The total weight of a barbell is the bar weight plus the plates on both sides. Plates must always be loaded symmetrically on both sides, so the weight to add per side is (target − bar) ÷ 2.
Standard bar weights are as follows.
- Olympic bar — 20kg (men's), 15kg (women's)
- Technique bar — around 10kg
- lb standard — 45lb, 35lb
It's best to load plates largest first. For example, if you need to add 40kg per side, you could combine 25kg + 15kg, or 20kg + 20kg. GymCalc's plate calculator automatically works out this combination from your target weight and shows it visually, and if it can't be matched exactly, it displays the closest combination along with the remaining weight.