How much is 1 to 6 plates on each side?

Updated October 25, 2026

Short answer: with a 45 lb bar and 45 lb plates, 1 plate on each side is 135 lb, 2 plates are 225 lb, 3 plates are 315 lb, 4 plates are 405 lb, 5 plates are 495 lb and 6 plates are 585 lb. In the gym, "a plate" means one 45 lb plate (a 20 kg plate in a kilo gym), and lifters count the plates on one side of the bar. In kilos, 2 plates on each side of a 20 kg bar is 100 kg.

How to work it out: 3 plates on each side

Add the plates on one side, double that for both sides, then add the bar:

1. Plates on one side: 45 + 45 + 45 = 135 lb.
2. Both sides: 2 × 135 = 270 lb.
3. Add the bar: 270 + 45 = 315 lb.

The same steps work for any count: 1 plate is 45 + 2 × 45 = 135 lb, and 2 plates are 45 + 2 × 90 = 225 lb. Every extra 45 lb plate on each side adds 90 lb to the bar, because it goes on both ends.

Plates on each side in pounds

A 45 lb Olympic bar with 45 lb plates. Each total links to the plate breakdown for that weight:

405 lb is the "four plates" milestone and 495 lb is five plates. How many plates fit on one sleeve depends on the bar and on how thick the plates are.

Plates on each side in kg

In a kilo gym "a plate" is usually the 20 kg plate on a 20 kg bar. If you are asking how much N plates is in kg with pound plates, the last column converts the pound totals above:

So 5 plates in kg is 220 kg with 20 kg plates, or 224.53 kg if the plates are 45 lb ones. A 20 kg plate weighs 44.09 lb, a little less than a 45 lb plate (see how much a plate weighs). Some kilo gyms load 25 kg plates instead: one 25 kg plate on each side of a 20 kg bar is 70 kg, and two are 120 kg.

With 25 lb plates

Lighter plates add up the same way. On a 45 lb bar:

Mixed plates work too: one 45 and one 25 on each side is 185 lb, and two 45s and a 25 on each side is 275 lb. For any mix, what's on the bar adds it up for you, and the plate calculator goes the other way, from a target weight to the plates per side.

Bench press: how much is 2 plates?

Bench, squat and deadlift use the same 45 lb bar in most gyms, so the numbers do not change: a 2 plate bench is 225 lb and a 3 plate squat is 315 lb. A 1 plate bench is 135 lb. If your bench bar weighs something else, use its weight instead of 45 lb; how much a barbell weighs lists the common bars.

Common mistakes

• Mixing up plates per side and plates in total. "4 plates" usually means four on each side (405 lb). If someone means four plates in total, two on each side, that is 225 lb. Ask which one they mean.
• Forgetting the bar. Two 45s on each side are 180 lb of plates; the bar makes it 225 lb.
• Assuming every bar weighs 45 lb. A women's Olympic bar is 33 lb (15 kg), so 2 plates on each side of it are 213 lb. In kilos, 2 × 20 kg on each side of a 15 kg bar is 95 kg.
• Leaving out collars. Collars add a little weight, and how much depends on the model. Count them when you need an exact total.
• Mixing kg and lb plates. A 20 kg plate is not a 45 lb plate. Convert with the kg to lb converter before you add them up.

Loading it with the LoadPR app

The tables on this page are plain arithmetic, with as many 45s as the load needs. The LoadPR app's free plate set has two of each plate per side (45, 35, 25, 10, 5 and 2.5 lb, or 25 down to 1.25 kg), so a load like 225 lb comes straight from it. With LoadPR+ you can enter the plates your gym actually has.