Barbell plate weights and colour chart
Standard weight plates follow fixed weights and colours, so a loaded barbell is readable at a glance. This page is the quick reference: what each plate weighs in kg and lb, the IPF/IWF colours, what one, two and three plates come to, and how to read a loaded bar.
Standard plate weights and colours
| Plate (kg) | IPF/IWF colour | Closest lb plate |
|---|---|---|
| 25 kg | Red | 55 lb |
| 20 kg | Blue | 45 lb |
| 15 kg | Yellow | 35 lb |
| 10 kg | Green | 25 lb |
| 5 kg | White | 10 lb |
| 2.5 kg | Red (change plate) | 5 lb |
| 1.25 kg | Chrome (change plate) | 2.5 lb |
Change plates (2.5 kg and below) are the small plates you add to fine-tune the load. The colours above are the competition standard; rubber bumper plates in a commercial gym often follow the same code.
How to read a loaded barbell
Total weight = bar + all plates on both sides. The fast method: total the plates on one side, double it, then add the bar. A 20 kg bar with a 25, a 10, and a 5 on each side is 20 + (40 x 2) = 100 kg.
Working out the plates per side
Going the other way, from a target weight to the plates: (target - bar) / 2 = weight per side. Load the largest plates first, closest to the collar. For 100 kg with a 20 kg bar, that is 40 kg per side: a 25, a 10, and a 5.
| Target | With a 20 kg bar, per side |
|---|---|
| 60 kg | 20 kg (one 20) |
| 80 kg | 30 kg (25 + 5) |
| 100 kg | 40 kg (25 + 10 + 5) |
| 120 kg | 50 kg (25 + 25) |
| 140 kg | 60 kg (25 + 25 + 10) |
One plate, two plates, three plates: the counting shorthand
Lifters count in plates per side, not total weight. “Two plates” means the biggest standard plate twice on each end of the bar — 20 kg plates in a kg gym, 45 lb plates in an lb gym. The bar itself is always included in the total.
| Shorthand | Per side | Total (20 kg bar) | Total (45 lb bar) |
|---|---|---|---|
| One plate | 20 kg / 45 lb | 60 kg | 135 lb |
| Two plates | 40 kg / 90 lb | 100 kg | 225 lb |
| Three plates | 60 kg / 135 lb | 140 kg | 315 lb |
| Four plates | 80 kg / 180 lb | 180 kg | 405 lb |
| Five plates | 100 kg / 225 lb | 220 kg | 495 lb |
| Six plates | 120 kg / 270 lb | 260 kg | 585 lb |
The kg and lb columns are not the same load: 225 lb is 102 kg, not 100 kg. If you train in one unit and read a program written in the other, convert the total rather than matching the plate count.
Pound plates in kg
| lb plate | Exact kg | Treated as |
|---|---|---|
| 55 lb | 24.9 kg | 25 kg |
| 45 lb | 20.4 kg | 20 kg |
| 35 lb | 15.9 kg | 15 kg |
| 25 lb | 11.3 kg | 10 kg |
| 10 lb | 4.5 kg | 5 kg |
| 5 lb | 2.3 kg | 2.5 kg |
| 2.5 lb | 1.1 kg | 1.25 kg |
Barbell weight chart: common bars
| Bar | Weight |
|---|---|
| Mens Olympic bar | 20 kg (about 45 lb) |
| Womens Olympic bar | 15 kg (about 35 lb) |
| Technique / training bar | 10 to 15 kg |
| EZ curl bar | Roughly 6 to 10 kg (varies) |
Let the tool do the counting
Reading plates is simple until you are mid-session at 92.5 kg. The free plate calculator lets you stack one side and instantly checks whether the bar is on target, over, or under, and by how much per side. In Mekimeki, the same calculator opens inside your workout and applies the loaded total straight to your set.
How do you read the weight on a loaded barbell?
Add the bar weight plus every plate on both sides. A quick way: take the weight on one side, double it, then add the bar. A 20 kg bar with 25, 10, and 5 per side is 20 + (40 x 2) = 100 kg.
What do the plate colours mean?
Competition plates follow IPF and IWF colour standards so a loaded bar is readable at a glance: red is 25 kg, blue 20 kg, yellow 15 kg, green 10 kg, white 5 kg, with smaller change plates below that.
How much does a red plate weigh?
A red competition plate weighs 25 kg (about 55 lb). Red is also used for the 2.5 kg change plate, which is much smaller in diameter, so go by size as well as colour.
How heavy are blue plates?
A blue competition plate weighs 20 kg (about 45 lb). Two blue plates on a 20 kg bar is 100 kg, which is what lifters in lb gyms call two plates (225 lb).
How much is one plate in kg?
One plate means one plate per side. In a kg gym that is a 20 kg plate each side on a 20 kg bar, so 60 kg total. In an lb gym it is a 45 lb plate each side on a 45 lb bar, so 135 lb.
How much is 2 plates in kg?
Two plates per side on a 20 kg bar is 100 kg (20 + 40 + 40). In lb gyms the same load is 225 lb, which is 102 kg, so the two numbers are close but not identical.
How much is 3 plates in kg?
Three plates per side on a 20 kg bar is 140 kg (20 + 60 + 60). The lb equivalent, 315 lb, is about 143 kg.
How much weight is 5 plates?
Five 20 kg plates per side on a 20 kg bar is 220 kg. In lb that is five 45 lb plates per side on a 45 lb bar, or 495 lb (about 225 kg).
What is a 45 lb plate in kg?
A 45 lb plate is 20.4 kg. It is treated as the equivalent of a 20 kg plate, which is why the same lift can read 225 lb in one gym and 100 kg in another.
How much does a barbell weigh?
A standard Olympic barbell is 20 kg (about 45 lb). Common variants are the 15 kg womens bar and lighter 10 to 15 kg technique bars.
How do I work out the plates per side?
Subtract the bar weight from your target, then divide by two. For 100 kg with a 20 kg bar: (100 - 20) / 2 = 40 kg per side, for example a 25, a 10, and a 5.
Never miscount a bar again
Mekimeki has a plate calculator built into every workout.
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