Plate calculator (kg)
Plate calculator, in kilos.
Type any target in kg. Get the exact plates per side for a 20 kg or 15 kg Olympic bar — with full decimal precision and IWF plate colors.
Adjust plate inventory
Use − / + to match what you own. Two plates make one usable pair. Results update instantly.
How kilo plate math works.
The recipe is the same in metric: subtract the bar from your target, divide what's left by two, and build that per-side weight from your plates, biggest first — with a 20 kg Olympic bar and metric plates of 25, 20, 15, 10, 5, 2.5, and 1.25 kg. A 100 kg target leaves 80 kg — 40 kg per side, which is two 20s. Competition gyms add IWF color coding on top (red 25s, blue 20s, yellow 15s, green 10s, white 5s), and the calculator's bar visuals match those colors.
Change plates down to 1.25 kg and collar weight are part of the solver, so odd totals like 87.5 kg resolve exactly instead of approximately. Switching units mid-session converts with full decimal precision — nothing gets truncated. Prefer pounds? The pound plate calculator runs the same engine in lb.
Worked examples
60 kg on a 20 kg bar
(60 − 20) ÷ 2 = 20 kg per side → 1× 20 (blue). One plate — where every lifter starts.
100 kg on a 20 kg bar
(100 − 20) ÷ 2 = 40 kg per side → 2× 20. The classic two-plate milestone.
140 kg on a 20 kg bar
(140 − 20) ÷ 2 = 60 kg per side → 2× 25 + 1× 10 (red + green).
When the math doesn't cooperate
Limited inventory. Set your real plate counts under "Adjust plate inventory" and the calculator searches only what you own. If the exact target is impossible, it returns the closest achievable load and states the difference plainly.
Target below the bar. If your target is lighter than the bar plus collars, there's nothing to load — the calculator tells you the minimum total instead of showing a nonsense negative.
Common questions.
What plates do I need for 100 kg on a 20 kg bar?
Subtract the 20 kg bar from 100 to get 80, then split per side: 40 kg. That's two 20 kg plates per side. The calculator above does this instantly for any target.
What do the plate colors mean?
IWF competition plates follow a standard color code: red is 25 kg, blue is 20 kg, yellow is 15 kg, green is 10 kg, and white is 5 kg. LiftLoadout's bar visuals use the same colors, so matching the math to the rack is easy.
Can I use a 15 kg bar?
Yes. Tap the 15 kg preset under "Bar weight · one tap" — common for women's Olympic bars. Everything else, from your target to your inventory, stays in kilos.
How precise is the kilo math?
Fully decimal. Targets convert with full precision, change plates down to 1.25 kg are in the solver, and collar weight can be toggled on — odd totals like 87.5 kg resolve exactly, not approximately.