Nishaana
Plate loading chart — common loads at a glance.
This plate loading chart gives you a full reference of common barbell weights and the exact plates to load per side for each — built with (target − bar) ÷ 2 and a heaviest-first fill. Pick your bar and plate set below; the chart rebuilds instantly and prints cleanly, no signup.
The chart math, explained.
No black box. Every row is the same one-line calculation, run for a range of common loads.
(total − bar) ÷ 2 Each total splits evenly across the two ends. A 100 kg row on a 20 kg bar loads 40 kg per side.
heaviest → lightest That 40 kg fills with the biggest plates first: 1 × 25 then 1 × 15 — the fewest plates to load and unload.
remainder marked If a total cannot be built from your plate set, the row is flagged so you know to add a smaller plate or pick the nearest loadable weight.
Default plate sets are the standards: kg 25, 20, 15, 10, 5, 2.5, 1.25 and lb 45, 35, 25, 10, 5, 2.5. Change the bar for a womens 15 kg / 35 lb or lighter training bar and the whole chart recalculates. For one specific target, use the plate calculator; to ramp up, use the warm-up calculator.
Related loading calculators.
Everything you need at the rack — targeted plate math, a warm-up ramp, and your working maxes.
Plate chart questions.
What is a plate loading chart?
A plate loading chart is a reference table showing common barbell weights alongside the exact plates you load on each side to reach them. Instead of doing (target − bar) ÷ 2 in your head every set, you scan the chart, find your target, and load the plates listed. This one rebuilds live for any bar and plate set.
How do you read a barbell loading chart?
Find your total target weight in the left column, then read across to the plates-per-side column. Load those plates on both ends of the bar. The chart assumes an evenly loaded bar, so the two sides always match. Rows that a set cannot build exactly are marked so you know to add smaller plates.
What plates come on a standard barbell?
A standard kg plate set is 25, 20, 15, 10, 5, 2.5 and 1.25 kg, and a standard lb set is 45, 35, 25, 10, 5 and 2.5 lb. Colour coding often follows competition bumper plates — red 25 kg, blue 20 kg, yellow 15 kg, green 10 kg. This chart mirrors those defaults.
Can I print the plate loading chart?
Yes. Build the chart for your bar and plate set, then use your browser print command to save or print it. Many lifters keep a printed chart taped inside a gym notebook or on a home-gym wall so the plate math is solved before they even pick up the bar.
Does the chart work for a womens bar?
Yes. Switch the bar to the womens 15 kg or 35 lb option and every row recalculates from that lighter bar, so the plates-per-side column stays correct. The same works for lighter 10 kg or training bars, which matters most for beginners and lighter accessory work.
Ditch the wall chart. Just lift.
Free in your browser — Nishaana shows the plates per side for every working set, so the bar is loaded right without a chart.
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