For a plain explanation of the sizes themselves, see the barbell weight guide, and for the whole ladder in one sheet, the plate loading chart.
Pounds (45 lb bar, 45 lb plates)
| Weight | Per side | Plates a side |
|---|---|---|
| 95 lb | 1 × 25 | 25 lb |
| 115 lb | 1 × 35 | 35 lb |
| 135 lb | 1 × 45 | 45 lb |
| 155 lb | 1 × 45 + 1 × 10 | 55 lb |
| 175 lb | 1 × 45 + 1 × 15 + 1 × 5 | 65 lb |
| 185 lb | 1 × 45 + 1 × 25 | 70 lb |
| 205 lb | 1 × 45 + 1 × 35 | 80 lb |
| 225 lb | 2 × 45 | 90 lb |
| 245 lb | 2 × 45 + 1 × 10 | 100 lb |
| 265 lb | 2 × 45 + 1 × 15 + 1 × 5 | 110 lb |
| 275 lb | 2 × 45 + 1 × 25 | 115 lb |
| 295 lb | 2 × 45 + 1 × 35 | 125 lb |
| 315 lb | 3 × 45 | 135 lb |
| 365 lb | 3 × 45 + 1 × 25 | 160 lb |
| 405 lb | 4 × 45 | 180 lb |
Each row links to a page of its own with the full working, the alternatives and the warm-up ramp for that weight.
Kilograms (20 kg bar, 25 kg plates)
| Weight | Per side | Plates a side |
|---|---|---|
| 60 kg | 1 × 20 | 20 kg |
| 80 kg | 1 × 25 + 1 × 5 | 30 kg |
| 100 kg | 1 × 25 + 1 × 15 | 40 kg |
| 120 kg | 2 × 25 | 50 kg |
| 140 kg | 2 × 25 + 1 × 10 | 60 kg |
| 150 kg | 2 × 25 + 1 × 15 | 65 kg |
| 160 kg | 2 × 25 + 1 × 20 | 70 kg |
| 180 kg | 3 × 25 + 1 × 5 | 80 kg |
| 200 kg | 3 × 25 + 1 × 15 | 90 kg |
| 220 kg | 4 × 25 | 100 kg |
The 20 kg bar is the Olympic standard; smaller gyms run 15 kg bars, and every page here shows what that does to the loading.
Common questions
How do you work out what to load?
Three steps every time: total minus the bar weight, divided by two, then built from the biggest plate down. Every page linked here shows those lines for one weight.
Does the bar count?
Yes. A “225 lb squat” means the bar and the plates together. On a 45 lb bar that is 90 lb of plates, 45 per side.
Why do two lifters load the same weight differently?
Because plate sets differ. 175 lb is 45 + 15 + 5 per side on a full gym set, but 35 + 35 + 5 on a home set with no 45s spare. The per-side total is the fixed number; the combination is yours to choose.
What if my weight is not on this list?
Use the plate calculator on the homepage — it takes your exact plates and bar and tells you the loading, or that the weight is not reachable with what you own.
The tools behind these numbers
Plate calculator — any target, against the plates you own.
Reverse calculator — add up the plates on the bar to get the total.
How many plates is that? — the milestone convention explained.
kg/lb converter — the nearest loadable weight in the other unit.
Warm-up calculator — the ramp to a top set.
Plate guide and barbell guide — the kit the maths assumes.
What to buy to load this
The loading above assumes a full gym set already exists. Building one, three purchases decide which weights you can reach - the bar, the plates, and the small pairs that make the in-between numbers lift-able. Each link opens an Amazon search, where prices and stock change hourly.
- Olympic barbell — 20 kg or 45 lb - the one number every loading starts from.
- Olympic plate set — the pairs that make the milestones loadable.
- Fractional plate pair — the cheapest way to stop missing small jumps.
What to buy first, and for how much, is a different question: the home gym builder sizes a whole stack against a budget and a floor area, and the plate, barbell and rack guides say what to check before paying.
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