Bar weights at a glance
Men's Olympic bar: 20 kg, 2.2 m long, 28 to 29 mm grip. In pound gyms it's called 45 lb. Women's bar: 15 kg (33 lb), 2.01 m, 25 mm grip. Technique and training bars: 5 to 10 kg. EZ curl bars: about 7 to 11 kg; standard 1 inch bars about 5 to 9 kg.
Competition collars weigh 2.5 kg each; spring clips under half a kilo. Specialty bars vary: trap bars run 20 to 30 kg, safety squat bars 25 to 32 kg, so weigh yours once and use Custom.
Questions
How do you calculate plates per side?
Subtract the bar and collars from the total and divide by two. 225 lb on a 45 lb bar leaves 180, so 90 lb a side: two 45s.
How much is a 45 lb bar with two plates?
135 lb with one 45 on each side, 225 with two, 315 with three, 405 with four.
How much does a barbell weigh in kg?
A men's Olympic bar is 20 kg, a women's bar 15 kg. Competition collars add 2.5 kg each.
What warm-up sets should I do?
A common ramp: empty bar 2 × 5, then about 40% × 5, 60% × 3 and 80% × 2 of your work set. Round each to a load that is easy to build from the last.
What colour is a 20 kg plate?
Blue. IWF colours are red 25 kg, blue 20, yellow 15, green 10, white 5.
What if I can't make the exact weight?
Racked loads the closest weight it can with your plates and tells you the nearest load above and below, so you can choose.