Plate Loading Cheat Sheet
What is a plate loading cheat sheet?
A plate loading cheat sheet is a quick-reference chart showing exactly which weight plates to put on each side of a barbell for any target weight. Standard Olympic barbells weigh 45 lbs (20 kg), so a 225 lb load means 90 lbs of plates per side. This chart covers every common barbell weight so you can load up without doing mental math mid-workout.
Pounds (45 lb bar)
| Target Weight | Plates Per Side | Total Plates |
|---|---|---|
| 95 lbs | 25 | 2 |
| 115 lbs | 35 | 2 |
| 135 lbs | 45 | 2 |
| 155 lbs | 45+ 10 | 4 |
| 175 lbs | 45+ 10+ 10 | 6 |
| 185 lbs | 45+ 25 | 4 |
| 205 lbs | 45+ 35 | 4 |
| 225 lbs | 45+ 45 | 4 |
| 245 lbs | 45+ 45+ 10 | 6 |
| 275 lbs | 45+ 45+ 25 | 6 |
| 315 lbs | 45+ 45+ 45 | 6 |
| 365 lbs | 45+ 45+ 45+ 25 | 8 |
| 405 lbs | 45+ 45+ 45+ 45 | 8 |
| 455 lbs | 45+ 45+ 45+ 45+ 25 | 10 |
| 495 lbs | 45+ 45+ 45+ 45+ 45 | 10 |
| 545 lbs | 45+ 45+ 45+ 45+ 45+ 25 | 12 |
Kilograms (20 kg bar)
| Target Weight | Plates Per Side | Total Plates |
|---|---|---|
| 40 kg | 10 | 2 |
| 50 kg | 15 | 2 |
| 60 kg | 20 | 2 |
| 70 kg | 25 | 2 |
| 80 kg | 25+ 5 | 4 |
| 90 kg | 25+ 10 | 4 |
| 100 kg | 25+ 15 | 4 |
| 110 kg | 25+ 20 | 4 |
| 120 kg | 25+ 25 | 4 |
| 140 kg | 25+ 25+ 10 | 6 |
| 160 kg | 25+ 25+ 20 | 6 |
| 180 kg | 25+ 25+ 25+ 5 | 8 |
| 200 kg | 25+ 25+ 25+ 15 | 8 |
| 220 kg | 25+ 25+ 25+ 25 | 8 |
Quick Notes
- Standard Olympic bar is 45 lbs / 20 kg.
- Women's Olympic bar is 35 lbs / 15 kg.
- Add collar weight if using collars (typically 5 lbs / 2.5 kg total).
- All plate counts shown are per side. Total plates is both sides combined.